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Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos

Delicious quesabirria tacos with shredded beef and melty cheese inside a crispy taco, perfect for dipping in broth.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 16 tacos
Calories 366 kcal

Equipment

  • blender
  • fine-mesh strainer

Ingredients
  

Birria Beef

  • 3 lb beef chuck roast fat trimmed
  • 4 pieces bone-in beef short ribs
  • 8 pieces dried guajillo chile peppers *
  • 3 pieces dried pasilla chile peppers *
  • 2-3 pieces dried arbol chile peppers *
  • 5 pieces Roma tomatoes quartered (about 1.5lbs)
  • 1 pieces white onion roughly chopped
  • 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves)
  • 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 Tablespoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 Tablespoon Dried oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon whole coriander seed
  • 4 pieces whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
  • 1 inch Mexican cinnamon stick *
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 2 pieces bay leaves
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

For the Tacos

  • 15 pieces corn tortillas white or yellow
  • 2.5 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella or Monterey jack
  • ½ pieces white onion diced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
  • 2 pieces limes cut into small wedges

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Cut chuck roast into a few large pieces and season with salt.
  • Prep chiles: rinse (use gloves if desired) and use scissors to open and remove stem and seeds. (For extra spice, leave arbol chiles whole).
  • Add tomatoes and onion to a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add whole garlic cloves, chile peppers, and all of the spices except the bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add vinegar and 4 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
  • Add mixture to a blender and blend as smooth as possible. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, back into the pot. Add 4 cups of water to the blender and swirl it around to clean excess sauce from the blender, then add it to the pot.
  • Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add short ribs, chuck roast and 3 bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 ½ hours. Check beef to make sure it’s tender, then remove to a plate and shred. Discard bones and bay leaves.
  • Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with a small amount of oil. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria sauce and lay tortilla on hot pan. Quickly top some shredded meat, cheese, chopped onion and cilantro. Fold tortilla over, in half. Fry for several minutes, until crispy and browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until crispy and browned on the other side. Remove to a plate, for serving.
  • Sprinkle remaining chopped white onion and cilantro on top of prepared tacos. Serve quesabirria tacos with a cup of warm consommé broth, for dipping.

Notes

Guajillo and Passilla peppers are mild. Arbol chiles are spicy, so for very mild heat you can leave them out. The birria meat and broth can be made a few days in advance, stored in airtight containers. Store leftover beef birria and broth in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 27gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 852mgPotassium: 490mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1192IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 3mg
Keyword beef, Birria Tacos, comfort food, Mexican cuisine, quesabirria, tacos
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