Best Birria Tacos Recipe

Birria tacos (aka quesabirria tacos) are crispy, cheesy, dunkable tacos filled with tender shredded beef and dipped in a rich, chile-spiked broth. They taste like something you waited in line for at a taco truck, but they’re totally doable at home.

This version is inspired by the birria I fell in love with at Tex-Mex spots in Dallas and on a trip to Playa del Carmen. It’s slow simmered, deeply flavored, and loaded with melty cheese for the ultimate quesabirria experience.

My birria tacos are the ultimate crowd pleaser. They’re a little bit messy, a whole lot of delicious, and super fun to enjoy! This is a dinner that kids love because they’re cheesy, beefy and fun to eat.

Having family in the Dallas area has allowed me to try all the Tex Mex food, like this Chicken al Pastor and Beef Barbacoa, and that’s where my love for Birria Tacos was born. I could, seriously, eat them every day with a fresh margarita alongside. The crispy outside with gooey, melt-in-your-mouth filling is just a dream to bite into. This recipe is made with cheese so it’s, technically, quesabirria tacos. A little like a quesadilla but infinitely better.

Birria Tacos (A Brief How-To)

1. Make the chile sauce. Toast and soak dried chiles, then blend them with tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, and broth until smooth.
2. Marinate the beef. Coat the beef in the chile sauce and let it soak up all that flavor (overnight if you have time).
3. Slow cook until tender. Braise the beef in the sauce with broth until it’s fall-apart tender and the broth turns into a rich consommé.
4. Shred the meat. Remove the beef, shred it, and toss it back in some of the cooking liquid.
5. Crisp the tacos. Dip corn tortillas in the top layer of the broth, fill with cheese and birria, and pan-fry until crispy and melty.
6. Serve with consommé. Ladle the hot broth into small bowls and serve on the side for dipping. Add onions, cilantro, and lime and dig in.

Ingredients for Birria Tacos & Substitutions

Beef – Traditionally, Birria Stew is made with goat meat. I like to use a mix of well-marbled beef for the best flavor and texture, plus it’s easier to find at the grocery store. Chuck roast gives you lots of shreddable meat, while short ribs add richness and help flavor the broth.

• Chuck roast: Great all-purpose cut for shredding. If you prefer, you can use all chuck.
• Short ribs: Add incredible flavor and body to the broth. If you skip them, your consommé will be a little less rich, but still delicious.
• Other options: Beef shank, brisket, or even oxtail can work. Just make sure you have enough fat and connective tissue so the meat stays juicy.

Dried chiles – Dried chiles are the heart of birria and create the signature deep red color and smoky, earthy flavor.

• Guajillo chiles: Mild, slightly sweet, and fruity. These make up most of the sauce and are very approachable.
• Ancho chiles: Dried poblanos that add a mellow heat and rich, raisin-like flavor.
• Chipotle (or chipotles in adobo): Brings smoky heat and depth. Use more or less depending on how spicy you like it.
• Can’t find all the chiles? Use what you can: more guajillo if you’re missing ancho, or add a little extra chipotle for smokiness. If you skip one type, the flavor will change slightly, but it will still be tasty.
• No dried chiles at all: For best flavor, I don’t recommend skipping them completely. If you need a shortcut, look for a good quality canned red enchilada sauce and doctor it up with extra garlic, cumin, and chipotle.

Aromatics & flavor builders

• Onion & garlic: Build the base of the sauce and broth. Fresh is best here.
• Tomatoes or tomato paste: Add a little sweetness and body to the sauce.
• Beef broth or stock: Use low-sodium so you can control the salt. This, plus the chile sauce, becomes your consommé.
• Cinnamon & cloves: A tiny amount adds warmth and complexity that I fell in love with in Mexico. Don’t worry — your tacos won’t taste like dessert.
• Bay leaf, oregano, cumin: Classic Mexican spices that round out the flavor.

Cheese – For quesabirria tacos, the cheese matters.

• Oaxaca cheese: My first choice. It melts beautifully and has a mild, creamy flavor.
• Good substitutes: Mozzarella, quesadilla cheese, Monterey Jack, or a blend. Stick to something that melts easily.
• Skip pre-shredded if you can: It usually has anti-caking agents that keep it from melting as smoothly. Freshly shredded cheese melts and stretches better.

Tortillas

• Corn tortillas: Traditional and highly recommended. They crisp up beautifully and hold the meat and cheese.
• Flour tortillas: Not traditional, but you can use them if you prefer. They’ll be softer and less sturdy, so handle them gently.
• Pro tip: Warm your tortillas before you dip them in the broth so they don’t crack. A quick pass on a dry skillet or wrapped in a damp towel in the microwave works great.

Toppings

• White onion & cilantro: Add freshness and crunch that balance the rich, fatty meat.
• Lime wedges: A squeeze of lime is essential to brighten everything up.
• Radishes, jalapeños, or pickled onions: Optional but delicious for extra texture and heat.

How to Make Birria Stew

There are two important steps to making these impossibly crispy tacos – first, you have to make the stew (Birria de Res), then you can make the actual tacos.

It may seem a bit laborious, but I promise this birria tacos recipe is worth both the hype they receive and the effort you’ll put into them! My husband said they are “other level” tacos.

You can even enjoy the stew as it is with some crusty bread for dipping but go the extra step and make the tacos when you have a spare few more minutes.

1. Season. Using just salt and pepper, season the chuck roast and short ribs, then set them aside.
2. Soak. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then remove it from the heat. Soak the guajillo peppers and ancho chiles for about 10 minutes before removing the peppers from the water. Once removed, cut off the stem and remove the seeds.
3. Blend. Toss the peppers into a blender, and blend them with one chipotle pepper, all of the adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Blend the mixture together until it’s nice and smooth!
4. Marinate the meat. Place the seasoned meat in a large container before soaking it in the marinade. Let the meat marinate overnight for best results.
5. Braise the meat. Cook the onions with olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat until they’re soft. Transfer the meat and marinade to the pot, then stir in the cinnamon sticks, cloves and beef stock or beef broth. Cover, and transfer to a preheated oven or simmer over low heat. Braise the beef for 3 hours.
6. Remove and shred. Remove the birria stew from the oven and skim off some of the fat from the braising liquid. Don’t throw the fat away, though! You’ll need it to cook the tacos. Remove the stew meat and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the pot and stir to combine.

How to Make Birria Tacos

1. Heat the tortillas. Heat up the reserved fat in a skillet over medium heat. Then, dip the tortillas in the stew before tossing them onto the hot pan.
2. Fry. Top the hot tortilla with Oaxaca cheese. When the cheese melts, add the shredded meat and fold one side of the tortilla over the other. Fry it until it’s crispy! Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
3. Serve with the flavorful broth for dipping and sprinkled with fresh cilantro and cheese.

If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese which is like a Mexican mozzarella, you can substitute with Colby Jack or regular mozzarella. Either way you’ll end up with the best birria tacos filled with melty cheese.

What is a Birria Taco

If you’ve never had a birria taco before, you’re in for such a treat. Birria is actually a Mexican stew from the state of Jalisco. Traditional birria is made with goat meat, it’s simmered in a pepper based adobo, garlic, cumin bay leaves and other seasonings.

You can enjoy it as a stew or turn it into Birria Tacos which are wildly popular right now due to a number of taco trucks serving them across the country.

You eat these perfectly tender fried tacos by dipping them in a homemade stew broth that is SO jam packed with mouthwatering flavor, you’ll want to drink it with a straw.

The process may look long but I promise you will not be disappointed and you can break it up by making the stew ahead of time.

Next time you’re in the mood for tacos, skip the usual ground beef taco and flour tortillas. Instead, try this insanely irresistible recipe for birria tacos.

How to Serve Birria (Stew vs Quesabirria Tacos)

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can serve it two ways:

Birria de Res (as a stew)
Ladle the hot broth into bowls, add a generous pile of shredded beef, and top with chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Serve with warm tortillas on the side for dipping or wrapping.

Quesabirria Tacos
Dip each corn tortilla in the top layer of the broth, lay it on a hot skillet, then add cheese and shredded birria. Fold and cook until crispy on both sides and the cheese is melty. Serve the tacos with small bowls of consommé on the side for dunking.

You can serve both at the same time so everyone at the table can choose their favorite.

Best Sides to Serve with Birria Tacos

For garnishes, top the tacos with chopped white onion, queso fresco, and cilantro. Of course, a freshly cut lime is always great to squeeze over the tacos, too. On the side, make sure everyone has a little cup of stew broth for dipping! No birria taco is ever complete without being dipped into that incredibly addictive broth.

You can also round out the taco spread with a big bowl of Easy Cilantro Lime Rice or some fresh guacamole , salsa and pico de Gallo. Don’t forget to wash it all down with a chilled glass of Easy Horchata.

How To Make Them Spicy

While birria tacos already have a spicy kick, there are certainly more ways to add some extra heat. For starters, you could always garnish your tacos with some freshly chopped jalapeños! Additionally, you could add Serrano or Scotch Bonnet peppers to the marinade if you really want to make it extra spicy.

More Easy Taco Recipes

• Thai Chicken Tacos with Spicy Peanut Sauce
• Barbecue Pork Rib Tacos with Honey Lime Slaw
• Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
• Slow Cooker Maple Balsamic Pork Tacos with Celery Root and Apple Slaw
• Grilled Shrimp Tacos
• Breakfast Tacos
• Mexican Shredded Beef
• Carne Asada