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Best Birria Tacos Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 102 reviews

Experience the rich, smoky, and deeply flavorful Best Birria Tacos, featuring tender slow-cooked chuck beef simmered in a vibrant Adobo chili sauce, nestled in crispy, cheesy tortillas. This authentic Mexican recipe pairs succulent shredded beef with melty cheese and fresh toppings, served alongside a warm Birria consommé perfect for dipping.

Ingredients

Scale

Chili Paste & Sauce

  • 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 chilli 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
  • 10 cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder)
  • 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 for table salt, +30% for flakes)

Beef & Cooking

  • 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 1.8kg/3.6 lb bone-in)
  • 2 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (for shredding beef)

Tacos & Garnishes

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

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chillies: Wearing gloves if sensitive, deseed and trim dried chillies by cutting lengthwise and removing seeds. Roughly chop into 1 – 1.5cm pieces. Place chillies in boiling water and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes until softened but skin intact. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chili soaking water once done and drain the chillies.
  2. Make the Birria Adobo Paste: Combine the softened chillies, reserved soaking water, garlic, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vinegar, and 2 1/2 tsp salt in a tall jug. Use a stick blender or food processor to blitz until smooth but still slightly textured.
  3. Sear the Beef: Heat 5 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy-based pot or dutch oven over high heat. Sear the chuck beef pieces in batches until each side is dark golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
  4. Cook Off Adobo Paste: In the same pot, lower heat if needed and stir the Adobo paste in the oil for 2 minutes to cook out raw flavors.
  5. Braise the Beef: Add the beef stock and beef to the pot along with the Adobo paste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer with a lid on. Cook for 2 1/2 hours until the beef is tender enough to shred easily (3 to 3.5 hours if using short ribs).
  6. Shred the Beef: Remove the beef to a clean pan and shred finely using forks. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the shredded meat and mix well to season.
  7. Collect Birria Oil: Skim off 6 tablespoons or more of the red oil that floats on top of the braising liquid. Set aside this flavorful Birria Oil.
  8. Simmer Beef in Consommé: Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid (Birria Consommé) into a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Let it simmer briefly for 15 seconds, then add all shredded beef and toss until fully absorbed. Transfer the beef back to the shredding pan, scraping the pan clean.
  9. Prepare Birria Consommé for Dipping: Taste the consommé and adjust salt if necessary. It should be slightly salty as it’s used for dunking the tacos. Keep warm.
  10. Prepare Tortillas: Heat 1 teaspoon of Birria Oil in the same non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Place a tortilla and ‘wipe’ the underside until colored red and softened, about 10 seconds. Remove and place red side down on a work surface. Repeat twice more using 1/2 teaspoon of oil for each tortilla.
  11. Assemble Tacos: Spread 3 1/2 cups shredded cheese on half of each tortilla. Top with shredded beef, diced onion, and chopped coriander/cilantro. Fold the tortilla over to cover the fillings.
  12. Crisp the Tacos: Using the same pan, pan-fry 3 tacos at a time over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side until golden-red, crispy, and melty.
  13. Serve: Serve the crispy, cheesy birria tacos hot with lime wedges and your favorite salsa or hot sauce. Accompany with warm Birria Consommé for dunking. Enjoy leftover consommé as a flavorful soup broth.

Notes

  • Use gloves when handling dried chillies to avoid irritation.
  • Chuck beef is preferred for its connective tissue that breaks down into tender meat; short ribs are a suitable alternative but may require longer cooking.
  • Birria Oil is the flavorful, spicy oil skimmed from the braising liquid and essential for authentic taco flavor and pan preparation.
  • Oaxaca cheese can be substituted with Colby or Monterey Jack if unavailable.
  • For slow cooker method, extend cooking time to 6-8 hours on low for tender shreddable beef.
  • Birria Consommé is intentionally a bit saltier for dipping but can be adjusted to taste.
  • Wiping the tortilla in Birria Oil ensures a flavorful and colorful underside before stuffing.

Keywords: birria tacos, Mexican tacos, slow cooked beef, cheesy tacos, birria recipe, consommé, authentic Birria

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