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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!!

Top down shot of birria ramen with a chopstick laid across it.

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My recipe for beef birria has been such a hit that I wanted to share with you one of the ways I use up the leftovers. To be honest between straight-up birria and birria tacos we don’t often have any.

BUT when we do this ramen is my go-to.

It’s got all the great qualities of birria: rich and intense flavors, spice, the tenderest beef, and broth (consomé) so good you could literally drink it.

Add some noodles, a yolky soft-boiled egg, crispy tortilla strips, and a load of toppings and you’ve got the BEST fusion ramen.

This seriously easy homemade ramen is sure to quench your ramen thirst and will keep you warm all fall and winter.

Close up shot of a bowl of birria ramen with two chopstick laid across it.

Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)


  • Large egg
  • Birria: If you are not using leftover birria and are making it specifically for this ramen you will need the following ingredients: beef chuck roast, salt and pepper, chile de árbol and guajillo chiles, garlic, white onions, paprika, cumin, oregano, ground clove, bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, and water.
  • Ramen noodles: You have a few options as far as noodles go. The first is fresh ramen noodles. You can typically find them at Asian markets and if you’re lucky (like me) at your local grocery store. The second option is dry instant ramen. These are available in packages with just the noodles or you could even just take a package of Maruchan ramen and ditch the seasoning. Cheap and easy! Last but not least, if you would like to keep this dish gluten-free, you can most certainly use rice noodles.
  • Neutral oil: To fry the quesadilla.
  • Soft corn tortilla: White or yellow will work.
  • Shredded cheese: Any melting cheese will do. I prefer Chihuahua, queso quesadilla, Monterey Jack, or pepper Jack.
  • Optional toppings: I highly recommend cilantro, diced red or white onion, lime wedges, and sliced radish. Other topping ideas: sliced avocado, corn, cabbage, and anything else that your heart (or better yet, stomach) of yours desires.

How to make birria ramen (+ tips)


In the case that you are not using leftover birria to make this ramen, you will first need to prepare the birria. You can find my recipe here. I have also included it in the notes for this recipe which you can find below.

The next component to prepare is the soft-boiled egg. Add one inch of water to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the egg, cover, and cook for six minutes.

Meanwhile, if using leftover birria, transfer two cups to a pot and heat on the stove over medium heat. If you don’t have enough consomé left or if you wish to dilute it a bit, you can use water to do so. Reduce to a simmer if it begins to boil.

Top down shot of birria in a small saucepan.

Once the eggs have finished boiling, transfer them from the saucepan to a bath of ice water or run under cold water until the exterior is cool then peel and set aside.

Top down shot of a small glass bowl with a single egg and ice cubes.

Heat a small skillet lightly coated with oil over medium heat. Add the corn tortilla, sprinkle half of it with cheese, then fold over.

Cook for approximately one minute or until golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook an additional one minute or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and rest for one minute.

A single cheese quesadilla in a cast-iron skillet.

Slice the quesadillas into strips about 1/2″ wide.

To assemble: Place the ramen noodles in a bowl then ladle the birria overtop. Crown with soft-boiled eggs and quesadilla strips and garnish with desired toppings. Serve warm.


Storage


Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days.



A bowl of ramen with chopsticks with noodles wrapped around them.
Close-up shot of half a bowl of birria ramen w/ quesadilla strips.

If you make this birria ramen with quesadilla strips 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 ♥

Top down shot of birria ramen with a chopstick laid across it.

Birria Ramen w/ Quesadilla Strips

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

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!!

Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups birria (beef and consomé)
  • 3-4 ounces ramen noodles, cooked according to package instructions and drained
  • Neutral oil
  • 1 soft corn tortilla, yellow or white 
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded cheese, suggestions include queso quesadilla, Monterey jack, and pepper jack. 

Instructions

  1. Add one inch of water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
  2. Once boiling add egg, cover, and boil for six minutes.
  3. If using leftover birria, transfer to a pot and heat on stove over medium heat.
  4. Transfer egg from saucepan to a bath of ice water or run under cold water until the exterior is cool. Peel eggs and set aside.
  5. Heat a small skillet to medium heat.
  6. Coat lightly with oil. Add corn tortilla, sprinkle half of tortilla with cheese, then fold over. Cook for approximately one minute or until golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook an additional one minute or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and rest for one minute, then slice into strips about 1/2" wide.
  7. To assemble: Place ramen noodles in a bowl, ladle in birria, top with soft-boiled eggs and quesadilla strips, and garnish with desired toppings. Serve warm.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days.

Notes

Beef Birria (Mexican Stew)

Ingredients

  • 3 pound beef chuck roast (see notes)  
  • 10 dried chile de árbol peppers
  • 6 dried guajillo chile peppers
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 large white onion, quartered 
  • Water
  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground clove
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
    • Directions

      1. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper on beef chuck roast. Rub into roast and set aside.
      2. Place chile de árbols, guajillo chiles, garlic, and onions in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 minutes.
      3. Remove from stove. Transfer one cup of cooking liquid, peppers, garlic, and onion to a blender. Add paprika, cumin, oregano, ground clove, salt, and pepper. Pulse until smooth. You may run it through a fine sieve if you wish to rid it completely of any small bits of chile skin.
      4. Cut beef chuck roast into large pieces. Place in dutch oven. Add the sauce from step three and add just enough water to cover. Add bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
      5. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 4-6 hours.
      6. Shred meat and return to stove to simmer for an additional 1-2 hours. Serve warm topped with cilantro, onion, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.

      Nutrition Information:
      Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 bowl
      Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1823Total Fat: 93gSaturated Fat: 42gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 40gCholesterol: 366mgSodium: 2249mgCarbohydrates: 166gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 78g

      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

      Did you make this recipe?

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      Mercedes

      Sunday 10th of January 2021

      What veggies do you recommend for garnish? I think I see radish and green onion or cilantro? Anything else?

      Jessica Halverstadt

      Sunday 10th of January 2021

      Hi Mercedes, 

      I recommend cilantro, onion, radish, and lime wedges for fresh lime juice. Some other ideas are sliced avocado, corn, and/or cabbage.

      Lillie

      Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

      My mind is blown. I LOVE ramen, but I've never tried it fusion style like this! Thanks for expanding my world!

      Jessica Halverstadt

      Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

      You are very welcome! Fusion dishes are so much fun and this one is SOOOO yummy!

      Archana

      Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

      Wow! Looks amazingly delicious! The girls will love it I will find a way to make it meatless. Hopefully it will looks and taste just as awesome.

      Jessica Halverstadt

      Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

      Thank you! I've never considered making it meatless, so I'm not sure what the best approach would be. I'm sure the broth (consomé) would still be quite tasty and flavorful sans meat though. If you make a meatless version, I'd be very curious to know how it turns out.

      Brianna

      Monday 21st of September 2020

      Oh my goodness, two of my favorite favorite things in one dish!

      Jessica Halverstadt

      Tuesday 22nd of September 2020

      Right!?! Mine too 😍

      Rack of Lam

      Monday 21st of September 2020

      This look amazing! I love ramen and must try this recipe!

      Jessica Halverstadt

      Monday 21st of September 2020

      Thank you so much!!! I'm a huge fan of ramen as well and this fusion style ramen is so much fun. Let me know what you think if you get around to trying it!

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