My favorite way to use up leftover birria, these loaded birria fries are what dreams are made of. These crispy fries crowned with melted cheese, juicy beef birria, and your choice of toppings are simple to prepare and so damn delicious. Naturally gluten-free.
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What you’ll love about this recipe
- It’s just as good if not better than birria tacos! I realize that’s a loaded statement but it’s true!!!! Crispy fries topped with melted cheese, tender beef birria, and plenty of onions and cilantro = heaven. For realzzzz.
- It’s a great way to use leftover birria! This may be blasphemous to some but I typically always end up with leftover birria. Oftentimes, I stick it in the freezer for a rainy day (yes, you can freeze it!!). Then when the craving strikes I can pull it out and indulge in dishes like these birria fries.
- It’s simple! Assuming you are making these with leftover birria, preparing this dish is super simple. It takes just 25-minutes or so to prepare and requires little more than a sheet pan as far as kitchen equipment goes.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Fries: I went with your stand fries for this recipe but you are certainly welcome to experiment with different types of fries. Waffle fries and steak fries both work well for cheese fries as they are a little more substantial.
- Cheese: You can top these fries with whatever type of cheese you’d like. Personally, I recommend Oxaca, quesa quesadilla, or Monterey Jack.
- Birria: I’m guessing that the majority of people checking out this recipe are in search of new ideas for making use of leftover birria and thus, already have some prepared. If that is not the case, you can check out my recipe for birria here. You’ll need a cup and half of just the meat for the fries and consomé for drizzling or dipping if you choose.
- White onion: These fries are served Mexican-style so don’t forget the onions. They add flavor and crunch.
- Cilantro: To freshen up these rich fries.
- Guacamole: Although totally optional, I highly recommend finishing off this dish with some fresh guacamole.
- Sour cream: Also optional but highly encouraged.
How to make birria fries (+ tips)
1. Prepare the fries according to package instructions. Bake them, deep-fry them, or air fry them – the choice is yours!!!
2. Meanwhile, heat the birria in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low if it begins to boil.
3. Pile the cooked fries on a baking sheet or serving platter.
4. Top with half of the cheese followed by the birria, then the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with the diced white onion and cilantro.
5. If desired, crown with guacamole and sour cream. Serve warm with a side of consomé.
Storage
This dish is best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers, however, will keep if refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
Recommended Products
More recipes featuring birria:
- Birria Tacos: Meet the holy grail of tacos!!! These birria tacos with quesadilla shells are served Mexican style with a side of rich and flavorful consomé for dipping. One bite of these tacos and you’ll understand how they became the hottest taco trend.
- Birria Ramen with Quesadilla Strips: Birria ramen is a wonderful way to use up leftover birria. It begins with a consomé based broth that is thick, rich, and a bit spicy, then noodles, tender beef, soft-boiled eggs, crispy quesadilla strips, and of course, TOPPINGS! This fusion-style ramen is guaranteed to knock your socks off!!
- Birria Baked Potato: Don’t let a single bit of birria go to waste. Use up your leftovers to make this birria baked potato loaded with cheese, white onion, and cilantro. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free adaptable.
If you make these birria fries I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
Birria Fries
My favorite way to use up leftover birria, these loaded birria fries are what dreams are made of. These crispy fries crowned with melted cheese, juicy beef birria, and your choice of toppings are simple to prepare and so damn delicious.
Ingredients
- 28 ounces frozen fries
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese - queso quesadilla, Oxaca, or Monterey Jack
- 1 1/2 cups birria, liquid drained
- 1/4 cup diced white onion
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- Guacamole (optional)
- Sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the fries according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, heat the birria in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Reduce heat to low if it begins to boil.
- Pile the cooked fries on a baking sheet or serving platter.
- Top with half of the cheese followed by the birria, then the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with the diced white onion and cilantro.
- If desired, crown with guacamole and sour cream. Serve warm with a side of consomé.
Storage: This dish is best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers, however, will keep if refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.
Notes
Beef Birria
- 3-4 pound beef chuck roast, cut into 2"-3" chunks
- 2 teaspoons salt + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns or ground black pepper + more to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 10 dried chile de árbol peppers, destemmed and deseeded (see notes)
- 6 dried guajillo chile peppers, destemmed and deseeded
- 1 large white onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves or 1/2 tablespoon ground clove (See notes)
- 5 cups beef broth, divided
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons paprika, preferably smoked
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Liberally sprinkle beef chuck roast with salt and pepper, rub into the roast, and set aside.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Toast the chile de árbol and guajillo chiles for 1-2 minutes. Once boiling, remove the pot of water from the stovetop and submerge the chiles for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic cloves and cook for 4-5 minutes until slightly browned. If using whole spices, add the black peppercorns and cloves and cook for another 1-2 minutes then transfer everything to your blender.
- Add the chiles, one cup of beef broth, apple cider vinegar, paprika, cumin, oregano, two teaspoons of salt, and ginger and pulse until smooth. ***If you opted not to use whole black peppercorns and cloves, add one teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of ground ginger.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in your pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chuck roast for 2-3 minutes then flip and sear for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chile sauce from step six and the remaining beef broth and stir to combine. Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. ***If you did not use a high powered blender to process the chile sauce, you may want to run it through a sieve to catch any chunks prior to adding it.
- For stovetop: Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 3-4 hours; shred meat, if desired, discard any chunks of fat, and return to stove to simmer for another hour. For slow cooker: Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours; shred meat and return to pot. Go ahead and serve or allow to cook another hour. For Instant Pot: Close the lid and pressure valve and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally, then do a quick release. Shred the meat and return to the pot.
- Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 658Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 462mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 5gSugar: 1gProtein: 24g
The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc
