Description
Experience the rich and authentic flavors of Birria Tacos, featuring tender, slow-braised beef simmered in a deeply spiced chili broth and crisped on a skillet with melted cheese. These Mexican street-style tacos are served with fresh onion, cilantro, and lime, accompanied by savory consomé for dipping, delivering an incredible melt-in-your-mouth eating experience perfect for gatherings or a special meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Birria:
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast or short ribs (bone-in preferred)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 4 cups beef broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 medium white onion (quartered)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Tacos:
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese
- Diced white onion (for garnish)
- Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Toast and soak chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- Sear the beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides until it develops a rich brown crust. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a blender, combine the soaked and drained chiles, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, quartered white onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend everything until smooth.
- Simmer the birria: Strain the blended sauce into the pot. Add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth and bay leaves. Return the seared beef to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let it simmer gently for 3–4 hours, or alternatively use a slow cooker on low for 8 hours, until the meat is extremely tender and easily shreddable.
- Shred the beef: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it finely. Return the shredded beef to the broth to soak up the flavors and keep moist.
- Assemble and cook tacos: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the birria broth to coat it well. Place the coated tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle with shredded cheese and a generous portion of shredded beef. Fold the tortilla and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until the taco is crispy and golden brown.
- Serve: Serve the tacos hot with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. Pour the flavorful consomé broth into small bowls for dipping each bite, enhancing the overall taste experience.
Notes
- For a traditional twist, try mixing beef with lamb or goat meat for the birria.
- The consomé broth tastes even better the next day, making this a perfect meal to prepare in advance.
- You can adjust the spice level by adding more or fewer chipotle peppers depending on your preference.
- Using bone-in beef short ribs adds extra richness to the broth.
- Leftover birria can be refrigerated and reheated gently with broth to maintain moisture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Mexican
