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a few birria tacos on a platter with a bowl of birria sauce.
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4.86 from 14 votes

Birria Tacos

These Birria Tacos have an incredible depth of flavor made with a combination of two meats slowly cooked in an incredible chili-spiced sauce. With my easy recipe, you'll master the art of making beef birria! Although you'll need some time to make these, they're pretty simple to do, plus you'll have lots of leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: beef birria, beef birria recipe, birria tacos
Servings: 12
Calories: 602kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pound beef chuck roast boneless, cut into big 2-inch cubes
  • 2 pound beef short rib about 4 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt
  • 6 ancho chiles dried
  • 6 guajillo chiles dried
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 6 bay leaves
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 8 cups water
  • salt to taste

For Tacos

  • 24 smal corn tortillas or flour tortillas
  • 4 cups oaxaca cheese shredded, or mozzarella cheese
  • 1 large red onion chopped
  • 6 radishes sliced
  • 2 limes cut in wedges
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Prep The Beef. Place the chuck roast and short ribs on a baking sheet and generously season it with salt all around. Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Prep The Peppers. Add the ancho and guajillo chillies to a pot with boiling water. Cover with lid and let them soak for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Transfer the chillies to a cutting board and carefully remove the seeds and stems. Set aside. I recommend using gloves.
  • Toast The Spices. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, and cloves. Toast for about 2 minutes or until aromatic. Transfer them to a spice grinder or blender including the bay leaves and blend into a fine powder.
  • Sear The Beef. In a large Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chilled meat to the Dutch oven and sear on all sides until golden brown, working in batches. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.
  • Cook Onion And Garlic. In the same Dutch oven add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
  • Add Remaining Ingredients And Cook. To the Dutch oven, add the tomato paste, the ground spices, oregano, lemon juice and chiles. Add the meat back to the pot, pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.
  • Prep The Oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  • Blend The Chiles. Carefully remove the chiles from the pot using tongs and place them in a blender with a couple cups of the broth from the Dutch oven. Blend until smooth. Pour this pepper mixture back into the Dutch oven and stir well.
  • Cook Beef In The Oven. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the meat shreds easily with 2 forks.
  • Shred The Beef. Transfer the meat from the Dutch oven using tongs to a large bowl. Reserve the broth (this is called consommé). Shred the beef using 2 forks. Set aside. Strain the consommé through a sieve.
  • Fry Tacos. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Dip a tortilla into the consommé then place it in the skillet. Top with some shredded Oaxaca cheese, and shredded beef. Fold the taco in half then flip it over to cook until the cheese melts, another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Serve And Enjoy. Serve tacos with leftover consommé topped with some red onion, cilantro and a wedge of lime.

Video

Notes

  1. Leftover beef birria is perfect for not only tacos, but on burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, etc.
  2. The cooking time can vary on many different factors such as your oven, which cut of beef you used or what pot you used. Dutch ovens cook faster because they can retain heat better, but if you don’t have one, make sure to use an oven safe pot with a lid.
  3. While making tacos, keep them warm in a preheated oven at 200°F on a baking sheet. As you make them, add them to your baking sheet in the oven.
  4. Bring the birria and consommé to room temperature before storing it in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat over medium heat until warmed through. If the beef birria seems dry, add some of the consommé to it.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 2018mg | Potassium: 903mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 5291IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4mg