Description
Experience the rich and savory flavors of traditional Mexican cuisine with My Fave Birria Tacos. Tender, slow-simmered beef chuck roast is infused with a deeply flavorful blend of toasted dried chilies, tomatoes, and aromatic spices, then shredded and served in crispy, cheese-filled corn tortillas. Paired with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and a warm consomé for dipping, these birria tacos make for an irresistible meal perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs
Sauce
- 2 dried guajillo chilies, seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chilies, seeds removed
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tacos
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Birria Base: Toast the guajillo and ancho dried chilies in a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes until they become fragrant. Once toasted, soak the chilies in warm water for about 15 minutes to soften them.
- Blend the Sauce: Drain the soaked chilies and combine them in a blender with the chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped Roma tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, ground cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Add beef broth gradually to achieve a smooth sauce consistency. Blend until fully pureed.
- Cook the Meat: Heat a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat and sear the beef chuck roast or short ribs on all sides until browned. Pour in the blended chili sauce along with any remaining beef broth. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let it cook gently for 2-3 hours or until the beef is very tender and easy to shred.
- Shred the Beef: Carefully remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the pot with the sauce (consomé) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Prepare the Tacos: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the birria sauce to absorb the flavorful consomé, then place it on the skillet. Sprinkle some shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese on half of the tortilla, add a generous amount of shredded beef on top of the cheese, then fold the tortilla in half to form a taco. Cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted, flipping once as needed.
- Serve: Garnish the birria tacos with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side and a bowl of warm consomé for dipping the tacos.
Notes
- Removing the seeds from the dried chilies helps control the heat level, but you can adjust this based on preference.
- Beef chuck roast or short ribs are ideal for tender, flavorful meat after slow simmering.
- Soaking the tortillas briefly in the birria consomé before frying adds extra flavor and crispiness.
- The consomé left in the pot serves as a delicious dipping broth to complement the rich tacos.
- Using Oaxaca cheese gives an authentic Mexican flavor, but mozzarella is a suitable substitute.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
