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Original video by @EthanChlebowski — all credit to the creator.

Ethan Chlebowski

Homemade Chipotle-Style Braised Beef Barbacoa Quesadillas

Fall-apart braised chuck roast bloomed with ancho, guajillo, cumin and smoked paprika, packed with melty Monterey Jack into a folded 12-inch tortilla and seared until golden. Served with quick blender guacamole, salsa, and crema for dipping.

⏱ 500 min6 quesadillasMexican-Americanquesadillabraised beefbarbacoachipotle copycatmeal prep

Ingredients

For the braised beef

  • —prime chuck roast · about 2.4 lb; salted and refrigerated overnight (optional)
  • —salt
  • —oil · for the Dutch oven
  • —water · for the braising liquid
  • 1 big spoonfulbeef bouillon
  • —dark soy sauce · a splash, for color
  • —tomato paste · a squirt
  • 4 clovesgarlic · crushed
  • —ancho and guajillo chili powder · basically the entire jar
  • —ground cumin
  • —smoked paprika

For the guacamole

  • 2avocados
  • —lime juice
  • —salt
  • 1serrano chile · diced
  • —white onion · diced
  • —cilantro · chopped

For assembly (per quesadilla)

  • 112-inch flour tortilla
  • 75 gMonterey Jack cheese · shredded
  • 4 ozbraised beef · about 113 g
  • —red salsa · store-bought, for dipping
  • —Mexican crema or sour cream · for dipping

Steps

  1. 1

    Salt the chuck roast and refrigerate overnight (optional but recommended).

  2. 2

    Add a little oil to a Dutch oven and heat for a minute or two, then sear the chuck roast, flipping to brown both sides.

  3. 3

    While the beef sears, make the braising liquid: stir a big spoonful of beef bouillon, a splash of dark soy sauce, and a squirt of tomato paste into a bowl of water.

  4. 4

    Pull the beef out and add the crushed garlic to the pot, followed by the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Let the spices bloom for a few seconds.

  5. 5

    Pour in the braising liquid, return the beef to the pot, cover with the lid, and braise in a 225°F oven for several hours, until a fork twisted into the meat lifts the fibers easily.

  6. 6

    Remove the beef and roughly chop or shred it, then stir in a couple spoonfuls of the fatty braising liquid so it soaks into the shredded meat.

  7. 7

    Make the guacamole: blend the avocados with lime juice and salt in a food processor until smooth, then stir in the diced serrano, onion, and cilantro.

  8. 8

    To assemble, lay a base layer of 75 g cheese on a 12-inch tortilla, top with 4 oz of warmed beef, then fold the tortilla twice into a neat square so there are no open edges.

  9. 9

    Sear the quesadilla on both sides until golden brown and crispy, weighing it down to help with browning.

  10. 10

    Cut in half and serve with the guacamole, red salsa, and crema on the side for dipping.

Creator's notes

Ethan compared ordering a Chipotle quesadilla ($15.75, ~33.5 minutes) against making them at home: $47.64 of groceries yielded six larger quesadillas at about $7.94 each (~$6.35 adjusted for weight). The braise makes 800 g of usable beef — enough for seven 4 oz scoops — so he vacuum-sealed and froze half for quick meals. Active time was about 8 minutes to get the beef into the oven plus 5 minutes to shred, and once the beef is prepped each quesadilla takes only about 8 minutes. The square fold with no open edges is the key: you can overfill it and it still holds together for dipping.

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