High Protein Ground Beef Birria

While the 2020s have been a mixed bag, one highlight has to be the meteoric rise of birria on American menus. Originating in Jalisco, Mexico, birria is traditionally made by stewing beef or goat in an adobo. Here in Texas you will typically find birria quesatacos (cheesy grilled tacos) served with a side of the bright red broth, or consomé.

These birria tacos are as delicious as they sound, but they aren’t the most macro friendly tacos in town. It can also be a little intimidating making authentic birria and sourcing the right meat, dried chiles, etc.

So in this post, I’ll show you how to make a high protein shortcut version that’s made with lean ground beef and a pre-made birria sauce you can buy at your local Target. It’s far from traditional birria but as a birria enthusiast short on time and calories, I really dig this recipe.

It’s super versatile and great for meal prep. I’ve included notes in the recipe card below on making birria burritos and burrito bowls, nachos, and a one pan birria quesatacos casserole. But that barely scratches the surface of all the things you can make with this ground beef birria!

The 3-Ingredient Birria Shortcut

I stumbled across a jar of birria cooking sauce from Target on social media and thought it was an interesting idea. Much to my surprise, the reviews online were positive, with mention of using it as a starter sauce and upgrading with cinnamon sticks and other ingredients.

My review? It’s good! My recipe doesn’t even call for any added ingredients.

Just lean ground beef and a little olive oil to help with browning and the birria sauce. That’s all you need.

I’m no stranger to shortcut sauces. My mole enchiladas casserole and sweet chili chicken bowls both combine pre-made sauces with rotisserie chicken to make really great meals. I find the time saved can go into pairings and elevating the protein.

And that’s definitely the case with this birria style ground beef. You can have birria on the table in less than 15 minutes and take an extra 15 minutes to make protein bowls, quesadillas, or any of the other options I mentioned above.

Side note: If you want to make a homemade birria option, I have a cool recipe that uses chicken thighs and a pressure cooker.

What to Make with Birria Ground Beef

Tacos, burrito bowls, and burritos are all the easiest options. Black and pinto beans are high protein and high fiber pairings that go great with every variation.

You can also find Mexican cauliflower rice in the frozen section of many grocery stores. Not a fan of cauliflower rice? Mix it half and half with jasmine or basmati rice. You will never know it’s there!

There are also tons of high protein and low carb tortilla options in stores now, which make great burritos. Especially if you toss them on a pan or griddle to toast the exterior.

A common obstacle in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking is cheese. You can’t make quesatacos without it, right? A moderate amount of cheese is perfectly fine, but you can keep the calories under control with other options like nonfat Greek yogurt, vegetable spreads, or even blended cottage cheese queso.

Going back to tortillas for a second. Nachos may seem like an impossible option in a macro friendly diet, but you can use extra thin corn tortillas to make homemade baked tortilla chips. You can also find many baked chips and crunchy snacks that make great nachos on shelves these days. I’ve made nachos in the past with Quest protein chips, for example.

I’m a big fan of one pan cooking. I even started a spin-off website dedicated to one pan cooking once upon a time! One of my go-to recipes to make in a single skillet is an enchilada casserole. You just chop corn tortillas into small pieces, toss it together with birria ground beef in this case, and top with cheese. The pan goes in the oven for 15-20 minutes to create a cheesy enchiladas fix with hardly any work at all.

These casseroles are great for incorporating additional vegetables as well. Check out my versions with ground turkey or veggies only for examples.

That should be enough to get you started. You will find a full recipe card below you can save to your device or print for later. It includes instructions on making the burritos and bowls, casserole, and nachos. Let me know in the comments if you have any additional questions.

And if you make this birria style ground beef and enjoy it, I always appreciate recipe reviews!

Ground Beef Birria

A high protein shortcut recipe for beef birria made with lean ground beef.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 Servings

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 pounds Lean Ground Beef 93/7
• 12 oz jar Good & Gather Birria Sauce*
• Pairings for Burritos Bowls, etc. from the Notes Section Below

Instructions

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil.
• Once hot, add the ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes without touching to brown one side before breaking apart and fully cooking.
• Add the birria sauce to the cooked ground beef and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes before removing from the heat and serving.

Notes

*The Mexican-inspired birria cooking sauce from Target is surprisingly solid. Sure, you could spruce it up by slow cooking with additional broth, cinnamon sticks and cloves, bay leaves, and maybe some additional dried chiles. But it's good on its own for a quick cooking recipe like this. If you can't find it in stores near you, I've seen other birria sauces, marinades, and seasoning packets in stores. Just be careful to not use a whole bottle of an ultra concentrated sauce starter. Read the labels and adjust accordingly. You may also look at making a homemade sauce in bulk for this recipe and others if you're a true birria lover.

For Birria Quesatacos Casserole

Set your oven to 350ºF. Add 1 cup of chicken or beef bone broth to the fully cooked ground beef and birria sauce. Bring it to a simmer before folding in 6 corn tortillas that you've cut into thin strips. Top with 4 oz of shredded cheese and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browning around the edges.

You can also add other ingredients like roasted corn, beans, diced green chiles, peppers and onions, etc. in alongside the chopped tortillas.

For Burrito Bowls & Burritos

There are tons of macro friendly pairings like Mexican cauliflower rice (homemade or frozen), black and pinto beans, pickled onions and vegetables, nonfat Greek yogurt (as a sour cream replacement), queso fresco and cotija cheese, salsas and hot sauce, and avocado slices or guacamole.

You can also roll everything up in high protein tortillas and toss them on a grill pan for toasted burritos. My Mexican chicken wraps use Counter protein tortillas and Mission Carb Balance if you need tortilla inspiration.

For Nachos

There are lots of baked tortilla chips in stores (or homemade) and even baked pork rinds (chicharrones) to make macro friendly nachos with. I like to layer freshly grated cheese over chips and add the ground beef birria, beans, and fresh peppers. I'll bake for 5-10 minutes at 400ºF and garnish with Mexican crema or Greek yogurt, salsa verde, and pickled onions.

Other Ways to Serve

Traditional birria quesatacos are made by dipping tortillas in the sauce (or consomé) then tossing on a griddle or flat top, filling with birria and cheese, and grilling like a quesadilla. Unless you add broth, the sauce in this shortcut version will be tough to dip tortillas in. But you can still make great quesadillas with a bit of olive oil or avocado oil spray and a large skillet or griddle. You can also make them in an air fryer.

This birria would also be great in classic tacos with warmed corn tortillas and fresh onion/cilantro, baked tacos and taquitos, and other creative recipes like birria ramen and pizza like you see at some of my favorite Austin, Texas spots like Palo Seco (formerly La Tunita 512). Add a couple boxes of green chile Goodles for a high protein beefy mac and cheese, for example.

Nutrition Facts Notes

With 96/4 extra lean ground beef, each serving has 140 calories, 17g of protein, 3g of carbs, and 6g of fat.

The quesatacos casserole makes 8 servings (about 7 oz each) with 300 calories, 27g protein, 11g carbs, and 17g fat each.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g