Birria Tacos
Course: RecipesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Medium4-6
servings25
minutes3
hours3
hours25
minutesTender, juicy shredded beef cooked in a flavorful consume, comes together to make the best Birria Tacos for any occasion.
Ingredients
3 lbs chuck roast
6-8 dried guajillo or New Mexico chilies (remove seeds and stem)
1-3 ancho chilies (remove seeds and stem)
2 pasilla chilies (remove seeds and stem)
4-5 California chilies (remove seeds and stem)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 pack of yellow corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) shredded oaxaca cheese
3-4 roma tomatoes
6-7 garlic cloves (whole)
1 large white onion
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 cups off beef broth
1 bunch of cilantro
3-5 limes
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp of salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp beef bouillon
1/2 tsp cloves (toasted)
1/2 tsp coriander (toasted)
1/2 tsp sesame seeds (toasted)
3 bay leaves
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Directions
- Begin by prepping all of your ingredients. Cut the stems off the chilies and remove all seeds. Measure out your seasonings and remove the garlic from the bulb.
- Next, take your chuck roast and cut it into smaller portions, then season with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Set the dutch oven to medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Once the dutch oven is hot, add in a few chunks of the chuck roast and sear on each side until a nice brown crust starts to form. Repeat until you have seared all the meat, then set it aside.
- Bring about 5 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot, and add your dried chilies, whole garlic cloves, tomatoes, half of the white onion, and cinnamon stick to the pot and let simmer for 7-10 minutes.
- While that is simmering, toast your cloves, sesame seeds, and coriander until fragrant.
- Next, remove the chilies from the pot and put them into a blender along with the onion, tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon, chipotle pepper, the rest of your dried seasonings, vinegar, toasted cloves, sesame seeds, coriander, and a splash of the water the chilies were boiling in then blend until smooth.
- Using the same dutch oven you seared the meat in, deglaze the pan with the beef stock and add back in your chuck roast chunks.
- Strain your chili mixture first and then add it into the dutch oven with the meat. Add in your bay leaves and let cook on low for 2 1/2-3 hours. The meat will be tender and super easy to shred with a fork when done. After the 2-3 hours, you can remove the bay leaves.
- To assemble your tacos, heat a non-stick pan to medium heat and lightly heat up the tortillas on each side before dipping it into the consomé, as it helps the tortillas not break.
- Now you can dip the tortilla into consume, place it on your pan, add your shredded Oaxaca cheese, some of the meat, cilantro, and onions and fold it up. You can flip after about 1 minute. Repeat until all of your meat is gone.
- Serve the tacos alongside a bowl of the consomé for dipping, as well as some fresh lime juice to awaken all the flavors!
- Enjoy!
Birria Tacos
Homemade birria tacos are a delightful and flavorful dish that originates from the state of Jalisco in Mexico. Traditionally made with goat meat, birria has evolved to include other meats such as beef and lamb. The key to making authentic birria tacos lies in the rich, aromatic broth in which the meat is slow-cooked. This broth, known as consomé, is infused with a blend of dried chilies, garlic, cumin, and other spices, creating a deeply savory and slightly spicy flavor profile that is both comforting and complex.
To start, you’ll need to sear your perfectly seasoned meat and then boil your chilies, tomatoes, garlic, cinnamon and onion to release the flavors. You will use these beautiful ingredients to make a broth that the meat will braise in for several hours.The resulting consomé is reserved, as it will be used later for dipping the tacos.
Once your meat is cooked to perfection, it’s time to assemble the tacos. Shred the meat and place it on small corn tortillas that have been lightly dipped in the consomé and fried until crispy. Top the meat with finely chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice for a burst of freshness. Serve the tacos with a small bowl of consomé on the side for dipping, which enhances the juicy, rich flavor of the birria. Homemade birria tacos are a labor of love, but the end result is a delicious, comforting dish that is well worth the effort.
Thank you so much for reading! Please check out our Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine recipe here for other dinner ideas.