Birria Beef Tacos Recipe
Make Birria Beef Tacos Recipe in just 3h 30m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Birria Marinade & Sauce
Beef & Braising
Tacos & Serving
Method
Birria Marinade & Sauce
- 1
Toast and prepare chiles
Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast chiles 10–20 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for 20 minutes until softened. Reserve the soaking liquid.
- 2
Sear aromatics
While chiles soak, heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Halve the onion and char the cut sides until browned (3–4 minutes). Halve the tomato and char until blackened in spots (3–4 minutes). Lightly brown the unpeeled garlic cloves until softened (2–3 minutes).
- 3
Blend sauce
Drain chiles, reserving about 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Remove any excess seeds. In a blender combine toasted chiles, charred onion, charred tomato, peeled garlic, 3 tbs apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 cup reserved soaking liquid plus 1 cup beef broth. Blend until very smooth, adding more soaking liquid or broth as needed to reach a thick but pourable sauce consistency (about 1.5–2 cups).
- 4
Strain and finish
Strain the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove skins and fibers, pressing with a spoon. Set sauce aside. Reserve 1–2 cups additional beef broth for braising if needed.
Beef & Braising
- 5
Season and sear beef
Pat the beef chunks dry and season lightly with additional salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef in batches until well-browned on all sides, about 3–5 minutes per side. Remove seared beef to a plate.
- 6
Combine and braise
Reduce heat to medium. Pour the strained chile sauce into the Dutch oven and cook 2–3 minutes to deepen flavors. Add the seared beef, 2 bay leaves, and pour in enough beef broth to come about halfway up the meat (about 2–3 cups total including reserved). Bring to a simmer, then cover and braise in the oven at 325°F (160°C) for 2.5–3 hours, or simmer gently on the stovetop for 2.5–3 hours, until meat is fall-apart tender. Check once and add more broth if the liquid reduces too much.
- 7
Shred and reduce consomme
Remove the beef and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat and the bay leaves. Strain the braising liquid (consomme) and skim excess fat if desired. If you want a thicker, more flavorful dip, simmer the strained consomme over medium heat until reduced by about 20% (5–10 minutes). Reserve about 2 cups of consomme for dipping and dipping tortillas.
Tacos & Serving
- 8
Prepare tortillas
Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet until pliable (about 20–30 seconds per side). If making quesabirria, brush one tortilla lightly with oil, place a small handful of shredded cheese on it, top with a second tortilla and warm until cheese melts and tortillas are crisping.
- 9
Assemble tacos
Dip each tortilla briefly into the warm consomme (about 1–2 seconds) or spoon a little consomme on the flat side, then place on the skillet. Add a generous portion of shredded birria beef onto the tortilla (and cheese if using). Fold the tortilla over the filling and press gently with a spatula so edges get crisp and slightly caramelized (about 1–2 minutes per side). Repeat for remaining tortillas.
- 10
Serve
Serve tacos hot with a small bowl of warm consomme for dipping, topped with chopped cilantro and diced onion and lime wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately.
