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This Birria Tacos (tacos de birria aka quesatacos) recipe is juicy, cheesy, deliciousโa true showstopper. It begins with braising a birria de rez and then making a consomรฉ and frying up tacos with Oaxacan (or mozzarella) cheese. Instructions for oven, Instant Pot and slow-cooker methods are all included! With this recipe you can make my Beef Birria and Birria Ramen.
I first saw these very famous Birria Tacos on Tiktok during qu*rantine when I was looking for mini adventures to go on. I was like, hmm, what are birria tacos?!? Obviously I knew what birria was.
So, after I saw someone eat them from a taco truck on Tiktok and quickly googled “Birria tacos near me” and luckily there were some results! I hopped in my car and headed to the valley. I consumed them, consome dripping down my chin and it was HEAVEN.
If you know me, then you know I am a lover of all things Mexican food. I love everything from conchas to aguas frescas so it was no surprise that I looooved these birria tacos when I tried them.
What Is Birria
First letโs start with Birria. Hailing from Jalisco, Mexico, birria is a rich stew thatโs typically made with either goat or lamb. Itโs traditionally served in a consomรฉ broth along with a mixture of cilantro and white onion. There are no tacos involved! Birria is truly the best – it’s so delicious on a cold day.
Traditionally there is no chicken in sight, but if you wanted to use chicken, you absolutely could!
What are Birria Tacos
Birria Tacos (tacos de birria and sometimes called quesabirria tacos) consists of the braised meat inside a corn tortilla thatโs been pan-fried in the fat that sits at the top of the birria. You may be asking yourself: are birria tacos spicy? I say not really. BUT, please keep in mind that I am Peruvian and this means I grew up with spicy food so my tolerance is quite high.
The Birria Tacos are then filled with melty Oaxacan cheese (quesillo), cilantro, lime and white onion. And a small bowl of consomรฉ is served on the side for dipping. Truly a magical meal!
Birria Ingredients
All of these ingredients can be found at your local Latin market and youโre truly not making tacos de birria without these dried peppers. They are essential!
- Dried chiles and/or peppers – This recipe calls for guajillo, ancho and chiles de arbol. I love dried chiles. They are so delicious and rich in flavor. I recommend using kitchen shears to trim the edges and discard the seeds. Of course, you could leave the seeds if you like it and want it super spicy.
- Mexican oregano – You can find this at a Latin market and itโs very different from, say, Italian oregano. Of course, in a pinch you could use the Italian version. The Mexican version I find is more fragrant and delicious.
- Mexican cinnamon – Phew. Maybe my favorite version of cinnamon. Itโs much more brittle and snappy. Itโs easy to break in two. If youโre using regular cinnamon, I would say just add it to the mixture to boil and then remove it and discard. No need to add it to the blender.
- Cuts of meat – Iโm using chuck stew meat that I bought in a big chunk and just cut it into 3-inch pieces. And then for flavor purposes, I added 1 pound of short ribs. You can use ALL chuck stew if you want (so 3 pounds). If there is any fatty excess pieces, just leave them because they add flavor to the sauce. I also used 1 pound of oxtail in one testing of it and it was wonderful. I was just frustrated that it yielded very little meat.
How to Make Birria
- Bring meat to room temperature and then salt it liberally.
- In a large pot that has an oven-proof lid, place it over medium-high heat. You’re probably going to have to do this in batches, but sear the meat on both sides for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a bowl and then repeat with the remaining pieces of meat.
- Then you’re add the chiles, tomatoes, onions, spices and garlic to a pot. Cover the chiles and everything with water and simmer for about 20 minutes. We want the tomatoes and chiles very softened.
- Drain it and then transfer everything to a blender, along with a cup or two of beef broth or water. Blend it up until super smooth.
- Add the meat back to the large pot and pour the sauce over it. Pour 1 cup of broth in the blender and swish it back in forth (to pick up any extra sauce) and pour it into the pot. Bring it to a gentle simmer and then cover. Transfer the pot to the oven to braise for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat shreds easily.
How to Make Birria Tacos
- Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it with two forks.
- Add some of the sauce (the consomรฉ) to a bowl and add a little beef broth if it needs to be thinned out.
- Mince up some onion and cilantro and mix it in a small bowl with a few squeezes of lime and a pinch of salt.
- Add a spoonful of the cilantro and onion mixture to the consomรฉ and add a squeeze of lime.
- Dip a corn tortilla into the top of the sauce. This should be mostly fat. And add it to a non-stick skillet, set over medium-high heat.
- Flip over and then add a small handful of shredded meat and a handful of Oaxacan cheese. Shape it into a quesadilla/taco. And flip it over so it can get crispy and melty on the other side.
- Transfer to a baking sheet and place in a 200F oven while you work your way through the rest of the Birria tacos.
Tips and Tricks
- Cuts of meat – You can substitute in goat, lamb or you can choose oxtail instead of short ribs.
- To make this ahead: I actually think this is a great make-ahead meal. You can make the birria first, shred the meat and store the sauce in the fridge. The fat will solidify on the top. You can use that to the pan with the tortillas if you like. Or you can warm it back up when you’re ready to serve.
- Most of these ingredients like Mexican cinnamon, dried chiles and/or peppers and Mexican oregano at a Latin supermarket.
Can I Make This In an Instant Pot OR slow cooker?
- Instant Pot – To make it in the Instant Pot, you would simply make the sauce as stated in the recipe. And sear the meat in the Instant Pot. Pour in the sauce atop the meat and set it to Stew Setting. It should be High Pressure for about 50 minutes.
- Slow Cooker – you would make the sauce as stated in the recipe. Sear the meat (if your slow cooker has this option – most do). And then pour in the sauce and broth. Set it to “high” and cook for 6 to 7 hours.
If you make this Birria Tacos recipe, let me know on Instagram!
Make more Latin Recipes:
Birria Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 blender
Ingredients
Birria de Rez:
- 2 pounds boneless chuck
- 1 pound oxtail or bone-in short ribs
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil, (avocado or vegetable oil)
Sauce:
- 7 ancho chiles, (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
- 7 guajillo chiles, (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
- 3 chiles de arbol, (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
- 1 white onion, (peeled and halved)
- 6 garlic cloves, (peeled)
- 4 roma tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 Mexican cinnamon stick, (See note if not using Mexican cinnamon)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups beef broth or water, (divided)
Tacos:
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro
- 1/4 white onion, (minced)
- Juice from 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- Corn tortillas
- 3 ounces Oaxacan cheese, (or mozzarella)
Instructions
To Sear the Meat:
- Bring the meat to room temperature, about 30 minutes and then sprinkle liberally on all sides with kosher salt. In a large Dutch oven (or a pot with an oven-proof lid), set over medium-high heat, add the neutral oil. When hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. I like to do a hard sear. Youโll have to do this in batches. Transfer to a bowl.
To Make the Sauce:
- Meanwhile, in another medium pot, add the dried chiles, halved white onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes, spices, bay leaves and add cold water until it covers everything. Place over medium heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer and transfer the solids (including the whole spices) to a blender. If your blender is small you may need to do this in batches.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and about 1 cup of beef broth or water and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste (I added about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt).
- *Note: I have a high-powered blender and it resulted in a super smooth sauce. If you have a blender that is meh, you may want to run the sauce through a strainer to discard any big bits the blender didnโt puree. Very optional!
To Braise the Meat:
- Preheat the oven to 300F. Add the meat back to the pot and pour the sauce over it. To the blender, add the remaining 2 cups of broth or water and swish it around to pick up any leftover sauce and pour it into the pot. Place over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer and then immediately cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for about 3 hours, until the meat is tender.
To Assemble the Tacos:
- Mix together the cilantro, white onion, lime and salt.
- Remove the meat from the sauce and shred using two forks. Ladle the broth into a bowl and add a handful of diced cilantro.
- Add a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip the tortilla into the top of the broth (this should be fat) and add it to the skillet. Pan fry on one side for about 30 seconds and then flip over. Add a some of the shredded meat and the shredded cheese. Fold over and cook until pan fried on both sides, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and serve alongside the broth.
Notes
- Cuts of meat – You can substitute in goat, lamb or if you can choose oxtail instead of short ribs.
- To make this ahead: I actually think this is a great make-ahead meal. You can make the birria first, shred the meat and store the sauce in the fridge. The fat will solidify on the top. You can use that to the pan with the tortillas if you like. Or you can warm it back up when you’re ready to serve.
- Most of these ingredients like Mexican cinnamon, dried chiles and Mexican oregano at a Latin supermarket.
- If you’re not using Mexican cinnamon, remove it and discard it when you’re done boiling all of the chiles. Mexican cinnamon is very brittle and will easily blend up. But if it’s from say Saigon or somewhere else, it tends to be very hard. I wouldn’t put your blender through that!ย
- To Make it in the Slow-Cooker – You can make this recipe in the slow-cooker by adding the meat and sauce to a slow cooker. Add the broth and set it to high and let it braise for 6-7 hours.ย
- To Make it in the Instant Pot – Sear the meat in the IP. Pour the sauce in, along with the broth. Close the seal, set the setting to “high pressure” and press the “Stew Meat” option. This should be about 50 minutes. Do a natural release. And it should be perfect!ย
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I know this says 10 servings. Is that only 10 tacos? Or how many tacos is considered a serving? Trying to purchase enough to feed 18 growing teenage boys this weekend.
No it’s about 2 tacos per person. This is a good amount of meat and should feed 10 ppl comfortably.
I would add about 1/2 of the amount on the recipe and then it should be fine!
Made this tonight! Beef was perfect and the flavors were great, but the sauce was more of a thin salsa than a consomme. I used three cups of broth per the recipe. Wish I hadn’t drained off that flavorful broth after simmering the chile/veg mix as instructed and kept it in for a more consomme result.
This was delish! Highly recommend! Did a few of our own tweaks and will def make an again and again!
Thx
Do the bay leaves go through the blender too?
Yep! I blended up in there.
Why put oregano and ground cloves in the water if it goes straight through the strainer and discarded? Please advise – many thanks
making this now… do I discard the water that you simmer the peppers, spices and veggies in? any use for it? or just the softened veggies etc
I discard it because I’ve found it to be super bitter in the past.
Hello,
Can I use dried chiles? I am having a hard time finding all those fresh pepper.
Thanks,
Jill
This recipe doesn’t use fresh chiles, it uses dried only ๐
Can I just cook it on the stove top?
that should work!
Does this recipe taste a little sweet by any chance? I like to add some sweet flavour to this dish but have a hard time finding a recipe that will do that and be less spicy. If itโs not sweet do you have any recommendations on how to add some sweetness & less spice?
Thanks!
Hi Melanie, It’s not sweet at all. You can add in a bit of honey or maple syrup if you like. If you don’t want it spicy at all, simply leave out the guajillo peppers. The other peppers aren’t very hot at all.
Hello! This recipe looks delicious. A quick question – can I make ahead and freeze? Many thanks
Hi Jenny, Absolutely. This freezes great. I would just let it cool completely and then put it in a freezer safe container for up to three months. ๐
How spicy would you say this recipe is? I’m keen to make it for a family gathering (which includes a few kids) but wondering if it will be too spicy for them…?