# Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos takes 4 hr 35 min (15 min prep, 4 hr 20 min cooking) and serves 8.

Recipe by isabeleats.com · original: https://isabeleats.com/birria-tacos/  
Cuisine: Mexican · Dish: Tacos, wraps & burritos  
On Meez: https://meezenplace.app/recipes/birria-tacos-recipe (with step-by-step Cook Mode)

Crispy, cheesy birria tacos made with slow-braised shredded beef, pan-fried in a corn tortilla, and served with a rich consomé for dipping.

## Ingredients (serves 8)

- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 12 g uajillo chiles, (rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2.5 oz))
- 5 ancho chiles, (rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2 oz))
- 5 árbol chiles, (rinsed and stemmed (about 0.1 oz))
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1 Mexican cinnamon stick*
- water, (as needed)
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano*
- Corn tortillas ((homemade or store-bought))
- 2 cups shredded cheese* ((see Notes for best options))
- ½ white onion, (diced)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 large Roma tomatoes
- 4 to 5 pounds chuck roast, (cut into large 4-inch chunks)
- lime wedges
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves

## Steps

1. Cut the chuck roast into large 4-inch chunks
2. Rinse, stem, and seed the guajillo and ancho chiles; rinse and stem the arbol chiles
3. Dice the white onion for topping and chop the cilantro
4. Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides
5. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
6. Working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned
7. Remove the pot from the heat, add the seared meat back into the pot, and set aside
8. Add the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot, then cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat
9. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook
10. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and all the other ingredients to a large blender
11. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water, the beef broth, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves to the blender
12. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth (in 2 batches if needed)
13. Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the seared meat, discarding any solids left behind
14. Stir the meat and chile sauce together to combine and bring to a boil over high heat
15. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is fall-apart tender
16. Transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks
17. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
18. Lightly dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the layer of fat from the top of the birria broth, then place it in the hot skillet to begin frying
19. Top half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded cheese and shredded beef birria meat, then fold the other half over to create a taco
20. Cook the taco on each side until the cheese has fully melted and the taco becomes crispy and browned
21. Repeat to make more tacos
22. Pour some of the birria consomé into a small ramekin or bowl
23. Stuff each taco with fresh cilantro and white onion and serve on a plate with lime wedges and the consomé as a dipping sauce

## Good to know

### Swaps

- No Mexican cinnamon stick? A regular cinnamon stick works fine in the braise.
- No Mexican oregano? Regular dried oregano can stand in, though the flavor will be slightly different.
- No chuck roast? Short ribs or brisket also work well for this long braise.

### Storing it

Store the shredded meat and consomé in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat until steaming hot; fry tacos fresh, since assembled ones don't stay crisp.

### Making it ahead

Braise the meat and make the consomé up to 2 days ahead and keep them in the fridge; reheat until steaming hot before assembling and frying the tacos.