Description
Make traditional, deeply flavorful Birria Tacos featuring slow-cooked beef, a rich adobo paste, and crispy, cheese-filled corn tortillas dipped in consommé.
Ingredients
Scale
- 25 g dried guajillo chillies, deseeded and chopped
- 45 g dried ancho chillies, deseeded and chopped
- 6 g dried chillies de arbol, deseeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup chilli soaking water (reserved)
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small onion, roughly sliced (~tennis ball size)
- 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180g)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.3 kg chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces
- 2 cups beef stock / broth, low sodium
- 10 cloves (or 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (for beef seasoning)
- 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5cm/6″ wide)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
- 3 1/2 cups (350g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese
- Lime wedges, optional
- Your favorite salsa or hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the chillies: Trim, deseed, and roughly chop the dried chillies. Simmer the chopped chillies in boiling water for 10 minutes until soft. Reserve 1/2 cup of the simmering water, then drain the chillies.
- Make the Birria Adobo paste: Place the cooked chillies, reserved 1/2 cup chilli water, garlic, onion, tomato, oregano, cumin, and pepper into a tall jug. Blend until as smooth as possible.
- Sear the beef: Heat 5 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based pot over high heat. Sear half the beef aggressively on all sides until dark golden brown (about 1 – 1 1/2 minutes per side). Remove the beef and repeat with the remaining beef.
- Cook off the Adobo: Add the adobo paste to the same pan and stir for 2 minutes over lower heat.
- Slow cook the beef: Add all remaining braising ingredients (stock, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, vinegar, and salt) and the seared beef to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until the beef shreds easily.
- Shred the beef: Remove the beef to a clean pan and shred it well. Toss the shredded meat with the 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Make Birria Oil and Consommé: Skim off as much red oil floating on the braising liquid surface as possible (aim for 6 tbsp+) and place it in a separate bowl (this is the “Birria Oil”). Taste the remaining braising liquid (Consommé) and add salt if needed; keep it warm for dipping.
- Soak the beef: Pour 1 cup of the Consommé into a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Let it simmer for 15 seconds, then add all the shredded beef and toss until the liquid is absorbed. Move the beef back to the shredding pan.
- Prepare the tortillas: Heat 1 teaspoon of Birria Oil in the same non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and wipe the surface with the oil to make it red. Cook for about 10 seconds until soft, then remove it red-side down onto a work surface. Repeat this process for all tortillas, using 1/2 teaspoon of oil for each subsequent tortilla.
- Stuff and fold: Spread cheese on half of each tortilla. Top the cheese with the sauced beef, then add diced onion and chopped coriander/cilantro. Fold the tortilla over.
- Crisp the tacos: Pan-fry 3 tacos at a time over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side until golden-red and crispy.
- Serve immediately with the warm Birria Consommé for dipping.
Notes
- For less spice, reduce or omit the chile de arbol.
- You need enough oil to skim off for frying the tortillas and achieving the signature red color.
- Chuck beef works well; short ribs are pricier and require more effort to shred. Do not combine chuck and short ribs in one batch.
- Corn tortillas provide a crispier texture and more flavor than flour tortillas.
- You can substitute white onion with red or green onion. Soak onions in water for 30 minutes to reduce sharpness if desired.
- Use any cheese that melts well; add a pinch of salt if using mozzarella.
- If using a stick blender, use the minimum amount of beef stock needed to blend the adobo paste smoothly.
- For a slow cooker, bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove first, deglaze the pot, transfer everything to the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8 hours.
- You can assemble the tacos ahead of time and pan-fry them just before serving. Keep cooked tacos warm in a 100°C/200°F oven for no more than 10 minutes.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking and Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 22
- Cholesterol: 70
Keywords: Authentic Birria Tacos, homemade birria tacos, Mexican slow-cooked beef tacos, crispy birria tacos, traditional birria recipe, consommé dipping tacos, easy meals, quick dinner ideas