Birria Tacos Recipe
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Ingredients
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For the Birria (stew) / Consommé
For Assembling Tacos
Garnish / Serving (optional)
Method
For the Birria (stew) / Consommé
- 1
Prepare chiles
Toast guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not blackened. Remove and let cool. Tear open and discard stems and seeds (use gloves if sensitive).
- 2
Rehydrate chiles
Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of hot water. Let soak 15–20 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid (strain through a fine mesh to remove seeds/impurities) and keep warm.
- 3
Char aromatics
On a hot dry skillet or under a broiler, char the halved roma tomatoes, quartered onion, and garlic cloves until blackened in spots, about 6–10 minutes, turning occasionally. This adds smoky depth.
- 4
Make chile sauce
In a blender, combine rehydrated chiles (drain most soaking liquid but include 1/2 cup), charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, thyme (if using), cloves, peppercorns and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend until very smooth, adding up to 1/2 cup more soaking liquid or water to reach a pourable sauce consistency.
- 5
Sear beef
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season beef chunks all over with remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt. Sear in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- 6
Combine and braise
Lower heat to medium. Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes to wake the flavors. Add seared beef back to pot, pour in beef broth and reserved chile soaking liquid (about 1/2–1 cup) as needed to just cover meat (you should have roughly 5–6 cups total liquid). Add bay leaves and any extra whole spices. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise on low heat for 2.5–3 hours, or in a 300°F (150°C) oven for the same time, until meat is fork-tender and shreds easily.
- 7
Finish consommé
When meat is tender, remove beef to a tray and let rest slightly. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or pot, pressing solids to extract flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar if needed. Skim fat if desired. Reserve 1.5–2 cups of hot consommé for dipping tacos.
- 8
Shred meat
Shred the beef using two forks or hands (when cool enough). Return a portion of shredded meat to a few tablespoons of warm consommé to keep moist and to use when assembling tacos. Reserve remaining shredded meat for serving.
For Assembling Tacos
- 9
Heat tortillas and prepare frying liquid
Warm corn tortillas wrapped in a damp towel in the microwave for 30–45 seconds to make them pliable. Keep consommé warm in a shallow pan near your workspace. Heat 1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil or reserved braising fat in a large skillet over medium heat.
- 10
Dip and fill tortillas
Using tongs, dip each tortilla quickly (1–2 seconds per side) into the warm consommé so both sides are lightly coated. Place the dipped tortilla in the hot skillet, sprinkle a thin layer (about 1–2 tablespoons) of shredded cheese over one half, add about 1/4 cup shredded birria meat on top of the cheese, and fold the tortilla over to form a taco. Repeat to fill the skillet but do not overcrowd.
- 11
Fry until crisp
Cook each taco 1.5–2 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula, until the tortilla is crisped and the cheese is melted. The exterior should be golden and slightly lacquered from the consommé. Transfer cooked tacos to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil if necessary.
- 12
Keep warm
Keep finished tacos in a low oven (200°F / 95°C) on a baking sheet to stay warm while you finish the rest. Reheat tortillas briefly and dip again as you assemble more tacos.
Garnish / Serving
- 13
Plate and garnish
Place 2–3 tacos per serving on a platter. Top with chopped white onion, cilantro, and optional pickled red onions or radishes. Serve lime wedges and hot salsa on the side.
- 14
Serve with consommé
Serve each order with a small bowl or ramekin of hot strained consommé for dipping. Encourage diners to dip the taco into the consommé for authentic flavor. Leftover consommé keeps refrigerated up to 3 days or can be frozen.