Pambazos de Birria (Chilli-Dipped Birria Rolls)
Soft rolls dunked in red chilli sauce, fried until crisp at the edges and stuffed with birria beef, lettuce and cheese.
Made with Salsa taquera (roasted chile de arbol salsa) and Birria adobo and consomme. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time3 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £4.79 a head
- Oven160°C (140°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Put the beef and salt in a casserole with 400 ml of your ready made birria adobo and consomme (see the base recipe) and the water. Cover and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes until the beef shreds.
150 min - 2
Shred the beef. Strain the liquid and mix it with the remaining 200 ml of birria broth. Boil hard for 10 minutes until reduced by half and thick enough to coat a roll.
10 min - 3
Spread the beans inside the rolls and fill with beef and lettuce.
- 4
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dunk the outside of each filled roll quickly in the reduced sauce, then fry for 2 minutes a side until the surface crisps and darkens.
4 min - 5
Top with the crumbled cheese and a spoonful of your ready made salsa taquera (see the base recipe). Serve straight away.
Tips
- Dunk the rolls quickly. If left too long the bread will fall apart.
- Use rolls a day old. They hold their shape in the sauce better than very fresh ones.
- Fry over a medium heat. High heat burns the sauce before the roll heats through.
- Keep the lettuce and cheese out of the frying and add them cold.
Storing and freezing
Eat straight away. Keep the beef in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
What is a pambazo?
A pambazo is a Mexican sandwich where a soft roll is dipped in a guajillo chilli sauce and then fried. It is usually filled with potato and chorizo, and sometimes beans, lettuce and cheese.
Can I use birria in a pambazo?
Yes. The chilli broth works as the dipping sauce, so birria beef makes a very natural filling.
Can I make a gluten free version?
Use gluten free rolls. They are more fragile, so dip very briefly. The birria broth itself is gluten free as written.
More made with salsa taquera (roasted chile de arbol salsa)
Quesadillas Sonorenses de Carne Asada (Sonoran Steak Quesadillas)
NFEFTacos de Coliflor al Pastor (Cauliflower Al Pastor Tacos)
GFDFEFHuevos al Albañil (Bricklayer's Eggs in Fiery Salsa)
DFNFVBirria de Cerdo (Pork Birria with Salsa Taquera)
GFDFEFSee every dish made with salsa taquera (roasted chile de arbol salsa)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.