Description
Delicious and authentic Birria Tacos featuring tender, slow-cooked chuck beef simmered in a rich and flavorful chili-spiced broth. These tacos are served with melted cheese, fresh onions, cilantro, and lime wedges for an irresistible Mexican street food experience perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Sauce
- 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 from simmering chillies)
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small onion, roughly sliced (~tennis ball size)
- 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180 g)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Beef and Broth
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1.3 kg/2.6 lb chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces (or boneless beef short ribs – 1.8 kg/3.6 lb bone-in)
- 2 cups beef stock/broth, low sodium
- 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 regular white vinegar, red or white wine vinegar)
- 2 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve if using table salt, add 30% if flakes)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (additional)
For Serving
- 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5 cm/6″ wide)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 3 1/2 cups (350 g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese
- Lime wedges (optional)
- Your favorite salsa or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the chili sauce: Remove stems and seeds from guajillo, ancho, and de arbol chillies. Toast them briefly in a dry pan until fragrant but not burnt. Then, soak the chillies in hot water for about 20 minutes until softened. Reserve the soaking water for later use.
- Make the chili puree: In a blender, combine the softened chillies (with some soaking water), garlic cloves, roughly sliced onion, tomato, dried oregano, ground cumin, and black pepper. Blend until smooth to create a rich chili sauce.
- Cook the beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear chuck beef pieces until browned on all sides. Remove beef and set aside. Add the chili sauce to the pot and cook for a few minutes to deepen the flavor, stirring frequently.
- Simmer the birria: Return the beef to the pot and add beef stock, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for about 3 hours or until the beef is fork-tender and falling apart. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Shred the beef: Remove beef pieces from the broth and shred finely using two forks. Keep the broth (consommé) to dip the tacos later.
- Assemble the tacos: Warm the corn tortillas on a griddle or skillet. Dip each tortilla lightly in the birria broth to soak. Place shredded beef and shredded cheese on one half of each tortilla. Fold and cook on a hot skillet until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crisp and golden.
- Serve and garnish: Serve the tacos hot, garnished with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and your favorite salsa or hot sauce. Use reserved consommé as a dipping sauce to enhance flavor.
Notes
- Note 1: Toasting and soaking chillies enhances depth of flavor and softens them for blending.
- Note 2: Vegetable oil or canola oil works best for searing and cooking the sauce.
- Note 3: Chuck beef is preferred for its marbling and tenderness after slow cooking; boneless short ribs are a suitable alternative.
- Note 4: Use fresh corn tortillas about 6 inches wide for authentic tacos.
- Note 5: White onion adds crunch and sharpness as a topping.
- Note 6: Oaxaca cheese is traditional, but Colby or Monterey Jack work well as melty cheese options.