Ground Beef Birria
A high protein shortcut recipe for beef birria made with lean ground beef.
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Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 165kcal
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