Birria Tacos Mexican Street Food (Printable)
Tender beef, crispy tortillas, melty cheese with savory dipping broth
# What You'll Need:
→ Meat & Marinade
01 - 3.3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
02 - 1 lb beef short ribs
03 - 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 2 cups beef broth
07 - 4 cloves garlic
08 - 1 medium white onion, quartered
09 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes
10 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
11 - 1 tbsp dried oregano
12 - 1 tsp ground cumin
13 - 1 tsp paprika
14 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
15 - 3 whole cloves
16 - 1 bay leaf
17 - 1 1/2 tsp salt
18 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
→ For Frying & Assembly
19 - 18 corn tortillas
20 - 10 oz shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
21 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
22 - 1/2 cup diced white onion
23 - Oil for frying (vegetable or canola, as needed)
24 - Lime wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Toast dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Soak in hot water for 10 minutes until soft, then drain well.
02 - Combine softened chiles, quartered onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Process until completely smooth.
03 - Place beef chunks and short ribs in a Dutch oven. Pour blended sauce over meat, add beef broth and bay leaf. Mix thoroughly to coat. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook on low for 3-3.5 hours until fork-tender. Skim fat from top and reserve for frying.
04 - Remove beef from pot, shred with two forks. Discard bones and bay leaf. Return shredded meat to pot and stir to coat in consommé.
05 - Arrange chopped cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges in separate serving bowls.
06 - Heat skillet over medium heat with reserved fat or oil. Dip tortilla into birria consommé to coat, place on skillet. Sprinkle cheese over half, top with meat, fold tortilla. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and golden. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
07 - Ladle consommé into small bowls for dipping. Serve tacos garnished with onion, cilantro, and lime wedges alongside consommé.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The consommé alone is worth the effort, a deeply savory spiced broth that transforms simple dunking into an event
- These tacos hit every texture craving, from crispy cheese crusted edges to tender falling apart beef
02 -
- The chile sauce must be blended until completely smooth or the texture will be gritty and unpleasant
- Dipping the tortillas in consommé before frying is the nonnegotiable step that makes these authentic birria tacos
03 -
- Save any leftover consommé and freeze it for the quickest soup base you will ever have
- A splash of consommé in scrambled eggs the next morning will change your breakfast life forever