Super Crispy Birria Tacos (Printable)
Slow-braised beef in smoky chile sauce tucked into crispy corn tortillas, served with onion, cilantro and consommé.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
02 - 0.5 lb beef short ribs
→ Dried Chiles and Vegetables
03 - 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 2 dried pasilla or New Mexico chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 1 large yellow onion, quartered
07 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
08 - 2 medium Roma tomatoes, quartered
→ Spices and Herbs
09 - 1 cinnamon stick
10 - 1 tsp black peppercorns
11 - 2 tsp cumin seeds
12 - 1 tsp coriander seeds
13 - 4 whole cloves
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 2 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1 tsp dried thyme
→ Liquids and Seasonings
17 - 4 cups beef broth
18 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
19 - 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
20 - 1 tbsp neutral oil
→ For the Tacos
21 - 12 corn tortillas
22 - 1 cup shredded Oaxaca, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese
23 - 1 small white onion, finely diced
24 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
25 - Lime wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Place guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until fragrant and pliable. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened.
02 - Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef chuck and short ribs on all sides, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Remove the seared meat and set aside on a plate.
03 - In the same pot, reduce heat to medium. Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and quartered Roma tomatoes. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and lightly charred. Remove from the pot and set aside.
04 - Drain the soaked chiles and transfer them to a blender. Add the sautéed onion, garlic, and tomatoes along with the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, whole cloves, dried oregano, dried thyme, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend on high until a smooth, deep red sauce forms.
05 - Pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer back into the Dutch oven, pressing with a spatula to extract all liquid. Return the seared beef to the pot and add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth, bay leaves, and salt. Stir well to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for approximately 3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily.
06 - Remove the beef from the pot and shred using two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or bone. Skim the layer of fat from the surface of the consommé and reserve it in a small bowl for frying the tortillas. Keep the shredded beef warm in a portion of the consommé.
07 - Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Brush one side of each corn tortilla with the reserved birria fat. Place tortillas fat-side down on the hot surface. Add a generous mound of shredded beef and a sprinkle of cheese onto one half of each tortilla. Fold in half to form tacos and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
08 - Transfer crispy tacos to a platter. Top generously with finely diced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and small bowls of hot birria consommé on the side for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The consomme alone is worth the entire cook, rich and deep, and once you dunk a crispy taco into it you will understand why people wait in line for hours at birria trucks.
- The leftover fat skimmed from the stew is pure gold for frying the tortillas, giving them a shatteringly crisp shell that regular oil simply cannot match.
02 -
- Do not rush the braise, because undercooked birria will be tough and stringy and no amount of cheese can save it.
- Straining the blended sauce feels like an annoying extra step but it removes gritty bits of spice and chile skin, giving you a velvety, restaurant quality consomme.
03 -
- Marinate the beef in the blended chile sauce overnight in the refrigerator and you will be amazed at how much deeper the flavor penetrates every fiber of the meat.
- Double stack your corn tortillas if they are thin or prone to tearing, because a blown out taco on the griddle is heartbreaking and completely preventable.