Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›El Azteca›Birria Tacos Recipe

Birria Tacos Recipe

Inspired by El Azteca
Time5h
Serves6

Corn tortillas dipped in our savory birria broth and grilled with melted cheese and tender birria meat. Served with lime, cilantro, radishes, & onions

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Ingredients

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For the Birria

For the Tacos

Method

Preparing the Birria

  1. 1

    Soak the Chilies

    Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho, and chipotle chilies. Soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes until softened.

  2. 2

    Blend the Marinade

    In a blender, combine the soaked chilies, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, cloves, and a bit of the soaking water. Blend until smooth.

  3. 3

    Prepare the Meat

    In a large bowl, coat the chuck roast and lamb shank with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

  4. 4

    Cook the Meat

    In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the marinated meat and sear on all sides until browned. Add beef broth, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer.

  5. 5

    Simmer

    Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for about 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.

  6. 6

    Shred the Meat

    Remove the meat from the pot and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot to soak in the broth.

Assembling the Tacos

  1. 7

    Prepare the Tortillas

    Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla into the birria broth to soak briefly, then place it on the skillet.

  2. 8

    Add Cheese and Meat

    Sprinkle shredded cheese on one half of the tortilla, followed by a generous portion of the shredded birria meat. Fold the tortilla over to create a taco.

  3. 9

    Grill the Tacos

    Cook the taco for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy.

  4. 10

    Serve

    Serve the tacos hot with lime wedges, fresh cilantro, sliced radishes, and diced onions on the side.

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