Birria Steak Pinwheels with shredded beef and perfectly grilled skirt steak in one perfectly seasoned bite? Now, that’s my kind of recipe, and soon it will be yours too. It’s a fun, eye-catching presentation that unabashedly shows off traditional birria stew’s bold, slow-cooked flavors with the addition of some melty cheese.
First off, if you’re new to my blog—what is birria anyway? This bold, flavor-packed dish comes straight out of the state of Jalisco in Mexico, bringing deep, smoky, slow-cooked goodness to the table. In recent years, it’s become one of my favorite Mexican dishes because of its rich flavors and insane versatility.
Traditionally, birria is all about tender meat braised in a smoky adobo made with dried chiles, garlic, and warming spices. The result? A deep, flavorful stew with just the right amount of kick—perfect for tacos, dunking into consommé, or straight-up devouring with a warm tortilla.
While the most authentic version features goat or lamb, birria de res swaps in beef—typically chuck roast, short ribs, or brisket—slow-cooked in that same rich, chile-infused adobo for next-level flavor. While our birria steak pinwheels are stuffed with beef, feel free to make them with other shredded meats for a twist.
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Why You’ll Love Birria Steak Pinwheels
The next time you’re craving some quesabirria tacos, you may want to try the birria steak pinwheels recipe instead. It’s a flavor bomb in every bite. The cooking process, however, admittedly takes some time to get done. But if you’re patient, you’ll receive the reward that comes with slow-cooked beef birria.
The easy recipe offers a deep, smoky heat thanks to the medley of fresh chiles. The melted cheese is the perfect complement to the shredded beef wrapped in grilled skirt steak. Whether you’re making these to change up taco night, meal prep, or just to impress your taste buds, this one’s worth your time.
Ingredients Round-Up
- Beef – A whole beef chuck roast is cubed into large chunks and seasoned with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and FYR BLK hot sauce.
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- Chiles – Ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles (all dried), garlic cloves, and then some water are what create that signature birria sauce.
- Braising & Seasonings – Grab your favorite beef broth (or beef stock), tomatoes, white onion, Mexican oregano, black pepper, sea salt, a cinnamon stick or two, and then some bay leaves for slow-cooking the meat.
- Steak Pinwheels – Grab some skirt steak, jack cheese slices, fresh cilantro, red onions, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and oil.
Now that you know what to get from your local grocery store, get ready to enjoy these next-level steak pinwheels with that rich birria flavor. Be warned, however, that after serving, they will disappear fast! Come along with me as I walk you through the detailed instructions, or skip right ahead to the recipe card.
How to Make Birria Steak Pinwheels
Make the Shredded Birria Meat
First, preheat your fire to medium-high heat (around 375F). Coat the chuck roast with oil and season generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sear on the grill for 1-2 minutes per side until browned all over. Remove and set aside.
Next, place a large Dutch oven over the fire and preheat for a few minutes. Toss in the ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles, white onion, tomatoes, and garlic cloves. Let them char for 30-45 seconds per side. Once charred, pour in water and let everything simmer for about 7-8 minutes.
Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, then transfer the softened chiles and veggies to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the chile paste into a small bowl.
Now, add the cubed chuck roast back into the Dutch oven, chile paste, beef broth/cooking liquid, and braising seasonings. Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat until the beef is fork-tender—about 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Skim off excess fat from the top as needed.
Once tender, remove the beef and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Strain the braising liquid into a separate bowl to create the consomme. Shred the meat and refrigerate for 30 minutes to cool.
Prepare the Steak Pinwheels
Place the skirt steak on a cutting board and cover it with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Use a mallet to pound it to about ½ inch thick.
Lay down a layer of jack cheese slices, followed by shredded birria beef, fresh cilantro, and diced red onion. Carefully roll the skirt steak lengthwise to form a pinwheel. Secure with two butcher twine loops, then slice between them to create individual pinwheels.
Brush the pinwheels with oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Repeat with the remaining pinwheel.
Grill the Pinwheels
Preheat the grill to high heat (around 400F). Sear each pinwheel for 1 minute per side until a crust forms. Move them to indirect heat or raise the grill grate, then continue cooking until they reach an internal temperature of 125F (about 10-15 minutes).
Remove from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve and Enjoy
Serve the pinwheels with warm consomme for dipping. Garnish with extra red onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice for extra flavor. Want to take it to the next level? Pair these with warm tortillas for a taco truck-inspired feast!
What to Serve with Birria Steak Pinwheels
These pinwheels are a perfect match for corn tortillas, tortilla chips, and maybe even a side of delicious tacos served with fresh lime wedges. And don’t forget an ice-cold drink to round it all out!
Leftovers & Reheating Instructions
Store leftover birria steak pinwheels in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, place them in a large skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can also pop them in the oven at 350F for about 10 minutes. For best results, reheat the consomme separately and dip as you eat.
When it comes to what to do with a batch of beef birria, there are many different ways to celebrate the rich, complex flavors. Consider making some birria sliders with your favorite slider buns. Or birria ramen is another epic idea!
Make sure to check out all my Best Steak Pinwheels Recipes here!
More Beef Pinwheel Recipes
FAQs for Birria Steak Pinwheels
Yep, you can swap in chili powder, but it won’t hit the same. Dried chiles bring heat and brightness to the birria steak pinwheels, while chili powder adds a deeper, smokier vibe—start with a teaspoon per chile and tweak to taste!
Absolutely! A pressure cooker or Instant Pot is a great way to speed things up while still getting that deep, rich flavor. Just sear the meat with your spices and then let the high pressure cooker work its magic for about 45-60 minutes. You’ll get tender, juicy birria to layer into your pinwheels in no time!
Make sure to pound the skirt steak evenly, roll it tightly, and secure everything with butcher twine. Don’t overload the filling, or it’ll spill out as it cooks.
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Birria Steak Pinwheels
Ingredients
Beef:
- 1 Whole Chuck Roast cubed
- 1.5 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tbsp Black Pepper
- 1.5 tbsp Garlic Powder
- FYR BLK Hot Sauce
Chiles:
- 3 ancho chiles stemmed & seeded
- 3 guajillo chiles stemmed & seeded
- 2 chipotle chiles stemmed & seeded
- 8-10 garlic cloves
- 2 cups of Water
Braising & Seasonings:
- 2-3 cups beef broth
- 2 tomatoes cubed
- 1/2 white onion sliced
- 1.5 tbsp mexican oregano
- 2 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves
Steak Pinwheels:
- 2 Whole Skirt Steaks
- 10-12 Jack Cheese Slices
- Kosher Salt as needed
- Black Pepper as needed
- Garlic Powder as needed
- Oil as needed
Instructions
Birria:
- Preheat your fire to medium high temperature (around 375F)
- Slather your beef ribs with oil and liberally season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to the grill to sear for 1-2 minutes per side until completely browned on all sides. Pull off once done.
- Add a dutch oven over the fire to preheat for 3-4 minutes. Add your ancho chile, guajillo chile, chipotle chile, onion, tomatoes and garlic cloves to your dutch oven and let char for 30-45 seconds per side. Once charred, add your water to the skillet and let simmer over the fire for 7-8 minutes.
- Once simmered, pull the dutch oven off of the heat. Add your charred chiles and veggies to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Pour your paste into a bowl.
- Finally, add all your chuck roast to the dutch oven along with the blended chile paste, beef broth and all of the braising seasonings.
- Cover the dutch oven and let simmer over medium high heat until the beef is fork tender (about 3.5-4.5 hours). Make sure to skim the top of the sauce of fat as needed.
- Once the beef is tender, pull it off, dispose of the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Strain your braising sauce from the meat and any fat until it is a clean consomme. Add the consomme to a new bowl.
- Begin to shred your beef then place in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
Steak Pinwheels:
- Lay your steak out on a cutting board and cover it with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a heavy mallet or food mallet, hammer the skirt steak until it is less than ½” thick.
- Next, add a layer of sliced cheese followed by some of the shredded beef, chopped cilantro and diced red onion.
- Carefully roll the skirt steak up lengthwise to create the pinwheel. Secure the roll with two strings of butcher twine and slice between them to make two separate pinwheels.
- Slather oil on the outside and generously season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Repeat this with the rest of the skirt steak for all of the pinwheels.
- Preheat your grill for high heat temperature (around 400F).
- Add your pinwheels to the grill to sear each side for 1 minute per side or until they have developed a nice crust. Once they have a nice crust on the outside, raise the grill grate high or pull to a cooler sider and cook until they reach 125F internal (about 10-15 minutes more).
- When the steaks are done, pull them off and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve the steaks with the consomme topped with diced red onions and chopped cilantro. Dip the steak in the consomme and enjoy!
