Description
Authentic Birria Tacos are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked beef chuck roast simmered in a rich, smoky chile sauce. Served on warm corn tortillas and garnished with fresh cilantro and lime, these tacos offer a perfect balance of spicy, savory, and tangy flavors, ideal for a hearty meal or festive gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Broth
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 4 cups beef broth
Chiles and Spices
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, quartered
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cloves
Serving
- 12 small corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Roast and Simmer Chiles: In a pot over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, quartered onion, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes to soften the chiles and blend the flavors.
- Prepare Sauce: Carefully transfer the cooked chiles, garlic, onion, and broth into a blender. Blend until smooth, creating a rich chile sauce. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano, and ground cloves to season the sauce thoroughly.
- Slow Cook Beef: Place the beef chuck chunks in a slow cooker. Pour the prepared chile sauce over the beef, ensuring all pieces are covered. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Heat Tortillas: Once the beef is ready, warm the corn tortillas on a griddle or skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable, about 30 seconds per side.
- Assemble Tacos and Serve: Fill each tortilla with shredded beef. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve immediately with lime wedges on the side. Dip the tacos into the flavorful cooking broth for added taste.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can lightly toast the dried chiles before simmering to enhance their smoky aroma.
- If you prefer a spicier birria, add a dried chipotle chile when blending the sauce.
- The broth leftover from cooking makes an excellent dipping consommé for the tacos.
- Leftover birria can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for later use.
- Use fresh corn tortillas for the best authentic taste and texture.