Birria Tacos (2024)

4.5

(17)

20 Reviews

A combination of two meats creates the best balance of tender texture from chuck roast and succulence from short ribs. The beef's slow-cooked flavor comes from the adobo sauce.

By

Claudette Zepeda

Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning Mexican-American chef from San Diego known for her bold culinary style. She was the executive chef and creative force behind the critically acclaimed regional Mexican restaurant, El Jardin. Claudette competed on Top Chef Mexico Season 2 and Top Chef Season 15.

Updated on October 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

8 hrs 55 mins

Yield:

16 tacos

Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. For this birria tacos recipe, the meat marinates in adobo sauce, then cooks slowly in adobo broth until it's fork-tender. The shredded meat makes a fantastic taco filling, especially when topped with onion, cilantro, and a squirt of lime. Store-bought tortillas will do, but nothing beats homemade if you have the time (and the tortilla press) to make them.

Ingredients

  • 1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast (about 2 1/4-inches thick)

  • 2 pounds English-cut beef short ribs (about 3 ribs)

  • 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoonkosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

  • Adobo

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 cup finely chopped white onion, rinsed

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

  • Canola oil, for greasing

  • 32 (6-inch) fresh corn tortillas or 16 packaged corn tortillas

  • Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Birria Tacos (1)

    Gather the ingredients.

  2. Birria Tacos (2)

    Sprinkle chuck roast and short ribs all over with 2 tablespoons salt. Combine roast, ribs, and adobo in a large nonreactive bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

  3. Birria Tacos (3)

    Preheat oven to 300°F. Transfer adobo mixture to a large (9 1/2-quart) Dutch oven; add 8 cups water. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium, stirring occasionally.

  4. Birria Tacos (4)

    Cover with lid and place in preheated oven. Bake until meat is fork-tender, about 4 hours.

  5. Birria Tacos (5)

    Remove chuck roast and short ribs from braising broth and transfer to a large bowl; cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

  6. Birria Tacos (6)

    Return broth in Dutch oven to heat over medium and cook, uncovered, skimming off fat as needed, until reduced to about 8 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Season broth with salt to taste.

  7. Birria Tacos (7)

    Shred meat; discard bones.

  8. Birria Tacos (8)

    Toss meat with 1 1/2 cups of the broth.

  9. Birria Tacos (9)

    Stir together onion, cilantro, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.

  10. Birria Tacos (10)

    Heat a large nonstick electric griddle to 400°F or a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Using a paper towel dipped in canola oil, lightly grease griddle. If using fresh tortillas, stack two tortillas, and use tongs to dip them together into adobo broth. (If using packaged tortillas, dip one tortilla per taco.)

  11. Birria Tacos (11)

    Place stacked tortillas on griddle; top with 1/4 cup meat. Repeat with as many tortilla stacks as will comfortably fit on griddle. Cook until bottom tortilla is lightly browned and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes.

  12. Birria Tacos (12)

    Fold tacos in half, gently pressing with a spatula. Transfer to a serving plate. Repeat process with oil, adobo broth, remaining tortillas, and remaining meat.

  13. Birria Tacos (13)

    Serve tacos hot with onion-cilantro mixture, lime wedges, and remaining adobo broth for dipping or sipping.

Suggested pairing

Lively sparkling rosé.

Originally appeared: April 2020

Birria Tacos (2024)

FAQs

What is birria tacos sauce made of? ›

Birria sauce is made by blending dried chiles, Mexican oregano, cloves, garlic, cumin, and a few other spices together. The final result is a smooth, rich, and spicy sauce perfect for flavoring meats and other proteins. It's one of those recipes that you really need to taste to understand.

What is so special about birria tacos? ›

These delicious tacos are made with tender, slow-cooked meat and a flavorful blend of spices, all served up on a crispy corn tortilla.

What meat is birria made of? ›

Rich with chilies and cozy, warm spices like cinnamon and ginger, birria is most authentically made with goat meat, but beef birria—”birria de res”—has become popular of late. We just adore this hearty, fragrant, chile-heavy stew-like braise, and we know you will, too.

Are you supposed to drink consommé birria? ›

You can you it as sauce to dip your delicious tacos in.. . and you can also drink it!

How do you thicken birria taco sauce? ›

Once fragrant, you can add the tomatoes and chilies and cook them until they are soft. Next, add the beef broth and the spices and bring the mixture to a boil. Finally, reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes or until it has thickened to your desired consistency.

Why is my birria sauce bitter? ›

Cooking the sauce for too short a period can also result in a bitter undertone. Can you overcook birria tacos? Overcooking birria is difficult but not impossible: once the meat pulls apart easily, it's time to remove it from the mixture.

How unhealthy is birria tacos? ›

Birria tacos can be a healthy meal. The consommé has anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, and the meat provides protein and iron. Corn tortillas provide fiber. You may want to add extra vegetables in the form of salsas, onion, and cilantro for a fully balanced meal.

Why do birria tacos have two tortillas? ›

The answer is simple: to keep all of the delicious fillings inside. No one likes a taco that falls apart, after all.

Should birria tacos be flour or corn? ›

In short, corn tortillas are the way to go for your birria tacos. If you really like flour tortillas you can use them too, but in that case you'll be eating a birria burrito and you experience will be different.

What are authentic birria tacos made of? ›

This traditional breakfast or lunch taco is classically made with goat, but nowadays, it is most often made with beef or lamb meat.

Are birria tacos just barbacoa? ›

Historically, birria was the regional name given in the state of La Union and surrounding areas to what is known as barbacoa, meats cooked or roasted in a pit or earth oven, in other regions of El Salvador. For many people today, mostly in the United States, birria is now a distinct dish.

Why are my birria tacos soggy? ›

You must use the fat on the very top of the pot of liquid to dip the tortillas in. Not even dip, but gently lay them on. If you do not have the fat on top of your liquid then this method will not work and the taco shells won't crisp up. If you dip it way down into the consommé you will just have a soggy birria taco.

Is birria consome healthy? ›

Birria contains a variety of vitamins and minerals from ingredients like garlic, spices, herbs, and chilies used to create the spicy broth in which the stewed meat is cooked. Thanks to its high meat content it's a great source of zinc and – if you make it with chicken – it's high in potassium, too.

Does consommé taste better than broth? ›

Also, a few tasters noticed that soups made with consommé had a little more body than soups made with broth from the same brand, but the difference wasn't significant. We also found that we were able to swap out broth for consommé in recipes without much difference, save for one element: salt.

Is barbacoa sauce the same as birria? ›

In short, birria is a type of barbacoa, but barbacoa is not birria. Barbacoa is more closely related to barbecue, while birria is braised or steamed. Barbacoa is traditionally slowly steamed in its own juices with a marinade, and most barbacoa is made from beef (although lamb or mutton are also common).

What does taco sauce contain? ›

Ingredients. Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Water, Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Modified Cornstarch, Spices, Paprika, Citric Acid, Green Chile Powder, Sodium Benzoate (To Preserve Freshness), Xanthan Gum, Onion Powder.

What is the difference between birria taco and regular taco? ›

The preparation of birria is an art form in itself, involving marinating the meat overnight and slow-cooking it until it reaches a tender, succulent texture. The addition of consommé—a savory broth made from the stew's juices—elevates the flavor profile and sets Birria Tacos Kearny Mesa apart from conventional tacos.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 6641

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.