Description
Birria Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-simmered beef infused with a rich, smoky chili sauce. The beef is cooked until shreddable and served in crispy corn tortillas dipped in flavorful broth, garnished with fresh onion, cilantro, and melted cheese for a deliciously authentic experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Sauce
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Tacos and Garnish
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup chopped white onion (for serving)
- 1 cup chopped cilantro (for serving)
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the chiles: Bring a pot of water to a boil and simmer the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 10 minutes until softened. Drain the chiles and set aside.
- Blend the sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles, quartered onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Season and sear the beef: Season the beef chunks generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned, about 5 minutes per side.
- Simmer the beef: Pour the blended chile sauce over the seared beef. Add the remaining beef broth and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily shredded with forks.
- Shred the meat and strain the broth: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it thoroughly using two forks. Strain the cooking broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids and keep warm for dipping.
- Prepare the tacos: Dip each corn tortilla into the flavorful broth to soak, then place it on a hot skillet over medium heat. Add a portion of shredded beef and cheese if using on one half of the tortilla, fold it over, and cook until each side is crispy and the cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Serve: Serve the crispy birria tacos hot, topped with chopped white onion and cilantro. Accompany with a bowl of warm broth for dipping.
Notes
- Substitute the beef chuck with a combination of short ribs and oxtail for a richer, more gelatinous flavor.
- Oaxaca cheese is traditional for birria tacos, but mozzarella or Monterey Jack are good alternatives if unavailable.
- For extra spiciness, add one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the blender when making the sauce.
- Make sure to soak the tortillas well in the broth to achieve the signature juicy, crispy texture.
- Leftover birria meat and broth can be refrigerated and repurposed in soups or quesadillas.
