Birria Tacos

Birria tacos deserve every bit of the hype they get. Tender, chile-braised beef stuffed into tortillas that have been dipped in the red braising fat and griddled until crisp, filled with melty cheese. Served with a cup of rich consomme for dunking. They are messy in the best possible way. The technique comes from Jalisco, Mexico, where birria has been a celebration dish for generations. The internet just figured out what everyone there already knew. The chile sauce here uses a combination of guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol, which gives you depth, sweetness, and heat in layers.

Charring the tomatoes, onion, and garlic before blending adds a smoky backbone. The beef chuck braises for three hours until it falls apart, and the resulting consomme is just as important as the meat itself. Do not throw it away. Dip your tortillas in it before griddling, serve it on the side for dunking, and save whatever is left for reheating the next day. The whole braise can be done a day ahead. In fact, it should be. The fat rises to the top and solidifies, making it easy to skim, and the flavors get noticeably better overnight. This is the one I pull out when we want to do tacos properly.

How to Make Birria Tacos

Make the Chile Sauce and Braise the Beef

Toast dried guajillo, ancho, and de árbol chiles in a dry skillet until fragrant, then soak in boiling water for 20 minutes. Char Roma tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic until blackened. Peel the garlic, then blend the drained chiles with the charred vegetables, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar, and one cup of beef broth until very smooth. Season chuck roast pieces with salt, place in a Dutch oven, and pour the chile sauce and remaining broth over the top. Braise on low heat for three hours until the beef shreds easily.

Shred Beef and Skim Fat from Consommé

Remove the beef from the braising liquid and shred it with two forks. Skim the rendered fat from the surface of the consommé and reserve it – this is what you’ll use to fry the tortillas. The consommé should be rich, flavorful, and slightly thickened. If it’s too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce. If it’s too thick, add a bit of broth. Transfer the consommé to small serving bowls for dipping.

Dip Tortillas in Consommé and Griddle Until Crispy

Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the consommé to coat both sides. Lay it on the hot griddle, add shredded cheese and birria meat to one half, then fold in half. Cook for two to three minutes per side until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve immediately with small bowls of warm consommé for dunking, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Birria Tacos

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• Author: Kalle Bergman
• Total Time: 210 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Birria tacos went from a traditional Jalisco stew to a global phenomenon for a reason — braised beef in a chile-rich consommé, stuffed into tortillas dipped in the braising liquid and griddled until crisp. The result is a taco that is simultaneously crunchy, cheesy, saucy, and deeply savory. You dunk them in the consommé as you eat. It is messy and perfect.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried chiles de árbol
• 4 Roma tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium white onion, quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 24 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
• 1 white onion, finely diced, for serving
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
• Lime wedges

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Instructions

1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak 20 minutes.
2. Char the tomatoes, onion, and garlic in the same skillet or under the broiler until blackened in spots. Peel the garlic.
3. Drain the chiles and add to a blender with the charred vegetables, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar, and 1 cup of broth. Blend until very smooth.
4. Season the beef with salt. Place in a Dutch oven. Pour the chile sauce and remaining broth over the meat. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 3 hours until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
5. Shred the beef in the braising liquid. Skim any excess fat from the surface — reserve some of this fat for the tortillas.
6. To assemble: dip a corn tortilla in the braising consommé. Lay it on a hot skillet or griddle, add shredded cheese and birria meat, fold in half. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until crispy and the cheese melts. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
7. Serve the tacos with small bowls of consommé for dipping, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

• The consommé is half the dish — do not discard it. Serve it warm in small cups for dunking each bite.
• Oaxaca cheese has the best melt and pull for birria tacos, but mozzarella is a widely available substitute.
• The birria braise can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. The fat solidifies on top and is easy to skim, and the flavors deepen overnight.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 180 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 550
• Sugar: 4
• Sodium: 820
• Fat: 28
• Carbohydrates: 32
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 42
• Cholesterol: 120

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