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Birria Tacos Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 62 reviews

Traditional Mexican Birria Tacos made with tender slow-cooked beef in a rich, flavorful adobo sauce, pan-fried with melted cheese inside crispy corn tortillas. Served with a savory consommé perfect for dipping, these tacos are a delicious and satisfying meal bursting with bold, smoky, and spicy flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

Chili Adobo Paste

  • 25 g (0.9 oz) guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped 3/4 cup once chopped)
  • 45 g (1.6 oz) ancho chillies, dried (~2–3 pieces, 1 cup once chopped)
  • 6 g (0.2 oz) chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tbsp once chopped)
  • 1/2 cup chili soaking water (reserved after simmering)
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 small onion, roughly sliced (~tennis ball size)
  • 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180g)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Beef and Braising Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 1.3 kg (2.6 lb) chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces (or boneless beef short ribs – 1.8 kg/3.6 lb bone-in)
  • 2 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium
  • 10 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon as substitute)
  • 3 bay leaves, preferably fresh
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or regular white, red or white wine vinegar)
  • 2 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve if using table salt, increase by 30% for flakes)

Taco Assembly

  • 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5 cm / 6″ wide)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
  • 3 1/2 cups (350 g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese
  • Lime wedges, optional
  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare Chillies: Wear gloves if sensitive. Deseed the guajillo, ancho, and de arbol chillies by trimming stems, cutting lengthwise, removing seeds, and roughly chopping into 1-1.5 cm pieces.
  2. Simmer Chillies: Place the chopped chillies in boiling water and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes until softened but skins remain intact. Reserve 1/2 cup of this chili soaking water and drain the rest thoroughly.
  3. Make Adobo Paste: In a tall jug or blender, combine the cooked chillies, reserved soaking water, garlic cloves, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Blitz until the mixture is as smooth as possible, forming the birria adobo paste.
  4. Sear the Beef: Heat half the vegetable oil in a large heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear half the beef pieces on each side for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until dark golden brown. Remove and repeat with remaining beef.
  5. Cook Off the Adobo Paste: Add the adobo paste to the same pot and stir it into the oil, cooking for 2 minutes on moderate heat to release flavors.
  6. Add Braising Ingredients and Beef: Add beef stock, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and 2 1/2 tsp salt to the pot. Stir, then add the seared beef pieces back. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 2 1/2 hours until beef is tender and shreds easily (3 to 3.5 hours if using short ribs).
  7. Shred the Beef: Remove beef to a clean pan and shred thoroughly. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp salt over the shredded beef and toss well to distribute.
  8. Skim Birria Oil: Carefully skim off 6 tbsp or more of the red oil floating on the surface of the braising liquid and transfer to a separate bowl for use in frying the tacos (this is the prized ‘Birria Oil’).
  9. Soak Beef in Consommé: Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid (called Birria Consommé) into a large non-stick pan on medium-high. Let it simmer 15 seconds, add all the shredded beef, and toss to absorb nearly all the consommé. Scrape and return beef to shredding pan.
  10. Adjust and Keep Consommé Warm: Taste the consommé and add salt if necessary, aiming for a slightly salty flavor suitable for dipping. Keep warm for serving.
  11. Prepare Tortillas: Heat 1 teaspoon of Birria Oil in the non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and lightly ‘wipe’ to coat and color the underside red. Remove after about 10 seconds. Repeat for two more tortillas, using 1/2 teaspoon Birria Oil each time.
  12. Assemble Tacos: On each tortilla, spread a layer of cheese on one half, add a generous portion of soaked beef, then top with diced onion and chopped coriander/cilantro.
  13. Cook Tacos to Crispy Perfection: Fold tortillas over and pan-fry in the same non-stick pan over medium-high heat, 3 tacos at a time, cooking for about 2 minutes per side until golden-red and crispy with melted cheese inside.
  14. Serve: Remove tacos and serve immediately with warm Birria Consommé for dipping. Optionally serve with lime wedges and your favorite salsa or hot sauce. Enjoy the consommé as a flavorful broth if desired.

Notes

  • Note 1: Use gloves when handling dried chillies if you have sensitive skin to avoid irritation.
  • Note 2: Vegetable or canola oil are preferred for searing and frying, but other neutral oils may be used.
  • Note 3: Chuck beef is preferred but boneless short ribs are a good alternative, though cooking time will increase.
  • Note 4: Use standard corn tortillas approximately 6 inches in diameter for authentic tacos.
  • Note 5: Diced raw white onion and chopped coriander garnish each taco for fresh flavor.
  • Note 6: Traditional cheeses are Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese which melt well and add creaminess.
  • Note 7: A stick blender, standard blender, food processor, or NutriBullet can be used to blend the adobo paste.
  • Note 8: For slow cooker instructions, cook beef on low for 6-8 hours or until very tender, instead of stovetop simmering.

Keywords: Birria, Birria Tacos, Mexican Tacos, Slow Cooked Beef, Adobo Paste, Consommé, Corn Tortillas, Mexican Cuisine, Beef Tacos

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/birria-tacos-recipe/