You will not believe how irresistible these birria tacos are. Sometimes referred to as birria quesatacos, they are a delicious combination of sweet, savory, sour, saucy, and spicy, so it is an explosion of flavor with every bite! The beef is tender and fall-apart juicy, the broth is beyond scrumptious and doubles as a dip, and then the cheese and beef filled tortillas are fried to crispy, golden perfection.
This birria tacos recipe is truly a showstopper. While they do take some time to cook, it is absolutely worth it! The flavors are incredible, and there’s nothing better than a big bite of these tacos. Want to make it a taco party? Try my lobster tacos recipe and shrimp tacos recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Dried chile peppers — I use both ancho chiles and guajillo chiles in the stew. Ancho chiles have an earthier flavor, whereas guajillo chiles are a bit fruity with a subtle natural smokiness to them. Together, they add a delicious, rich flavor to the birria.
Beef — I use a combination of chuck roast and beef short ribs. The chuck roast adds a lot of rich, beefy flavor to the stew and will melt in your mouth after slow cooking in the pot. The short ribs add a deep beefy flavor as well. The fattier the cuts of beef, the better as you want the beef to be tender by the end of the cooking process. A more lean cut of meat will dry out as it simmers.
Carrots — this adds sweetness and a pop of color to the stew.
Mexican oregano — you can usually find Mexican oregano in the Mexican aisle or at your local Latin grocer. It has a lemony, citrus note and a stronger earthy flavor.
Tortillas — for the best flavor and texture, I recommend using corn tortillas.
Cheese — shredded mozzarella cheese or Oaxacan cheese is perfect for birria tacos as they are great melty cheeses.
How to Make Birria Tacos
1. In a large heat-proof bowl, add ancho, guajillo chiles, and boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes. Remove the chiles and place them in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding some of the soaking water as needed to blend into a smooth but thick sauce. Set aside.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meat until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrot to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
4. Stir in the chicken broth and pureed chiles.
5. Add the meat, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the meat is fork-tender, about 3 to 3 ½ hours.
6. Remove the meat, and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Shred the meat with two forks, and discard the bones. Skim the fat off the top of the birria broth and reserve it in a heat-proof bowl. Reserve the broth in the pot for serving.
7. When ready to eat, place a tortilla on the surface of reserved broth in the pot and flip to coat.
8. Transfer the coated tortilla to an oiled cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute before flipping the tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese, then top half with about ¼ cup of shredded meat. Fold the other half of the tortilla in half, covering the meat. Cook until the bottoms start to get crispy, and then flip the tacos and fry the other side until they start to crisp. Remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding additional oil as needed. Serve the beef birria tacos with onion, cilantro, limes wedges, and warm reserved birria broth for dipping.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- If you cannot find Mexican oregano, you can substitute it with dried marjoram. Italian and Mediterranean oregano does not have the citrus and slightly sour flavor as they are from different plant families.
- I put a small bowl on top of my chiles to keep them submerged as they tend to float to the top.
- It’s easier to skim the fat after letting the mixture stop simmering.
- Do not skip searing the beef. Searing the meat activates the Maillard reaction, which adds complex and rich flavors to the overall dish.
- Cooking time may differ if you use a different cut of beef or if you use a different pot. I use a Dutch oven as they cook faster and retain heat better.
- Beef taking too long to shred with a fork? Remove any bones and add everything the beef into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Run at low speed, and the beef will pretty much shred itself.
- If you do not want the birria tacos to be too spicy, make sure to remove the seeds from the chile peppers before blending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
You can! If you prefer to cook the birria in a slow cooker, sear the beef and then add everything needed for the broth into the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to “high” and cook for 6 to 7 hours. When done, continue frying the tortillas and assembling the birria tacos.
Can I make this ahead of time?
This recipe is perfect as a make-ahead recipe! You can make the birria first, shred the meat, and then store the beef and broth separately in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, heat everything back up and assemble the tacos. You can also freeze the shredded beef and broth separately in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.
Can I use a different cut of meat?
Instead of chuck roast and short ribs for this beef birria taco recipe, you could use beef shank or even goat or lamb instead of beef. Make sure you use a fatty cut of meat to stay tender as it slowly cooks.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Birria Tacos recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Birria Tacos
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Blender
- Skillet
Ingredients
For the Birria:
- 4 dried ancho chiles stems removed
- 3 dried guajillo chiles stems removed
- 4 cups boiling water
- 2 pounds chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 pound beef short ribs (about 2 ribs)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 8 Roma tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 6 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the Tacos:
- Vegetable oil
- 16 corn tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella or Oaxacan cheese (225g)
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- Lime wedges to serve
Instructions
For the Birria:
- In a large heat-proof bowl, add ancho and guajillo chiles. Pour the boiling water over the chiles. Soak for 45 minutes. Remove the chiles and place in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding some of the soaking water as needed to blend into a smooth but thick sauce. Set aside.
- Sprinkle the chuck roast and short ribs with 1 tablespoon of salt.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the meat until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion and carrot to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cumin, oregano, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes more, using the spoon to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the chicken broth and pureed chiles. Add the meat, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low. Cook until the meat is fork-tender or reaches 205°F to 210°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thickest portion of the meat, about 3 to 3 ½ hours. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the meat, and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Shred the meat with two forks, and discard the bones.
- Skim the fat off the top of the birria broth and reserve in a heat-proof bowl. Reserve the broth in the pot for serving.
For the Tacos:
- When ready to eat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Working in batches, place a tortilla on the surface of reserved broth in the pot and flip to coat. Place into the preheated skillet. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or just until starting to brown. Flip the tortilla. Sprinkle each tortilla with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese then top half with about ¼ cup of shredded meat. Fold the other half of the tortilla in half, covering the meat.
- Cook until bottoms start to get crispy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the tacos and fry the other side until they start to crisp, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the pan and repeat, adding additional oil as needed. Serve with onion, cilantro, limes wedges, and warm reserved birria broth for dipping.
Notes
- If you cannot find Mexican oregano, you can substitute it with dried marjoram. Italian and Mediterranean oregano does not have the citrus and slightly sour flavor as they are from different plant families.
- I put a small bowl on top of my chiles to keep them submerged as they tend to float to the top.
- It’s easier to skim the fat after letting the mixture stop simmering.
- Do not skip searing the beef. Searing the meat activates the Maillard reaction, which adds complex and rich flavors to the overall dish.
- Cooking time may differ if you use a different cut of beef or if you use a different pot. I use a Dutch oven as they cook faster and retain heat better.
- Beef taking too long to shred with a fork? Remove any bones and add everything the beef into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Run at low speed, and the beef will pretty much shred itself.
- If you do not want the birria tacos to be too spicy, make sure to remove the seeds from the chile peppers before blending.
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