Birria Tacos

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

Picture this with me: Tender beef is slow-cooked in a thick, rich, and robustly flavorful adobo sauce. Tortilla shells are dipped in that sauce, placed in a trying pan topped with the shredded beef, cheese and toppings, folded over and fried on both sides until crispy. It’s then served with extra sauce for dipping. Now does that sound like heaven or what? Believe me, it is! This Beef Birria Tacos recipe encompasses everything you’ve been searching for to enjoy the ultimate eating experience! And I’ll show you how to make it in the oven or in a slow cooker.

Being from Germany I didn’t exactly grow up surrounded by authentic Mexican food. In fact, the only two Mexican restaurants I was knew of within a large radius were owned by retired American military vets who had been stationed in Germany and decided to stay (and to be fair, the food was really good). Today there are far more Mexican food options dotting the German map than there used to be, nevertheless it wasn’t until I moved the U.S. that I started to experience a much wider range of Mexican cuisine. And it wasn’t until I met my husband who is from Arizona that I started experiencing the truly authentic stuff. Whenever we go to Arizona for a visit Todd takes me around to his old favorites, the hole-in-the-wall places where you have to know what to ask for because it’s not on the menu. You know, the kinds of places only the local hispanics visit. The real deal stuff. And without hesitation I will say that great Mexican food is among my favorite cuisines.

Sit down restaurant Mexican food is fabulous, but there’s something about the grab-and-go street food that has a real energy to it. Like these shredded beef-stuffed, hand-held crispy birria tacos that you have to try and balance without spilling the container of consomé while holding your chin over the paper plate or styrofoam to-go box before the juices drip down onto your shirt. It’s all part of the experience. Today I’m going to show you how to make this iconic Mexican street food dish. And it begins with a very traditional dish with a very long history: birria.

What is Birria?

Birria, or birria de res, is a flavorful traditional Mexican stew from the Jalisco region of Mexico. It’s traditionally made with goat meat but is now more commonly made with beef or lamb. The stew is known for its rich, spicy, and savory flavor, which comes from a blend of chilies and spices. Birria has deep cultural significance, dating back centuries, and is often prepared for special occasions and festivities.

What are Birria Tacos?

Birria tacos, also known as tacos de birria, takes the beef from the birria stew and serves it up in taco form, transforming it into an icon of Mexican street food culture. The beef birria is shredded and placed on tortilla shells with toppings of your choice (usually chopped cilantro and diced onions). Cheese is a popular addition, making them quesabirria tacos. They can be eaten as is in soft shell form using flour tortillas or you can take an additional step that has become wildly popular by taking the assembled beef birra taco, dipping it in the brothy adobo sauce the beef was cooked in, stuffing it with the meat and cheese, and frying the taco until crispy (in this case either flour or corn tortillas can be used). Many people also like to serve the beef birria tacos with some of the adobo cooking liquid for dipping. That cooking sauce will have become thinner and more brothy after beef is cooked in it and is often referred to as the birria consomé). It’s like a Mexican twist on a French dip with tacos instead of sandwiches and the birria de res juices instead of au jus for dipping.

Biting into that crispy, beef-loaded taco dripping with the adobo consommé is an experience like no other, and I’m going to show you how to make some really incredible homemade birria tacos!

Birria Taco Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these:

• Beef – you can use beef chuck, beef shank, short ribs, or whatever beef roast you find on sale. It’s common to use a combination of cuts.
• Adobo sauce – I’ll show you how to make your own from scratch using whole chiles, garlic, onion, tomato, and spices. I like to use tomato paste instead of whole tomatoes because the flavor is more concentrated. Adobo sauce is most commonly made using a combination of ancho chiles (smoky with chocolate and raisin undertones) and guajillo chiles (earthy, tangy berry-like, and floral with just a touch of heat). For optimal flavor be selective when purchasing them. “Fresh” dried chiles should be pliable and leathery, not hard and brittle. For freshness and flavor, I have had good luck with these ancho chiles and guajillo peppers. We’re also adding some chipotle peppers with a spoonful of the sauce for a smoky flavor boost and some added kick.
• Tortillas – if you’re frying your birria tacos (which I highly recommend) you can use either corn or flour tortillas. If you prefer soft tacos use flour tortillas and skip the frying or you can also use regular taco shells.
• Cheese – there’s flexibility here; you can use queso fresco, cotija, Oaxaca, or Monterey jack.
• Onions – your choice of red, yellow or white.
• Cilantro – fresh chopped cilantro is a must.
• Lime – a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds a bright and tangy contrast to the smoky, spicy beef.
• Other toppings – like Mexican crema or sour cream, guacamole, salsa, pickled onions, pickled jalapenos, etc.

What to Serve with Birria Tacos

These birria tacos can be enjoyed on their own or you can serve them up with some additional sides and embellishments. For example:

• Mexican street corn or Mexican Corn Salad
• Mexican rice
• Refried Beans
• Mexican slaw (this Freezer Slaw pairs nicely)
• Fresh homemade Salsa or pico de gallo
• Guacamole
• Pickled onions and/or pickled jalapenos

And for something sweet and refreshing to balance those smoky, spicy tacos, you can’t beat some ice cold Watermelon Agua Fresca!

Can It Be Made In Advance?

Yes! The birria can be made well in advance and in fact I highly recommend it because it tastes even better the next day! It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, either separately (the shredded beef and the cooking liquid/consommé) or together (the shredded beef in its cooking liquid). Then simply thaw and reheat the beef in the microwave and assemble your birria taco. For convenience you can also portion it out into ziplock freezer bags or containers so you can just thaw what you need. It makes for a quick and utterly delicious lunch or dinner!

Birria Tacos Recipe

Let’s get started!

To make birria tacos we have to 1) make the adobo sauce to cook the beef in, 2) make the beef birria, and 3) assemble the tacos.

Make the Adobo Sauce

Place the dried ancho and guajillo peppers in a large bowl and pour boiling water over them to fully cover. Let them sit until they’ve cooled down and are soft. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the soaking liquid and discard the rest.

Place the reconstituted chiles in a blender with the reserved soaking liquid, beef broth, onions, garlic, chipotle with adobo sauce, and blend until the mixture is very smooth.

Transfer the pureed mixture to a medium saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients for the adobo sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Give it an occasional stir to prevent scorching. Discard the bay leaf. Add salt and sugar to taste.

Note: This adobo sauce can be made well in advance or frozen for up to 3 months.

Make the Beef Birria

Season the beef with some salt and pepper. You can brown it first if you like for some added flavor or just place it directly in an oven safe pot or a slow cooker. Pour the adobo sauce over the beef.

If cooking in the oven, preheat it to 300 F / 150 C. Bring the pot to a simmer on the stovetop, cover securely with the lid, and then transfer it to the middle rack in the oven. Cook for about 3 hours or longer until the beef is perfectly fork tender. If you’re using a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board use two forks to shred it. Reserve the adobo cooking liquid/consommé. The sauce will have become thinner and more brothy from cooking with the beef. Use this as your consomé for dipping the tacos.

Assemble the Birria Tacos

If you’re not frying the tacos: Place some of the beef on a tortilla shell (corn or flour, your choice) or in a taco shell with toppings of your choice (e.g., Mexican crema or sour cream, diced onion, chopped cilantro, guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapenos, etc).

If you’re frying the tacos (which I highly recommend), you can use corn or flour tortillas: Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. You can add a little oil or lard to the frying pan if but the top layer of the adobo sauce consomé already has a good amount of fat in it. Dip each side of a tortilla shell in the adobo sauce liquid and place it in the frying pan. Fry it for about 30 seconds and flip it over. Top half of the tortilla with some shredded beef, cheese, minced onion and cilantro. Fold the tortilla in half to close it and fry on both sides for another minute or so or until crispy. Transfer to a serving platter in a warm oven and repeat with the remaining tortillas. And if they’re a little sloppy with some bits and pieces of meat and cheese fried onto the outer shells that just adds to their charm.

Serve with a side of the adobo sauce consommé for dipping along with fresh lime wedges and any other accompaniments or sides as desired.

Enjoy!