You don't need to travel across the border (or even to the nearest taco truck) for birria tacos. This step-by-step birria tacos recipe will make your kitchen the most popular taco spot in the neighborhood!
Birria Tacos
Updated Aug. 28, 2024
Have you had an opportunity to try birria tacos? These juicy, saucy tacos are loaded with tender shredded meat and served with a side of brothy red consommé. What a treat! If you’ve got that taco craving and there isn’t a taco truck in sight, you’re in luck. I developed a birria tacos recipe that uses ingredients available at any Latin supermarket. So roll up your sleeves and get ready to make a batch of homemade tacos.
What is birria?
Birria is a flavorful stew from the Mexican state of Jalisco. It’s traditionally made by marinating lamb or goat in red chile paste overnight, then cooking the meat in a flavorful broth called consommé. The result is fall-off-the-bone, tender, juicy meat that shreds with the touch of a fork. Served in bowls, this stew is considered a celebratory dish and is often served at weddings, quinceañeras and baptisms.
The taco version of this Mexican delicacy is called tacos de birria (or quesabirria or quesatacos when made with melted cheese). It typically features beef birria (birria de rez) stuffed inside corn tortillas and served with a side of consommé for dipping. The dish started in food trucks and at taco stands in Mexico, but the recipe for beef birria tacos made its way across the border and is now served throughout the United States.
How to Make Birria Tacos
Making birria tacos is a time-intensive process, but most of it is hands-off. The three stages to making birra tacos are marinating the meat, braising the meat and assembling the taco. The meat can sit on the marinade for up to 24 hours, although you can marinate it for as little as two hours if you’re running short on time. From there, the birria simmers on the stovetop for about 90 minutes until it’s tender enough to shred. (We’ll also offer slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions below).
When the meat is fully cooked, it’s time to assemble the tacos and make the magic happen! The corn tortillas are dipped into the consommé before being heated on a griddle. Coating them in bright red consommé helps them crisp up on the griddle and ensures they’re pliable enough to stand up to the saucy meat. If you like melty, cheesy tacos, add a handful of cheese to the tortilla. Or keep things simple and stuff them with just the shredded beef to enjoy its rich, unadulterated flavor.
Birria Tacos Ingredients
- Boneless beef chuck roast: Chuck roast is our go-to choice for making birria. It’s rich with connective tissue, which breaks down to gelatin as it cooks. That keeps the beef juicy and tender, and also enriches the cooking liquid to create a robust consommé.
- Dried chiles: We use guajillo and pasilla chiles in our birra tacos recipe. You can leave the seeds in for spice or remove them to create a mild broth.
- Onion, garlic and tomato: These veggies are blended with the dried chiles to create the red sauce for marinating the beef.
- Seasonings: Chicken bouillon granules, peppercorns, thyme, Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and bay leaves add depth to the cooking liquid.
- Corn tortillas: Birria tacos are traditionally served with corn tortillas. Corn tortillas absorb the broth better than flour tortillas, creating a better shell for the taco meat. This recipe is a great opportunity to learn how to make corn tortillas (they’re much easier than you’d think!).
- Cheese: Cheese is optional if you want to turn birra tacos into melty quesatacos. Shredded Oaxaca cheese is traditional, but mozzarella works just as well.
- Optional toppings: Our favorite way to enjoy birra tacos is with chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges. But feel free to use any of your favorite taco toppings.
Directions
Step 1: Soak the chiles
In a large bowl, combine the chiles and hot water. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Editor’s Tip:Â Soaking the chiles softens and tenderizes the skins, and helps them blend more easily.
Step 2: Make the red sauce
In a blender, add one of the onion halves, tomato, garlic, bouillon, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, cumin, soaked chiles and soaking liquid. Puree until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
Step 3: Marinate the beef
Place the beef in a Dutch oven and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and the remaining onion half.
Add the strained sauce and 2 cups of cold water.
Stir to combine. Refrigerate, covered, for two hours (or up to 24 hours).
Editor’s Tip:Â Make sure the beef is submerged in the red sauce.
Step 5: Cook the beef
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is tender and starts to fall apart, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the meat and set it aside. Remove the onion pieces and bay leaves and discard them.
Step 6: Reduce the sauce and shred the beef
Continue to simmer the liquid, uncovered, until it’s reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Shred meat with two forks and return it to the pan.
Step 7: Make the tacos
To serve, dip a tortilla into the meat mixture, thoroughly coating it with the sauce.
Place the tortilla onto a griddle, comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. If making quesabirria, sprinkle the tortilla with cheese and cook until the cheese melts.
Editor’s Tip:Â A comal is a Mexican cooking tool specifically designed to heat up tortillas.
Top with some beef, and fold the tortilla over to form a taco.
Serve with toppings as desired.
Recipe Variations
- Make slow-cooker birria: After the beef has marinated, transfer it and the marinade to a slow cooker. Cook it on low for eight hours or until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork. Shred the beef as directed.
- Make Instant Pot birria: After the beef has marinated, transfer it and the marinade to an Instant Pot. Lock the lid and close the pressure-release valve. Adjust the pot to pressure-cook on high for 40 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 30 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure. Shred the beef as directed.
How to Store Birria Tacos
Store leftover shredded beef with the cooking liquid in an airtight container. Store any prepared toppings in a separate container. Birria will last up to four days in the refrigerator, or up to three months in the freezer. Let frozen meat thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
Can you make birria tacos ahead of time?
Birria is a great make-ahead meal. Prepare the birria as directed, and store the shredded meat in the refrigerator. The next day, reheat the meat and liquid in a saucepan over medium heat. Once heated through, prepare the tacos as directed.
Birria Taco Tips
What cuts of meat are best for birria tacos?
We like to use chuck roast to make this birra tacos recipe, but you can use any cut of beef, goat or lamb. Traditional birra recipes are made with goat or lamb, but birria de rez (beef birra) is more common in the United States. If you want to stick with beef, try using any cut of beef that’s well-suited for braising, like short ribs or brisket. You can also use oxtail, but it doesn’t contain as much meat as other cuts. For goat or lamb, look for cuts from the shoulder or leg.
What dried chiles should you use to make the sauce for birra tacos?
Guajillo chiles are an essential chile for making birra because of their fruity, smoky flavor. We also add pasilla chiles for their pleasant earthiness. You should be able to find these chiles at a Mexican market or in well-stocked grocery stores. Feel free to experiment with other types of peppers like ancho, chipotle, chiles de arbol or cascabel chiles.
Can you make birria without Mexican oregano?
If you don’t have any Mexican oregano, I recommend substituting marjoram instead of “true” oregano (aka Greek or Italian oregano). Mexican oregano has a bright, floral, citrusy flavor profile, whereas Greek and Italian oregano have a more peppery, pungent bite. Marjoram is a better substitute thanks to its delicate, citrusy flavor.
Birria Tacos
Prep Time
45 min
Cook Time
120 min
Yield
10 servings
Ingredients
- 8 dried guajillo chiles, stems removed
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stems removed
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 medium white onion, halved and divided
- 1 roma tomato, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
- 8 whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds), quartered
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 20 corn tortillas (6 inches)
- Shredded Oaxaca cheese or other melting cheese, optional
- Optional toppings: Chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine chiles and hot water; let stand 30 minutes. In a blender, puree 1 onion half, the tomato, garlic, bouillon, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, cumin and soaked chiles with soaking liquid until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve.
- Place beef in a Dutch oven; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add bay leaves and remaining onion half. Add strained sauce and 2 cups cold water; stir to combine. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Place Dutch oven over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beef is tender and starting to fall apart, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove meat and set aside; remove onion pieces and bay leaves and discard. Continue to simmer liquid, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Shred meat with 2 forks; return to pan.
- To serve, dip a tortilla into the meat mixture, thoroughly coating with sauce. Place the tortilla onto a griddle, comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle with cheese if desired; cook until cheese melts. Top with beef; fold tortilla over to form a taco. Serve with toppings as desired.
Nutrition Facts
2 tacos: 370 calories, 16g fat (5g saturated fat), 89mg cholesterol, 447mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 5g fiber), 31g protein.
Birria tacos have gained traction all over social media. If you haven’t seen them yet, they’re juicy tacos loaded with a brothy red sauce and tender shredded meat. What a treat! —Erika Sanchez, La Habra, California
Recipe Creator
