birria tacos
“This recipe yields tender, flavorful birria de res that is perfect for enjoying with family and friends. Remember to adjust the level of spiciness to your preference and savor the rich, comforting flavors of this traditional Mexican dish.
What is Birria?
Birria is a traditional Mexican dish that has gained widespread popularity for its rich and flavorful profile. Originating from the state of Jalisco, this iconic dish is typically made with either goat or beef, which is slow-cooked in a savory and aromatic broth made from a blend of dried chilies, herbs, and spices. The result is tender, juicy meat infused with complex and earthy flavors.
Birria is often served in the form of a hearty stew, accompanied by corn tortillas for dipping and sopping up the flavorful broth. It is also commonly enjoyed as a filling for tacos, quesatacos, or as a topping for tostadas. The dish is commonly associated with celebratory events such as weddings, holidays, and family gatherings, where it is cherished for its comforting and communal nature.
In recent years, birria has experienced a surge in popularity, inspiring innovative variations and creative reinterpretations in the culinary world. From Birria ramen to birria grilled cheese, this beloved dish continues to evolve while retaining its core essence of rich, soul-warming deliciousness.
I called my grandma for her birria recipe after seeing it become popular on TikTok.
Birria brings back childhood memories of family dinners, birthdays, and quinces. I was always too scared to make it myself, but when I moved to New York, I missed the Mexican food I grew up with in East LA. So, I decided to try making birria for the first time. Here's my modified recipe, with a few personal touches. It's the only birria recipe you'll ever need.
recipe notes
I've noticed many people using Oaxaca cheese for this recipe, but I don't suggest it. In my experience, Oaxaca cheese doesn't melt as nicely as Monterey Jack. Using Oaxaca cheese may make your taco too greasy.
Birria Tacos
Ingredients
Instructions
- Take 4lbs of beef chuck roast and cut into 2-3 inch pieces and season heavily with salt and pepper on all sides.
- In a large pot, like dutch oven - sear each piece of the chuck until a brown crust forms watching the pot carefully as to not scotch the pot. Searing might need to be done in batches as to not overcrowd the pot.
- Once all pieces are done being seared, set aside.
- In a separate pot, add the guajillo, ancho, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it has come to a boil, turn down low cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until everything has completely softned.
- Remove from heat and transfer the chillies, and rest of the ingredients to a blender. Add in 1 cup of the chili water, beef broth, garlic gloves and 1/2 cup of white vinegar, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Blend on high until everything is completely smooth and fully incorporated. If your blender is not big enough, this might have to be done in two batches or more depending on the size of your blender.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, take the liquid and strain it directly into the pot or insta pot - with the seared meat until all of the liquid has gone through. Discard any of the solids that were left over in the strainer.
- Stir the meat and chili sauce together then bring to a boil over high heat. If using an instapot, cover and set to the highest setting.
- Once it has boiled, immediately reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer or cook for 3-4 hours checking occasionally, and add liquid like the beef broth if the liquid has reduced a large amount.
- After 3-4 hours, remove from heat when the meat is fork tender or falls apart immediately.
- Separately, remove meat from pot and on a cutting board - taking two forks or your fingertips gently shred the meat.
- Season the Consomé or the broth in the pot with salt to taste, and add in 1 tsp of vinegar if more acid is needed. I typically like to add more acid to give it more depth of flavor.
- Once seasoned to your liking, add the meat back into the pot with it's liquid and serve immediately.
- Take a corn tortilla and dip it into the pot with the Birrira so that it is covered in sauce.
- In a medium skillet on low heat, place the wet tortilla directly onto the pan with a tsp of neutral oil.
- Fry tortilla gently on both sides. Once flipped, add birria, cheese, onion, and cilantro onto one half of the tortilla.
- Fold the other half of the tortilla over, and fry the taco until the cheese is melted and the tortilla has completely fried and is no longer wet.
- Serve with lime wedges and your favorite salsa.
Notes
Instapot cook
This recipe can easily utilize a crockpot or instapot instead of cooking over stove-top. Follow steps 1 - 6 and add all of your ingredients into the inner container and then cook accordingly.
How to enjoy
Birria can be served many ways. Enjoy it as a stew in bowls with diced onion and chopped cilantro or as tacos in corn tortillas with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, cilantro, and diced onions.
Alternatively, you can use the broth from the birria and the meat itself and serve it with ramen noodles to enjoy Birria ramen.
Spice Level
The spice level of this recipe is somewhere between medium and mild. For a true medium spice, use only 3 chiles de arbol. For something more mild, do not add any chile de arbol.
hi, i’m denise!
I'm a Product Designer turned Home Chef. With professional training in both fields, I bring creativity and precision to the kitchen.
Whether you're a beginner or an experienced cook, my goal is to empower and inspire you through recipes and tips.
I can help you cook and conquer kitchen challenges for amazing meals.
