Description
Birria Tacos are a flavorful Mexican street food featuring tender, slow-cooked beef nestled inside crispy, pan-fried corn tortillas. Served alongside a rich, spiced consommé for dipping, these tacos offer a juicy, cheesy experience packed with bold flavors from dried chiles, aromatic spices, and slow simmering. They are perfect for taco night or a special weekend treat.
Ingredients
Meat and Broth
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 1 pound beef short ribs or oxtail (optional, for added richness)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Chiles and Spices
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Vegetables
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 roma tomatoes, halved
Taco Assembly and Garnishes
- Corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- Chopped white onion for garnish
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Toast and Soak Chiles: Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with hot water; let soak for 10–15 minutes until softened.
- Prepare the Broth and Meat: In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the beef chuck roast, short ribs or oxtail if using, quartered onion, garlic cloves, halved roma tomatoes, bay leaves, and enough beef broth and water to fully cover the meat and vegetables.
- Make the Chile Sauce: Drain the soaked chiles and add them to a blender with apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, thyme, ground cloves, and 1 cup of broth from the pot. Blend until smooth. Strain the sauce into the pot with the meat mixture and stir well to combine.
- Simmer the Meat: Season the pot with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours until the meat is fork-tender and easily shreds.
- Shred and Recombine Meat: Remove the meat pieces from the pot carefully, shred them using two forks, and return the shredded beef to the pot to soak up more flavor in the broth.
- Prepare Tacos: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the top layer of the birria broth, which contains oil and fat, ensuring the tortilla gets coated but not soaked.
- Assemble and Cook Tacos: Place the dipped tortilla into the hot skillet. Add a generous portion of shredded beef and some shredded cheese, fold the tortilla over, and cook until the outside is crispy and golden brown on both sides, allowing the cheese to melt inside.
- Serve: Serve tacos hot with chopped white onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and a small bowl of the birria consommé broth on the side for dipping.
Notes
- You can use all chuck roast if you prefer a leaner meat option instead of short ribs or oxtail.
- For best flavor, prepare the birria a day ahead to allow the spices and meat to develop deeper flavor overnight.
- Leftover consommé broth can be repurposed as a delicious base for soups or stews.
