Smoky, tender birria and melted pepper Jack on golden sourdough, with salsa verde and a side of rich birria dipping sauce — a sandwich worth making at home.
Servings
3–4
Prep time
5 min
Cook time
10 min
Total time
15 min
Ingredients — 3 to 4 servings
| Ingredient | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Butter, or more as needed | 2 | tbsp |
| Onion, diced | ½ | cup |
| Prepared birria (e.g. Trader Joe's), with sauce | 1 | lb |
| Sourdough bread slices | 6 | — |
| Pepper Jack cheese, shredded | 2 | cups |
| Salsa verde | ¼ | cup |
Directions
1
Cook the onion and birria. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the birria meat and stir to combine, cooking until heated all the way through. Set aside and keep warm. Reserve any remaining birria sauce for dipping.
2
Grill the sandwiches. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter. Place 2 slices of sourdough in the pan. Sprinkle a generous layer of shredded pepper Jack and a spoonful of salsa verde over each slice.
3
Add the filling and close. Once the cheese begins to melt, spoon birria meat onto one slice and press the other slice on top to close the sandwich. Press down gently with a spatula and continue cooking, flipping once, until both sides are deep golden brown and the cheese has melted completely. Repeat with the remaining bread and filling.
4
Slice and serve. Cut each sandwich in half and serve immediately with the reserved birria sauce on the side for dipping.
Cook's notes
Save every drop of birria sauce
The dipping sauce is what elevates this sandwich from great to unforgettable. Make sure to reserve all the liquid from the birria package and warm it separately — the more sauce, the better the dip.
Work in batches
Cooking two slices at a time gives you full control over the heat and ensures each sandwich gets an even, golden crust. Add a small knob of extra butter to the pan between batches to keep the bread from sticking.
Can't find Trader Joe's birria?
Any store-bought prepared birria works here, or use leftover homemade birria de res if you have it. The key is that the meat comes with a rich, smoky braising liquid to use as the dipping sauce.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Amount | Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 941 kcal | Saturated fat | 25 g |
| Protein | 53 g | Cholesterol | 149 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 78 g | Sodium | 1576 mg |
| Dietary fiber | 5 g | Calcium | 718 mg |
| Total sugars | 11 g | Vitamin C | 61 mg |
| Total fat | 47 g | Potassium | 680 mg |
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