Description
These Birria Tacos are a traditional Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked chuck beef in a rich, spicy chili broth. Perfectly seasoned with a blend of dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies, along with aromatic spices and simmered until meltingly tender, the meat is shredded and served in crispy corn tortillas with melted cheese, topped with diced onion, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Ideal for a flavorful and festive meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chili Sauce
- 25 g (0.9 oz) guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped 3/4 cup once chopped)
- 45 g (1.6 oz) ancho chillies, dried (~2-3 pieces, 1 cup once chopped)
- 6 g (0.2 oz) chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tbsp once chopped)
- 1/2 cup chili soaking water (reserved from simmering chilies)
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 small onion, roughly sliced (about tennis ball size)
- 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180g)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Meat and Cooking
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 1.3 kg (2.6 lb) chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces (or 1.8 kg/3.6 lb boneless beef short ribs)
- 2 cups beef stock or broth, low sodium
- 10 cloves (whole) or 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder)
- 3 bay leaves (preferably fresh)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar, red or white wine vinegar)
- 2 1/2 tsp cooking salt/kosher salt (halve amount if using table salt, +30% for flakes)
Serving
- 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5 cm / 6″ wide)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves
- 3 1/2 cups (350g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese
- Lime wedges (optional)
- Your favorite salsa or hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chili Sauce: Remove stems and seeds from the dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies. In a saucepan, bring water to a simmer and soak the chilies for about 10 minutes until soft. Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking water. In a blender, combine the soaked chilies, reserved soaking water, garlic cloves, sliced onion, tomato, dried oregano, ground cumin, and black pepper. Blend until smooth to create the chili sauce.
- Sear the Beef: Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chuck beef pieces and sear on all sides until nicely browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. This step is essential to develop deep, rich flavors in the meat and broth.
- Simmer the Beef: Pour the prepared chili sauce over the seared beef. Add the beef stock, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook for approximately 3 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily shredded.
- Assemble the Tacos: Remove bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cloves from the cooked meat. Shred the beef finely using forks. To prepare the tacos, lightly dip corn tortillas in the flavorful broth (consommé) from the pot, then place on a hot skillet or griddle. Sprinkle shredded cheese over one half, add shredded beef, fold the tortilla, and cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy and golden on both sides. Serve topped with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and your favorite salsa or hot sauce.
Notes
- Note 1: Using a blend of guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies creates a balanced heat and deep flavor for the birria sauce.
- Note 2: Vegetable or canola oil is preferred for searing due to their higher smoke points.
- Note 3: Chuck beef is ideal for slow cooking due to its marbling, but boneless beef short ribs can be used for richer flavor.
- Note 4: Use fresh corn tortillas about 6 inches wide for authentic birria tacos.
- Note 5: Diced white onion and fresh cilantro add freshness and texture as toppings.
- Note 6: Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese melt well and bring mild creaminess.
