Birria Tacos (Quesabirria)

4.84 from 6 votes

This recipe for Birria tacos shows you how to cook tender shredded Birria meat, fry the taco shells in a Mexican broth (consomé), and assemble it all into delicious tacos with fresh toppings.

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Prep Time20

Cook Time4 30

Total Time4 50

Servings: servings

Author: Molly

INGREDIENTS

Birria Beef

4 lb chuck roast cut into 3 to 4-inch chunks (Note 1)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
10 Guajillo peppers washed, stemmed, and seeded
5 ancho chili peppers washed, stemmed, and seeded (5 came in a pack)
1-2 arbol peppers washed, stemmed, and seeded (Note 2)
1 medium white onion roughly chopped
3 large Roma tomatoes whole
2 bay leaves
6-8 cloves garlic
1/2 Mexican cinnamon sticks (Ceylon cinnamon) (Note 3)
1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (Note 4)
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
5-6 cups beef broth
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper to taste

Birria Tacos

12 corn tortillas (Note 5)
1 1/2 cups Oaxacan cheese
Fresh cilantro diced white onion, and lime wedge for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Birria Beef

Wash the peppers then dry them and use a pair of kitchen shears to cut off the stems and slice down the side. Open the peppers and scrape out the seeds.
Add them to a medium saucepan with the onion, Roma tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil. Cover and continue to boil over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
While it’s boiling, sear the beef. Season each piece of the chuck roast generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear each side of the beef for 2-3 minutes, until they form a crispy crust on the outside. Work in batches, placing the first batch on a plate or cutting board while you finish. Working it batches helps sear the beef rather than steaming it if the pot is overcrowded.
When all of the beef is seared, turn off the heat and place all the beef back in while you finish the sauce.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the peppers and the rest of the ingredients, including the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, to a large high-speed blender. Add 1/2 cup of the boiling liquid along with the cumin, ground cloves, vinegar, and 4 cups of beef broth. Blend on high until completely smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the beef, making sure it comes about halfway up the meat. Bring the beef Birria to a boil over high heat then turn the heat down to low and braise (just below a simmer) for 3 1/2 -4 hours.
Remove the beef to a rimmed baking sheet or large plate and shred using two forks.

Birria Tacos

Heat a medium skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat. Working one at a time, dip both sides of the tortilla in the leftover broth (consomé). Transfer it directly to the hot skillet.
Fry for 1-2 minutes then carefully flip it over. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of cheese on one half and top with shredded birria beef. Fold it in half over the filling and continue to fry until crispy. Serve with cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime juice.
You will likely have leftover Birria beef and consomé. Freeze the beef and consomé separately to make tacos another day. Or use the beef in shredded beef enchiladas or Birria ramen.

Recipe Equipment

Large stockpot (Note 6 Slow Cooker)

Medium Saucepan

Kitchen shears for cutting dried peppers

High speed blender or food processor

Notes

Note 1. Chuck Roast. You could also use a mix of chuck roast and short ribs.

Note 2. Chilis and Spice Level. Guajillo and Ancho chilis are mild peppers. Arbol chilis are pretty spicy (6 times hotter than a jalapeño). 1-2 peppers add a small amount of heat to round out the flavors, yielding a true mild-medium heat. Omit the arbol chilis completely for mild heat or add up to 8 for maximum spice.

Note 3. Mexican Cinnamon. This is also called Ceylon cinnamon. Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer and easier to blend, which is necessary for this recipe. You can use 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon or Cassia cinnamon (common in the US) instead. Do not use Cassia cinnamon sticks or they won’t blend as well.

Note 4. Mexican Oregano. Mexican oregano is brighter with floral and citrus notes. You can get Mexican oregano online or at most local grocery stores. We also tested this with regular oregano and it worked well.

Note 5. Tortillas. We tested this recipe with corn and grain-free tortillas (Siete). These taco shells are delicate and more prone to tearing so work with them carefully and fry them well to crisp them up. You can also use flour tortillas.

Note 6. Slow Cooker. Follow the instructions to make the sauce and sear the beef. Transfer the beef to a large slow cooker and cover with the blended sauce. Slow cook on low for 10 hours.

Nutrition

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