These cheesy vegan birria tacos are a combination of a quesadilla and a saucy taco all in one. The best part is you get to dip it in a savory and comforting broth! This is the ultimate vegan Mexican comfort food. Make it for a family party, dinner night, or Cinco De Mayo.
Vegan Birria Tacos
Vegan Birria Tacos are the ultimate Mexican comfort food! The quesadilla and birria had a baby and well I don’t think I have to say much more than that. For those that don’t know what birria is; It is an exquisite savory dish, typically made with beef/goat and a very mild chili broth full of culture and tradition. It is served at most Mexican weddings, quinceanera, and any large Mexican celebration.
Nowadays it’s popular to combine quesadilla and birria tacos; quesabirrias! I made vegan birria tacos, and they are way better than the non-vegan version. Why? Well, you have to try it for yourself and let me know. It is the best vegan birria recipe you will get your hands on. PLUS, it’s lower in saturated fat and better for your health.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make these vegan quesabirria tacos:
Vegan Birria Tacos in 4 easy steps
- Soak the chiles in hot water and blend them along with onion, garlic, and bouillon:
2. Add birria sauce to a pot over medium-high heat, add more water or broth, cumin, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and bring to a simmer:
3. Set the birria broth aside and let it cool off. Replace the pot with a griddle (comal), add drizzles of avocado oil, and let it get hot.
4. Fully dip a tortilla in birria broth and place it on the comal. Add cheese, and birria (king oyster mushrooms or choice of meat) and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until slightly crispy:
Tips and Substitutes:
Cheese: I highly recommend Follow Your Heart mozzarella shreds or shredded Daiya cheese for a dairy-free option. Daiya has a bad reputation for being one of the worst vegan cheeses out there but they recently changed their recipe and trust me when I say it is now my favorite! However, if you have a favorite vegan cheese brand, feel free to use it. I do not recommend using cheddar cheese or anything other than mozzarella, or Monterey.
Meat Substitutes:
Hibiscus Flower/Flor de Jamaica
I know what some of you might be thinking..hibiscus flower?! Anna, are you crazy? No, well I may be a bit crazy in other ways but you have to trust me on this one! It is not tart one bit. Hibiscus flower is usually used for teas and sweets, but it can also be a meat substitute when prepared correctly. Learn more about how to use hibiscus here.
The apple cider vinegar reduces the tanginess by 99%, it’s science. The hibiscus flower is chewy just like beef but if you want a much tender texture I suggest you use jackfruit or King Oyster Mushroom (very close to meat texture too). If using jackfruit or king oyster mushrooms skip steps 1-2 and avoid rinsing when on step 6.
King Oyster Mushroom
This mushroom shreds very well and can replicate the texture of shredded meat. I typically find mine at local Asian groceries or Whole Foods. They tend to be pricey but I’ve heard it’s easy to grow them at home! This would be an easier option as it requires fewer ingredients and fewer steps than using a hibiscus flower.
Shredded Tofu
If you’ve never grated tofu, you’re missing out! I love grating it to get a “shredded” meat texture. I have a recipe for it in my Vegan Enchiladas recipe. This is my go-to meat alternative for those who say they don’t like tofu, just to prove them wrong lol.
Seitan/Vegan Meats
Shredded seitan is also a great meat substitute. I recently tried Juicy Marble’s filet mignon steaks and shredded them to make birria. This product is SO close to meat it was a bit scary for us but is a great alternative for those looking for something very close to beef.
How to add flavor to Vegan Birria Tacos
Vegan bouillon is a great way to add a beef flavor to your consome. You can find it at Safeway, Whole foods, or online. I recommend getting the vegan no-beef Better than Bouillon. I have also made it with the no-chicken and vegetable Better than Bouillon and it was also very tasty and not a big difference overall. If you don’t like this option you can also use vegetable broth instead of water. It is less flavorful but still really good!
If you want to up the nutrition of this recipe more, try adding carrots because they provide flavor and you get to add veggies to a delicious meal. I highly recommend not using substitutes for anything else in the recipe, especially the dried chilis. They are hard to find in typical American grocery stores but can easily be found in most Mexican stores or online.
Other Mexican Recipes that you’ll love:
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Vegan Birria Tacos
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These cheesy vegan birria tacos are a combination of a quesadilla and a saucy taco all in one. The best part is you get to dip it in a savory and comforting broth! Also known as a quesabirria, this is the ultimate vegan Mexican comfort food. Make it for a family party, dinner night or a date night!
Ingredients
- 10–12 corn tortillas
- 1 pack vegan cheese *see above
- 2 carrots, medium (optional)
Birria broth:
- 10 cups of water
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 pasilla chili pepper, dry
- 6 guajillo chili peppers, dry
- 1/2 white onion
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
Filling options:
Instructions
- Soak dried chili peppers in boiling hot water for 15 minutes.
- Take the stems off and seeds out of the soaked chilies.
- Add soaked chilies to a blender along with 2-3 cups of water, bouillon, garlic, and onion.
- Pour the blended chili sauce into a large pot along with cumin, bay leaves, salt, pepper, vinegar, carrots (optional) and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Add your birria to the pot of birria broth and simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Turn the griddle (comal) on medium/high heat. Once it is hot enough, add drizzles of avocado oil. Fully dip your tortilla into the birria broth and place it on the hot griddle. Add the cheese, and birria meat and fold it in half.
- Cook the quesabirria for about 3-4 minutes on each side to until it gets a little crispy but still soft inside.
- Repeat the previous step until all tortillas are turned into quesabirrias. Once done serve with cilantro, a side of beans and dip in birria sauce for extra yum!
Notes
*best when fresh so eat them as soon as you cook them
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Mexican
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10-12 Quesabirrias
These are the best Birria tacos I’ve had since going vegan! Love using shredded king oyster mushroom with it.
I made these using both mushrooms and hibiscus flower. I must say that the hibiscus flower was much meatier than I expected. You have to rinse well to get rid of the acidic flavor and the ACV is a must! Great recipe, will make many more times!
Some times its a pain in the ass to read what blog owners wrote but this web site is very user genial! .
Son los mejores quesabirria
these were so good. i used tofu and bragg’s liquid aminos instead of soy sauce.
so glad you gave them a try! great substitute btw 🙂