Birria Tacos Recipe
Savory heaven straight from the food truck, Birria Tacos are the most epically amazing taco you'll ever sink your teeth into. Rich, savory, spicy flavor is balanced with melted Oaxaca cheese. Fried until crisp, these are simply heavenly.
Servings: 12
Cost: $15
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chuck roast cut into 2 inch cubes
- 1 pound boneless beef short ribs but into 2 inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the Marinade
- 4 dried guajillo peppers
- 2 dried ancho chili peppers
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
- 32 onces beef stock
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tacos
- 12 4" corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese grated
- 1/2 cup chopped onion optional
- 1/2 cup Queso Fresco crumbled
- Fresh Cilantro chopped
Instructions
To Make the Stew
- Season the chuck roast and short ribs with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and remove from the heat.
- Soak the guajillo and ancho chilis for 10 minutes.
- Remove the peppers from the water. Cut off the stem and remove the seeds.
- Put the peppers into the pitcher of a blender. Add one chipotle pepper, all of the adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, paprika, cumin and cayenne.
- Blend the marinade until smooth.
- Place the meat in a large container and cover with the marinade. Toss to coat. Cover and marinade for 4 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 300˚F.
- Heat the olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until softened.
- Transfer the meat and all of the marinade to the pot.
- Stir in the cinnamon sticks, cloves, beef stock, salt and pepper.
- Cover and transfer to the preheated 300°F oven. Braise for approximately 3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily. If the meat is still tough, continue cooking until tender, checking periodically.
- Remove the Birria stew from the oven and skim off some of the fat. Reserve the fat to cook the tacos.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the stew meat to a platter and shred with two forks.
- Return the meat to the pot and stir to combine.
To Make the Tacos
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved birria fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Warm the corn tortillas briefly until pliable, then lightly dip each tortilla into the reddish fat at the surface of the birria cooking liquid.
- Place a tortilla in the hot skillet. Immediately sprinkle with Oaxaca cheese, add shredded birria beef and fold in half.
- Cook until the bottom is golden and crispy. Flip carefully and cook the other side until crisp and the cheese is completely melted.
- Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining tortillas, adding more reserved fat as needed.
- Top with chopped onion, queso fresco and cilantro, if desired.
- Serve immediately with warm birria consommé for dipping, cojita cheese and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Video
Notes
For the crispiest tacos: Warm the corn tortillas before dipping to prevent cracking. Lightly coat them with the reddish cooking fat and avoid overcrowding the skillet.
Consommé: Reserve the fat from the top of the cooking liquid for frying, then serve the remaining hot broth in small bowls for dipping. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Make ahead: Marinate the beef for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. The cooked beef and broth can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3–4 days.
Freezing: Freeze the cooled shredded beef and broth in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly before assembling tacos.
Doneness: The beef is ready when it shreds easily with two forks. If it's still firm or tough, continue braising until tender.
Yield: The recipe makes 12 small tacos using 4-inch corn tortillas, with additional birria beef left over for another meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2096IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg