Description
Discover the rich flavors of traditional Birria Tacos paired with a homemade consommé. Tender, slow-simmered beef chuck roast is infused with a blend of dried chiles and spices, then shredded and folded into crispy, cheese-filled tortillas. Served alongside a savory consommé for dipping, this authentic Mexican dish makes for a perfect meal that’s both comforting and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Taco Assembly and Garnish
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- White onion, finely chopped
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Sear the Beef: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the beef chuck roast on all sides until nicely browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same pot, sauté the chopped onion and smashed garlic cloves until fragrant and translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Toast the Chiles: Add the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles to the pot and toast them for 1 to 2 minutes to release their flavors.
- Simmer Chiles: Pour in the beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until the chiles soften, about 10 minutes.
- Blend Sauce: Transfer the softened chiles and broth mixture to a blender. Add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper. Blend everything until smooth.
- Simmer Beef in Sauce: Return the seared beef to the pot and pour the blended chili sauce over it. Cover and simmer on low heat for 3 hours until the meat is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred the Meat: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks. Stir the shredded meat back into the consommé (the cooking liquid).
- Prepare Tortillas: Dip each corn tortilla into the top layer of the consommé to soak up the flavorful broth. Place the dipped tortilla on a hot skillet.
- Assemble Tacos: Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese on one half of the tortilla, then top with a generous amount of the shredded birria meat. Fold the tortilla over to form a taco.
- Cook Tacos: Cook each taco on the skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Serve the crispy birria tacos hot with a bowl of consommé topped with chopped onion and cilantro, along with lime wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- For a spicier consommé, add more chipotle peppers or include some seeds from the dried chiles.
- You can substitute beef chuck roast with short ribs or brisket for variations in flavor and tenderness.
- Use Oaxaca cheese for a more authentic, meltable cheese option, but mozzarella works as a good substitute.
- Make sure to toast the dried chiles properly as it enhances their smokiness and depth.
- The consommé can be served as a side dipping sauce or sipped as a flavorful broth.
- Leftover consommé can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for future use.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
