Birria Grilled Cheese Recipe
This Birria Grilled Cheese recipe combines the rich, slow-cooked flavors of tender chuck roast in savory enchilada sauce with a melty, crispy Texas toast grilled cheese. Perfect for a comforting meal, the beef is slow-cooked until tender, shredded, and layered with queso fresco, mozzarella, onion, and cilantro in a buttery grilled sandwich. Serve with the flavorful cooking juices for dipping.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 hours 20 minutes
- Total Time: 10 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 grilled cheese sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon powder (or 1 bouillon cube)
- 1 can (28 ounces) red enchilada sauce
Grilled Cheese
- ½ cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, divided
- 20 slices Texas toast
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced, divided
- 2½ cups (305 g) queso fresco, divided
- 2½ cups (282.5 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro, divided
Instructions
- Heat oil. Warm the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, preparing it for searing the chuck roast.
- Sear chuck roast. Add the chuck roast to the hot skillet and sear on each side for 3-5 minutes until browned, developing a flavorful crust.
- Add roast to crock pot. Transfer the seared beef to a crockpot. Sprinkle beef bouillon powder over it, then pour the can of red enchilada sauce on top, ensuring the roast is well coated.
- Cook. Cover and slow cook on low heat for 10 hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily with forks.
- Shred cooked beef. Once cooked, remove the chuck roast from the crockpot and shred it finely using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the juices remaining in the slow cooker to stay moist and flavorful.
- Preheat skillet. For the grilled cheese, preheat a clean skillet to medium-high heat to start cooking the sandwiches.
- Butter bread slices. Spread unsalted butter on one side of each slice of Texas toast to ensure a golden, crispy exterior.
- Assemble sandwiches. Place the bread buttered side down in the skillet. Immediately top each slice with ½ cup of shredded beef, about 1 tablespoon of diced white onions, ¼ cup of queso fresco, ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, and some chopped cilantro. Cover with another slice of bread, buttered side up.
- Cook sandwiches. Cook the sandwich over medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes until the bottom bread is golden brown. Carefully flip and cook the other side for another 5-7 minutes ensuring cheese melts and bread crisps. Use a spatula to remove when done.
- Serve. Serve the Birria grilled cheese sandwiches hot with the leftover flavorful cooking juices from the slow cooker for dipping, enhancing every bite.
Notes
- Be patient when grilling: the bread may take time to brown as the cheese melts slowly inside.
- Use medium-low heat to prevent burning while allowing the cheese to fully melt.
- Leftover dipping juices can be re-heated gently before serving.
- Queso fresco can be substituted with a mild crumbly cheese if unavailable.
- Chuck roast is preferred for its marbling and tenderness after slow cooking.
Keywords: Birria, grilled cheese, slow cooker, chuck roast, enchilada sauce, queso fresco, Texan toast, cheesy sandwich, Mexican fusion
Find it online: https://dylangranv.com/birria-grilled-cheese-recipe/
