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Birria Tacos Recipe

Birria Tacos

iamwinfred
Birria Tacos are the ultimate Mexican comfort food, featuring tender beef braised low and slow in a deeply spiced chile sauce, then tucked into corn tortillas with melty cheese and fried until crispy and golden. Every bite gets dunked into a bowl of rich consomme, the same braising liquid that gave the meat all its flavor. This version sticks close to the traditional Jalisco style birria you'd find at a taqueria, using a blend of dried chiles, warm spices, and a proper braise instead of shortcuts.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 servings
Calories 480 kcal

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or other heavy bottomed, oven safe pot with a lid Heavy bottomed pot for braising
  • High-powered blender For pureeing the chile sauce
  • Fine-mesh strainer For straining the sauce and the finished consomme
  • Cast iron griddle or comal For frying the tacos
  • Tongs
  • Slotted spoon
  • Dry skillet For toasting chiles and charring vegetables
  • Medium pot For soaking chiles
  • Cutting board For shredding beef
  • Baking sheet For keeping finished tacos warm

Ingredients
  

For the Chile Sauce and Meat

  • 4 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 3 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried chile de árbol stems removed
  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast 1360g, cut into large chunks
  • 1 pound bone in beef short ribs 450g
  • 1 large white onion halved, plus 1/2 cup finely diced for garnish
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 Mexican cinnamon stick canela
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cups beef broth 1440ml
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil for searing

For the Tacos

  • 20 small corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or Monterey Jack, 226g
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and chile de árbol chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast chiles for 30 to 45 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darker. Transfer to a medium pot, cover with about 4 cups water, bring to a boil, then turn off heat, cover, and soak for 15 to 20 minutes until softened.
  • While chiles soak, halve the onion and char one half with tomatoes and garlic in a dry skillet over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until blistered and blackened in spots. Drain softened chiles, reserving 1 cup soaking liquid. Blend chiles, charred vegetables, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, oregano, cloves, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup soaking liquid on high until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids.
  • Pat beef chuck and short ribs dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat neutral oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, sear beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Return seared beef to Dutch oven and pour strained chile sauce over top, stirring to coat. Add beef broth, remaining onion half, and bay leaves, then stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer on stovetop, cover with lid, transfer to oven, and braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until beef is fork tender and shreds easily.
  • Remove pot from oven and lift beef onto a cutting board, discarding bay leaves and onion half. Shred beef with two forks into bite sized pieces, discarding large pieces of fat or bone. Skim orange fat from top of braising liquid and set aside in a small bowl for frying. Taste remaining consomme and season with salt if needed. Ladle about 1 cup consomme over shredded meat and keep rest warm for serving.
  • Heat a comal or large skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with reserved fat. Dip a corn tortilla into warm consomme fat, coating both sides, then lay on hot comal. Sprinkle shredded Oaxaca cheese over half, add portion of shredded beef, fold into half moon shape, and press gently. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until crispy and golden and cheese has fully melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients, keeping finished tacos warm.
  • Arrange crispy tacos on a platter alongside small bowls of warm consomme for each person. Top tacos with diced onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime just before eating. Dunk each bite into consomme and enjoy immediately while tortillas are still crispy.

Notes

  • Don't skip toasting the chiles, it deepens the flavor of the entire sauce.
  • Sear the beef in batches so it browns instead of steams.
  • Let the braise go the full time, the beef should shred with almost no resistance.
  • Skim the fat carefully, it's what gives the fried tortillas their flavor and crisp texture.
  • Fry the tacos in a single layer so the tortillas crisp evenly on both sides.
  • Birria actually gets better after a day or two in the fridge, since the flavors have more time to develop.
  • Store meat and consomme separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freeze both meat and consomme in freezer safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
  • Fry tacos fresh each time rather than reheating already fried ones, for the best texture.
  • Swap beef for goat or lamb for a more traditional, gamier version.
  • Use the same braised meat and consomme to make birria ramen with noodles instead of tortillas.
  • Leave off the cheese for a simpler, non quesabirria style taco.

Nutrition

Serving: 2TacosCalories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 32gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 20mg
Keyword birria tacos, chile sauce, Mexican comfort food, quesabirria, slow braised beef
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