Description
A flavorful and tender beef birria taco recipe featuring slow-simmered chuck roast in a smoky, spiced chile sauce, served with crispy tortillas and a rich consomé for dipping. Perfectly balanced Mexican street food with melted cheese and fresh garnishes.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Seasonings
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
Chiles and Sauce
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (optional, for heat)
- 1 white onion, halved
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups beef broth
Assembly
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- Chopped white onion and cilantro for garnish
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Prepare and brown the beef: Season the beef chunks with salt and black pepper. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes, then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Toast and soak chiles: In the same pot, toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Remove the chiles and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Add the halved white onion and peeled garlic cloves to the pot and sauté until they develop light char marks, about 5 minutes.
- Blend the sauce: Transfer the soaked chiles, charred onion, garlic, chipotle pepper (if using), ground cumin, oregano, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth to a blender. Blend until smooth and strain the sauce back into the pot.
- Simmer the birria: Add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth, bay leaves, and seared beef chunks back to the pot with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until the beef is tender and shreds easily.
- Shred the meat and prepare consomé: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it with forks. Skim off the top layer of fat from the broth and reserve it for frying the tacos. The remaining broth will be served as consomé.
- Assemble and fry tacos: Dip one corn tortilla into the reserved fat to coat it, then place it onto a hot skillet. Add shredded beef and shredded cheese, then fold the tortilla and cook until crispy and golden, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Serve: Serve the crispy birria tacos hot, garnished with chopped white onion, cilantro, and lime wedges. Provide small bowls of consomé broth for dipping.
Notes
- The birria can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the flavors improve with time.
- For extra crispy tacos, press them gently with a spatula while frying.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle pepper for desired heat level or omit for milder flavor.
- Use a quality beef broth for richer flavor.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
