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Birria Tacos
5 from 9 votes

Birria Tacos

Crafted with ease and taste in mind, this recipe is a great choice.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Beef and Broth:
  • 4 lbs chuck roast cut into 4 large chunks
  • 2 lbs short ribs You can also use bone-in back ribs, bone-in
  • 1 large yellow onion peeled and cut in half
  • 1 large carrot cut into four pieces
  • 1 bulb garlic cut the narrow top off and remove as many outer skins as possible
  • 8 dried ancho pasilla chiles Guajillo chiles can be substituted, stems and seeds removed
  • 5 bay leaf dry
  • 3 tbsp chicken bouillon
  • 1½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano **regular works is fine
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • black pepper sea salt and freshly cracked, to taste
  • salt sea salt and freshly cracked, to taste
Tacos:
  • leftover grease or vegetable oil
  • 14-16 white corn tortillas
  • 2 cups Oaxaca cheese shredded
  • corn Click link up above for the recipe, relish
  • cilantro
  • lime

Instructions

Beef & Broth:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the beef chunks and short ribs to a large Dutch oven along with the onion, carrots, garlic bulb, ancho pasilla peppers, bay leaves, chicken bouillon, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Pour in the water, making sure it covers everything, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium and cook for 30 minutes.
  2. After 30 minutes, skim the top of the pot to remove impurities from the bone cooking out (it will look like bits of foam all over the top).  Remove the chili peppers with tongs and place them in a high-powered blender along with 1/4-1/2 cup of cooking broth. Blend until very creamy and smooth. Side Note: If you don't have a high-powered blender, then strain the blended peppers to remove bits of skin.
  3. Add the blended peppers back into the broth and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for about 3-3½hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and easily shreds on its own. 
  4. Remove the onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaves from the broth and discard. Place the beef on a cutting board and allow it to cool slightly until you can handle it with your hands. Remove any bones and chunks of fat from the meat and discard them. Place the shredded beef in a bowl and cover it until needed.  
  5. Skim all of the grease off the top of the broth, then pour it through a strainer to remove any small bits. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Keep warm.  Side Note: I used my fat separator, which made it easier to remove all of the grease from the broth. The recipe says to reserve the grease and fry the tacos in it (which gives the tacos their deep color), but you can also discard it and use vegetable oil if you prefer. 
Tacos:
  1. Make the onion and cilantro relish. Click up above for the recipe. 
  2. To make the tacos, place the tortillas on a damp cloth in the microwave for 30 seconds or until pliable.
  3. Next, either dip the tortilla in the reserved grease or heat some of the discarded fat (or vegetable oil) in a large nonstick skillet. Place the tortilla flat in the skillet, then cover with some of the cheese and shredded meat. Fold the taco over and press down with a spatula, and cook until golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking on the other side until crispy. Add additional grease as needed. 
  4. Remove from the heat and top with the onion, cilantro, and lime relish, then place on a serving tray.
  5. To serve, ladle the broth into a bowl and top with a big spoonful of the onion, cilantro, and lime relish. Dip the tacos in the consommé and eat! Enjoy.