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Perfectly Crispy Birria Tacos with Rich Beef and Cheesy Filling Recipe

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4.2 from 7 reviews

Birria Tacos are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring slow-cooked, shredded chuck beef braised in a rich adobo sauce made from dried chilies and spices. The meat is simmered until tender, then tossed in a deeply savory consommé and assembled into corn tortillas layered with melted cheese, garnished with onions and cilantro, and pan-fried until crispy. Served with warm birria consommé for dipping, this traditional recipe delivers bold, comforting, and deliciously cheesy tacos perfect for any occasion.

  • Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 22 birria tacos

Ingredients

Chili and Adobo Ingredients

  • 25 g (0.9 oz) guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped 3/4 cup once chopped)
  • 45 g (1.6 oz) ancho chillies, dried (~2-3 pieces, 1 cup once chopped)
  • 6 g (0.2 oz) chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tbsp once chopped)
  • 1/2 cup chili soaking water (reserved after simmering)
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 small onion, roughly sliced (~tennis ball size)
  • 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180g)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Meat and Cooking Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 1.3 kg / 2.6 lb chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces (or 1.8 kg / 3.6 lb boneless beef short ribs, bone-in)
  • 2 cups low sodium beef stock/broth
  • 10 cloves (whole, or 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder)
  • 3 bay leaves (preferably fresh, else dried)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, red or white wine vinegar)
  • 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt (halved if table salt, +30% if flakes)
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Taco Assembly Ingredients

  • 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5cm / 6″ diameter)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
  • 3 1/2 cups (350g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese
  • Lime wedges (optional)
  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chilies: Wearing gloves if sensitive, deseed the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies by trimming and discarding stems and seeds. Roughly chop into 1-1.5 cm pieces. Then, place the chopped chilies into boiling water and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes until softened but skins remain intact. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking water and drain the chilies well.
  2. Make Birria Adobo Paste: Combine the softened chilies, reserved soaking water, garlic, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in a tall jug or blender. Blitz for about 20 seconds until the mixture is mostly smooth but not completely pureed, forming the adobo paste.
  3. Sear the Beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear half the beef pieces for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side until dark golden brown. Remove to a bowl and repeat with remaining beef pieces.
  4. Cook Off the Adobo Paste: Add the adobo paste to the pot with the remaining oil and cook, stirring for about 2 minutes on medium heat to deepen the flavors and reduce spitting.
  5. Slow Cook the Beef: Add beef stock, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt to the pot. Stir and return the seared beef to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 2 1/2 hours or until the beef shreds easily (3 to 3 1/2 hours for short ribs). Alternatively, cook in a slow cooker as per Note 8.
  6. Shred the Beef: Remove the beef pieces to a clean pan, shred thoroughly, and toss with 1/2 tsp salt to season evenly.
  7. Skim the Birria Oil: Skim off at least 6 tablespoons of the red oil floating atop the braising liquid, transferring it to a separate bowl. This ‘Birria Oil’ is used to add flavor and color to the tacos.
  8. Soak the Beef in Consommé: Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid (birria consommé) into a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat and let it simmer for 15 seconds. Add the shredded beef and toss until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Transfer the beef back to the shredding pan, scraping the pan clean.
  9. Season and Keep Consommé Warm: Taste the consommé and adjust salt if necessary; it should be slightly salty but not overpowering since it is for dipping. Keep warm for serving.
  10. Prepare Red Tortillas: Heat 1 teaspoon of birria oil in the non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Place a corn tortilla in the pan and quickly wipe the oil around to color the underside red. Once the tortilla softens, remove it red side down to a work surface. Repeat twice more, heating 1/2 teaspoon oil for each additional tortilla.
  11. Stuff the Tacos: Spread cheese on one half of each tortilla, then layer with the beef, diced onion, and coriander/cilantro.
  12. Pan-Fry the Tacos: Fold the tortillas over the filling and pan-fry 3 tacos at a time in the same pan over medium-high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side until the tacos are golden-red, crispy, and the cheese is melted.
  13. Serve: Serve the crispy birria tacos hot accompanied by the warm birria consommé for dipping. Garnish with lime wedges and your preferred salsa or hot sauce if desired.

Notes

  • Use gloves when handling dried chilies to avoid skin irritation.
  • Vegetable or canola oil works well for searing beef and pan-frying tacos.
  • Chuck beef or boneless beef short ribs give the best flavor and tenderness for birria.
  • Traditional corn tortillas about 6 inches in diameter are ideal for folding and frying.
  • Diced white onion and fresh cilantro add freshness and crunch to the tacos.
  • If available, use Oaxaca cheese for authentic Mexican flavor; Colby or Monterey Jack are good substitutes.
  • The adobo paste can be made using a blender, food processor, or stick blender.
  • For slow cooker adaptation, cook beef and adobo ingredients on low for 6-8 hours or until tender.
  • Skimming the birria oil enhances the richness and color of the tacos and consommé.
  • Author: Olivia
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Slow Cooking
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Find it online: https://yourdailycook.com/perfectly-crispy-birria-tacos-with-rich-beef-and-cheesy-filling-recipe/