Birria Tacos
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 50 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs 10 mins
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Servings
16
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Calories
366 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Birria Tacos
Description
The Birria recipe begins by preparing a flavorful broth from chiles, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and aromatic whole spices like cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, and Mexican cinnamon stick. Simmering these ingredients and blending the mixture creates a smooth sauce that infuses the beef chuck roast and short ribs during a long, slow simmer. The meat becomes tender and soaks up the intricate, smoky, slightly tangy flavors from the chile-based broth enhanced by vinegar and dried herbs.
The shredded beef is assembled into tacos with toasted corn tortillas, topped with Oaxaca cheese that melts for creamy texture, and garnished with diced onion and cilantro. These tacos offer a balance of rich, savory, and mildly spicy flavors. They are traditionally served with lime wedges for a bright finish and benefit from dipping in the warm birria broth, adding moisture and depth to each bite.
Beyond assembly, the birria meat and broth can be prepared days in advance or cooked in a slow cooker for convenience. Leftovers freeze well, maintaining flavor and texture. Variations include using chicken and adding a hot salsa made from blended boiled chiles and tomatillos for extra heat and tanginess.
Ingredients
Birria Beef:
- 3 lb beef chuck roast , fat trimmed
- 4 beef short ribs bone-in
- 8 guajillo chile pepper dried
- 3 pasilla chile pepper dried
- 2-3 arbol chile pepper dried
- 5 Roma tomato quartered (about 1.5lbs
- 1 white onion , roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves)
- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns whole
- 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds whole
- 1 Tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 Tablespoon thyme dried
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed whole
- 4 clove whole
- 1 teaspoon ginger fresh, minced
- 1 inch cinnamon stick or 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, Mexican, piece
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
For the Tacos:
- 15 corn tortillas , white or yellow
- 2 1/2 cups Oaxaca cheese or use mozzarella or Monterey jack, shredded
- 1/2 of a white onion , diced
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped, fresh
- 2 lime cut into small wedges
Instructions
- Cut chuck roast into a few large pieces and season with salt.
- Prep chiles: rinse (use gloves if desired) and use scissors to open and remove stem and seeds. (For extra spice, leave arbol chiles whole).
- Birria broth: Add tomatoes and onion to a large stock pot (at least 5.5qt pot or bigger) over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add whole garlic cloves, chile peppers, and all of the spices except the bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add vinegar and 4 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Blend: Add mixture to a blender and blend as smooth as possible. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, back into the pot. Add 4 cups of water to the blender and swirl it around to clean excess sauce from the blender, then add it to the pot.
- Cook beef: Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add short ribs, chuck roast and 3 bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 ½ hours. Check beef to make sure it’s tender, then remove to a plate and shred. Discard bones and bay leaves.
- Assemble Tacos: Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with a small amount of oil. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria sauce and lay tortilla on hot pan. Quickly top some shredded meat, cheese, chopped onion and cilantro. Fold tortilla over, in half. Fry for several minutes, until crispy and browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until crispy and browned on the other side. Remove to a plate, for serving.
- Serve: Sprinkle remaining chopped white onion and cilantro on top of prepared tacos. Serve quesabirria tacos with a cup of warm consommé broth, for dipping. We also like to serve with the hot salsa recipe in the notes below.
- *Save any leftover sauce by freezing for up to 3 months, and reheating to cook another roast inside.
Notes
- Guajillo and pasilla chiles provide mild heat; arbol chiles add spiciness; adjust chiles according to preferred heat level.
- Mexican cinnamon sticks blend smoothly; substitute ground cinnamon carefully to replicate flavor.
- Birria meat and broth can be made ahead and refrigerated airtight before assembling tacos.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months for future use; thaw chilled before reheating.
- Try chicken instead of beef for a different variation, cooking chicken thighs in the birria sauce until tender.
- Slow cooker preparation is an option, cooking meat on low for 6–8 hours until tender.
- Enhance tacos with optional hot salsa made by blending chiles, tomatillos, garlic, and onion.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 366 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 366kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 72mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 852mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 490mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 1192IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 84mg | 8% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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