Slow-braised chili-stewed beef from Jalisco served as a soup with the strained consomé, the shredded meat plated separately with onion, cilantro, lime and warm corn tortillas for dipping to build quesabirria tacos.

Birria originated in Jalisco state of Mexico in the 16th century, a slow-cooked goat dish developed as a way to use the wild goats Spanish colonists released into the Mexican highlands. The dish migrated north through Mexican populations into the Sonoran Desert and California, switching from goat (chivo) to beef (res) along the way for affordability. The quesabirria taco format was popularised in Tijuana and Los Angeles in the mid-2010s and exploded across Phoenix in 2018 to 2020. Tacos Huicho and Birrieria El Sazon Tapatio serve canonical Phoenix versions.

3 editor picks for Birria de Res in Phoenix, ranked by editorial score. All Phoenix signature dishes · Birria de Res across every city.