Taco Bell loves to taunt me, so I’m sure their newest offering, the Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco, is not long for this world. (I got to try it exactly once before it disappeared from my local restaurant; it was pretty good.) We are not, however, helpless in the face of their trickery. You can make your very own “dipping taco” at home, and it’s going to taste better than the drive-thru version.
First, let’s define our terms. Taco Bell describes the dipping taco artfully, dancing around the fact that they’re selling a severely bastardized version of quesabirria, which is an already modified version of birria:
Inspired by the hearty, rich flavors of birria, the new Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco features slow-braised shredded beef – a brand new protein offering from Taco Bell – with a three-cheese blend melted on the inside and grilled on the outside of a freshly fried daily white corn shell. The taco comes with warm nacho cheese sauce and a savory red sauce for dipping into before every glorious bite.
They have to say it’s “inspired by” birria because they are definitely not making birria over there. But you’re going to make birria, and you’re going to make it in an Instant Pot.
What is birria?
Birria is very popular right now, and she deserves every bit of that adoration. Birria is a Mexican meat stew that hails from the state of Jalisco, and is traditionally made with goat or lamb, but can also be made with beef (which is what we will be using, though you are certainly welcome to use goat if you can find it, or lamb if you can afford it). The meat is traditionally marinated in an adobo made of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, and seasonings, then cooked low and slow until it’s unspeakably tender.
Though originally served on bread or with tortillas, you can now find birria in a number of configurations, such as tacos (which are dipped in the consomé and fried), Quesabirria (tacos stuffed with cheese and birria, often served with consomé), and even ramen. Taco Bell’s offering is a fast food version of Quesabirria, with cheese on the outside and inside, served with nacho cheese sauce and their (not very good) red sauce.
Why the Instant Pot is perfect for birria
Photo: Claire Lower
The Instant Pot, like any pressure cooker, does two things that make it a great appliance for preparing birria: It makes short work of tough cuts of meat with a lot of connective tissue, so you don’t have to pre-tenderize with a marinade; and it causes anything you put inside it to release a lot of liquid, which is a benefit in this case, because we want that liquid released—it will form the base of your consomé.
You’ll begin your dipping taco journey by making or purchasing birria. I made mine from scratch. You can use any recipe you like, but I used this one by Chef Gabriela Cámara, and adapted it for the Instant Pot. I used a mixture of short ribs and chuck, because all chuck wasn’t rich enough—birria should be sensual, fatty, and indulgent.
I started with a dry brine to make sure the meat itself was seasoned, and to remove a little bit of excess water for a more concentrated flavor. Salt and set the meat on a wire rack in the fridge; a few hours is plenty, especially if you buy your chuck in stew meat form, but you can leave the short ribs (or big hunks of chuck) overnight.
I then removed the seeds from some dried chiles, toasted them, and rehydrated them. (I saved the chili-soaking water for beans; that stuff is full of flavor.) I then blended the chilis with garlic, vinegar, onion, tomatoes, and a whole bunch of spices.
That mixture went into the Instant Pot with the meat along with a bay leaf and a cinnamon stick, to pressure cook for an hour and a half. The result was rich, flavorful, tender meat that literally fell off the bone at the slightest encouragement; it was almost too good for a DIY Taco Bell menu item.
For even better flavor, you can rest your birria overnight. Once rested, you can remove as much or as little congealed fat as you want from the top of the birria, then gently warm up the meat using the Instant Pot’s “sauté” function. Once everything has warmed and loosened up, remove the meat from the Instant Pot, shred it, and set it aside.
To make the consomé, turn your attention back to the liquid in the Instant Pot. It will be too thick for dipping, but that’s easily fixed: Add stock until it’s soupy, then bring to a simmer to create the ultimate taco dipper.
How a taco becomes a dipping taco
Once you have your birria, all you have to do is fry it up in a cheesy taco shell. Place a small handful of shredded cheese in a nonstick pan, lay a tortilla on top of that, put more cheese on top of the taco, and cover with birria. Cook over medium heat until the bottom layer of cheese browns and crisps, then fold it over to create a taco.
Now you have to decide what you want to dip your taco in. You can make or buy as many dipping sauces as you choose, but one of the things you dip your taco in should definitely be that consomé. You can also make a cheese sauce (I highly recommend this one), or buy one. If you’re looking for a Taco Bell “red sauce” replacement, just buy enchilada sauce; there’s no need to overthink it.
DIY Grilled Cheese Dipping Taco
Photo: Claire Lower
For the birria (adapted from this recipe on MasterClass):
3-4 pounds meat, either goat, lamb, or beef (I used a mixture of half short ribs and half chuck stew meat, and I highly recommend you do the same. You want something that takes well to stewing, so save the steaks for another time.)Kosher salt3 dried guajillo chiles3 dried ancho chiles4 dried chiles de árbol1 medium white onion, chopped10 cloves of garlic, peeled1/4 cup apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon onion powder1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano3/4 teaspoon marjoram1/2 teaspoon ground cumin1/4 teaspoon ground clovesFresh pepper, about 30 grinds from your pepper grinder1 bay leaf1 cinnamon stick2-4 cups of beef brothFor the tacos:
Whatever tortillas you desireShredded cheese of choice (You’ll need 1/4 cup for a “street taco” sized tortilla, more for bigger tortillas.)Set the meat on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and season heavily with Kosher salt. The meat should sparkle with salt, but the salt should not completely obscure the bright red flesh underneath. Set it in the fridge for at least two hours, or overnight.
Slice open the chiles and shake out the seeds. Set the Instant Pot to “sauté,” then toast the chiles in the dry insert until they are fragrant and browned in spots. Remove them from the Instant Pot, set them in a bowl, and cover them with hot water to soften for 15-25 minutes.
Once softened, remove the chiles from the water and add them to a blender, along with the rest with everything else, except the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. (Save the chile water for soaking beans.) Add the meat to the Instant Pot, along with chile mixture, and toss to coat. Add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Cook the meat under high pressure for 25 minutes for each pound, then release the pressure. (Stand back: It spits and sputters.)
If you plan on eating your tacos immediately, let the meat cool for a bit, then remove it from the Instant Pot and shred it, being sure to remove the bones, any gristle, and the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Set the meat aside.
To make the consomé, add beef broth until it reaches a soupy consistency, then stir and bring to a simmer.
If you want to rest the birria, set the Instant Pot insert in the fridge overnight. One benefit to resting the meat is that the fat will chill and solidify, which means you can remove it, but there’s no shame in leaving it in there. Gently reheat the meat using the Instant Pot’s “sauté” function set on low, then shred and make the consomé as described above.
To make the taco, sprinkle two tablespoons of cheese in a tortilla-sized circle in a nonstick pan over medium heat (or more, depending on the size of your tortilla). Set the tortilla on top, then layer two more tablespoons of shredded cheese and a few tablespoons of birria. Let cook for a few minutes until the bottom layer of cheese is browned and crispy—use a silicone spatula to lift up an edge and take a peek—and the top layer of cheese is melted. Fold over to create a taco, and serve immediately with the consomé, cheese sauce, and any dipper your palate desires. Then delete Taco Bell’s number. You don’t need that kind of inconsistency in your life.
