Blackstone Birria Grilled Cheese (Consomé-Dipped)

Birria grilled cheese takes the best trick from quesabirria tacos, dipping the bread in the rust-colored consomé fat before it hits the griddle, and applies it to a full sandwich instead of a folded tortilla. The fat fries the bread crisp and red on the outside while shredded birria and melted cheese do the rest. It is the move for whatever beef and consomé did not get eaten the first night.

This recipe assumes you already have shredded birria and consomé on hand, whether fresh off a braise or leftover from birria tacos. If you are starting from scratch, that recipe covers the full chile-adobo braise; this one picks up right where it leaves off.

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Ingredients

• 8 slices sturdy sandwich bread (sourdough or a dense white loaf)
• 2 cups shredded birria beef, warm
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella
• 1 cup birria consomé, plus more for dipping cups
• 2 tbsp butter, softened

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Instructions

Step 1: Skim the fat. If your consomé has been sitting, the orange fat will have risen to the top. Skim it into a shallow bowl. That fat is what crisps and colors the bread, the same trick that makes quesabirria work.

Step 2: Dip one side of each slice. Dip one face of each bread slice into the consomé fat, just enough to coat it. Butter the other face the way you would for a normal grilled cheese.

Step 3: Preheat. Set the Blackstone to medium-high, 375-400°F, the same zone used for quesabirria tacos. Hot enough to crisp and stain the fat-dipped side without drying out the bread first.

Step 4: Build and place. Lay the fat-dipped bread consomé-side down on the griddle. Add a layer of cheese, a generous pile of warm shredded birria, and more cheese. Close with the second slice, fat-side up.

Step 5: Griddle the first side. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom is deep red-brown and crisp. Press once, gently, right after it goes down.

Step 6: Flip and finish. Flip carefully and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the second side matches and the cheese is fully melted. Dome for the last 30 seconds if the cheese needs a push.

Step 7: Slice and serve. Cut in half and serve with a small cup of warm consomé for dipping, the same way you would eat the tacos.

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Tips

Warm the birria first. Cold beef straight from the fridge cools the whole sandwich down and slows the cheese melt. Warm it on the griddle for a minute before you build.

Don’t skip the dip. Buttering both sides works, but it is a different sandwich. The consomé fat is what gives this its color and its reason for existing.

Save some consomé for dipping. Serve a small cup on the side and dip each bite the way you would with the tacos. It brings back the braise flavor that the bread and cheese don’t carry on their own.

Use sturdy bread. Same rule as regular grilled cheese: a soft, fresh loaf gets soggy fast once it is fat-dipped and loaded with beef. A denser sourdough or white sandwich loaf holds up better.

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More flat-top recipes: Blackstone Birria Tacos · Blackstone Grilled Cheese · Blackstone Mexican Recipes

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is birria grilled cheese?

A grilled cheese sandwich built with shredded birria beef and melted cheese, where the bread gets dipped in the birria consomé fat before griddling, the same trick used for quesabirria tacos. It crisps the bread and stains it a deep red-brown.

Can you make birria grilled cheese with leftover birria?

Yes, this is the best use for it. Warm the shredded beef and reheat the consomé gently before skimming the fat, then follow the same dipping and griddling method as a fresh batch.

What temperature do you cook birria grilled cheese on a Blackstone?

Medium-high, 375-400°F, hotter than a standard grilled cheese. The consomé fat needs that heat to crisp and stain the bread properly, the same zone used for quesabirria tacos.

Do you have to dip the bread in consomé?

No, you can butter both sides like a normal grilled cheese and it will still taste good. But the fat dip is what gives it the crispy, red-stained crust and the extra layer of braise flavor, so skipping it loses most of the reason to make this version instead of a regular one.

What cheese melts best for birria grilled cheese?

Oaxaca cheese is traditional and melts with a stringy pull close to mozzarella, which is the easiest substitute. Both melt cleanly on the griddle and hold the beef in place when you cut the sandwich in half.