Beef Birria Tacos or birria de res is made of irresistible stewed beef stuffed into a corn tortilla and soaked in birria consommé (sauce) then pan fried until crispy. Birria can be served as a stew, a taco, a quesataco or quesabirria. Make this recipe on the stove top, in the Instant pot or in the slow cooker.
We definitely love Mexican food around here. Some of our most popular Mexican recipes are Charro Beans, Shrimp Ceviche and the absolute best Carne Asada.
Best Birria Tacos
Birria Tacos have become one of the most popular and beloved Mexican dishes. The authentic, bold flavor of this soul-satisfying and hearty beef stew (birria de res) is the ultimate Mexican comfort food.
Juicy and tender beef birria is bursting with flavor from seasonings like dried chiles and spices.
Traditionally, birria it’s served as a stew or stuffed in a double corn tortilla soaked in consommé or sauce (which is the birria cooking liquid), then pan fried until crispy and served with a cup of flavorful consommé for dipping. Birria is also made into delicious quesabirria and quesataco which is a combination of a quesadilla and a taco.
What Are Birria Tacos?
At home, I’m usually the person who introduces the family to new and exciting recipes, but I learned about traditional Mexican birria and the popular birria tacos also known as quesotacos or tacos ahogados (dipped tacos) from my oldest son who showed me a video and asked me to make this amazing dish for him.
I immediately started my research and made a few phone calls to friends so I could come up with a version that is close to the authentic dish. I am super happy with the results and I can confidently say that this recipe is the absolute best!
What Is Birria?
Birria or Birria de res is a classic Mexican dish that originated in the state of Jalisco, although many variations of this dish can be found in other parts of the country where it is made with different meats, different spice blends and prepared with different cooking methods.
Traditionally made with goat or lamb’s meat, it’s also made with pork and beef which are easier to find in markets in the United states and Mexico. Stew meats like chuck roast or short ribs are braised in a mixture of dried chili, onions, garlic and spices such as cumin, oregano, marjoram and cloves.
This amazing Mexican stew is usually sold by street vendors or restaurants called birrerias and is also made at homes in indoor kitchens or in outdoor underground pits. This Mexican dish is usually served on special occasions like holidays and weddings.
What are Birria Tacos Made Of?
Birria Tacos or tacos de birria are made with fork-tender braised beef stuffed in a corn tortilla that was first dipped in savory birria-broth and then pan fried until crispy and golden brown. These amazingly delicious Mexican tacos are topped with crumbled cheese, onions, cilantro and other toppings and served with a small bowl of birria-broth for dunking.
Birria Taco Ingredients
- Beef: Birria can be made with many different cuts of beef bone-in and boneless. Well marbled beef chuck is a great option as well as short ribs, beef oxtail or beef shank.
- Dried Chiles: These chiles add so much flavor and depth to the stew meat and the broth or sauce. I use a combination of dried Guajillo and dried Ancho chiles. You can also add chile de arbol if you like a bit more heat.
- Vegetables: Onions, tomatoes and garlic.
- Spices and Seasonings: Ground cumin, dried oregano, dried marjoram, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, ground cloves, black peppercorns, chicken or beef bouillon and salt. All these spices balance each other perfectly.
- Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil.
- Broth: I prefer chicken broth to beef broth but that is just a personal preference. Both can be used.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: You could also use rice vinegar in a pinch.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas are a must for tacos. Since the tortillas get dunked in the tasty broth/sauce, I prefer getting tortillas that are a bit thicker than the ones sold by some of the most popular tortilla brands. The thicker tortillas I’m referring to are usually sold as “organic” or “made in small batches”.
- Toppings: Choose your favorite toppings, although the most popular are cheese, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, sliced or pickled jalapeños and sliced or chopped avocado. Choose any soft melting Mexican cheese like Oaxaca, quesadilla or asadero cheese.
How to Make Birria Tacos?
In the printable recipe card below, you can find detailed instruction on how to make birria on the stove top, in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) or in the Crock Pot (slow cooker). The instructions below are simply a quick view of the cooking process for all the different methods mentioned above.
How To Make Birria
- Prepare the chiles: Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. You can cut them open easily with kitchen shears.
- Toast and soak the chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the chiles until fragrant. Submerge the chiles into hot boiling water and soak them for 20 minutes.
- Roast veggies and toast spices: In the same dry skillet, roast the onion slices, tomato and garlic cloves turning them often until charred. Place veggies in a blender. Toast the spices until aromatic and add to the blender together with the vinegar and the bouillon.
- Blend the chile sauce: Place the softened dried chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid in the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth.
- Sear the beef: Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear it until golden brown on all sides.
- Cook: After the beef is seared, add the sauce and the broth into the pot.
Instant Pot: After the beef is seared, add the sauce. Seal the pot and cook on high followed by a 10 to 15 minute natural release.
Crock Pot: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
Stove Top: Cover and simmer for 4 to 6 hours or until tender.
Make the Tacos (aka Quesabirria)
- Remove the beef from the pot and shred it with the help of two forks. Return the meat to the pot and toss it. You want the meat to soak up all the flavorful juices.
- Heat and lightly grease a griddle or skillet over medium heat.
- Dip a tortilla into the birria-broth to coat. Place the tortilla on the hot griddle or skillet to warm, about 60 seconds per side.
- Place some of the shredded birria beef on one side of the tortilla. Cook until the bottom is lightly brown and crispy. Gently fold the tortilla in half to make a taco and press gently with a spatula. Remove from the skillet and serve topped with chopped onions, cilantro, and crumbled cheese.
What Is The Difference Between Birria and Barbacoa?
Birria and Barbacoa, like the one served at Chipotle’s, can look very similar. Both dishes are made with stew meat that is cooked until fall-apart tender, shredded and put back into the cooking liquid (sometimes called sauce, broth or consommé). Birria, however, relies on the use of dried chiles, roasted tomato, onions and garlic and an array of spices that include cinnamon and clove. These ingredients create depths of flavor that are savory and earthy notes with hints of spiciness. Barbacoa beef is made with chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, and although it includes fewer spices, its bold in flavor with plenty of smoky and spicy notes.
What Meat Is Birria Tacos Made Of?
This birria taco recipe is made with beef chuck. Birria can also be made with other stewing beef cuts like short ribs, beef oxtail or beef round. This Mexican dish is also made with goat meat and lamb.
What Is Birria Sauce Made Of?
Birria sauce is made from re-hydrated chiles, quickly charred garlic, onions and tomato, blended with spices like dried oregano, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon and marjoram.
Birria Taco Variations
- Bowl of Stew: Serve birria as a stew with rice and some tortillas on the side.
- Crispy Baked Tacos: Assemble the tacos, place them in a baking dish, top with lots of cheddar and bake until crispy.
- Mexican Soft Tacos: Don’t fry or sauté the corn tortillas. Simply warm them up and fill them with shredded birria without adding any juices.
- Birria Pizza: Yes, you heard that right! Pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, shredded meat, diced onions and cilantro. After it is baked, top with thinly sliced radishes and serve it with a bowl of consommé or broth. Birria pizza is the perfect meal to make with leftovers.
- Birria Ramen: This is one of the best mashups ever! The stewed meat juices or consommé is used as Ramen broth. Simply cook the ramen noodles in that savory flavor-loaded consommé, then add some sliced onions, shredded cabbage, cilantro, lime juice and a Ramen egg. You are ready to slurp away!
Storing, Freezing and Reheating
How Long Does Birria Last?
- Store: Keep the meat and the sauce refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze birria in its juices for up to 3 months. I prefer freezing it in smaller portions that can be easily pulled out and thawed out for lunches or to make a few tacos. Thawing is also quicker when stored in small batches. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheating: You can reheat in the microwave or simmer it on the stove top until warmed through.
Birria Recipe Tips
- Dip the tortillas in the very top of the broth. The top may be a bit oily which helps the tortillas from sticking to the skillet when fried.
- Don’t overfill the tacos.
- You can use lamb or goat to make birria. You can also use bone-in short ribs or oxtail.
- Keep the prepared tacos on a baking sheet in a warm oven while you fry up the rest of the batch.
- This is not a 30-minute meal even when you use your pressure cooker/Instant Pot. The stew meat needs some time to become tender and then you have to prepare and cook the tacos. One thing I can guarantee is that this meal is totally worth it.
Take a Look At Some Of Our Favorite Beef Recipes:
- Mexican Albondigas Soup
- London Broil Recipe
- Instant Pot Brisket
- Chile Colorado Beef Stew
- Beef with Broccoli
Tacos de Birria
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck cut into large chunks about 3-inch pieces
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 6 dried Guajillo peppers
- 3 dried Ancho chiles
- 1 large tomato
- 1 large onion peeled and slice into thick rounds (like for onion rings)
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 small cinnamon stick preferably no bigger than 1-inch
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 -2 teaspoons chicken or beef bouillon
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
For the Tacos
Canola oil or non-stick cooking spray to grease the skillet or griddle .
Corn tortillas
Choose your favorite toppings:
- Any mild melting Mexican cheese like Oaxaca cheese, quesadilla or asadero cheese.
Chopped onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Season the meat with salt and ground black pepper and set aside.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles.
- Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat (cast iron works great). Toast them only until hot and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Don’t burn them or they will make the sauce bitter.
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and remove from the heat. Submerge the chiles into the water and soak for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same dry skillet roast the onion slices, tomato and garlic cloves. Roast the garlic turning them often until they become fragrant. Remove from the skillet and place them in a blender. Roast the tomato and onion turning them as needed until lightly charred. Remove the onions and tomatoes and place them in the blender.
- Place the cinnamon stick in the hot skillet until aromatic, then add to the blender. Add the bay leaves, peppercorn, dried oregano, cumin, marjoram, cloves, vinegar and bouillon to the blender.
- Place the softened dried chiles and 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid in the blender. Blend until completely smooth. If you are having a hard time blending the sauce, add more of the soaking liquid.
- Turn the Instant pot to SAUTE and heat up the oil. Sear the beef until golden brown on all sides. Do this in batches, if needed, to not overcrowd the pot.
- Press cancel to turn the sauté function off. Pour the chile sauce over the beef and add the broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits stuck at the bottom and stir to combine.
- Close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 55 minutes.
- When the pressure cooking is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the valve to venting and release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the beef and shred it with the help of two forks. Return the beef to the Instant Pot, toss, and allow the beef to soak up the juices. Season to taste.
To make Birria Tacos:
- Heat a large non-stick electric griddle to 400 degrees Fahrenheit or a medium skillet over medium heat. Using a paper towel dipped in oil lightly grease the griddle or skillet (use kitchen tongs to hold the paper towel). You can also use non-stick cooking spray, if preferred.
- Using tongs, carefully dip a tortilla into the birria broth to coat. Place the tortilla on the hot griddle or skillet to warm, about 60 seconds per side. Repeat with as many tortillas as will comfortably fit on the griddle.
- Place some of the shredded birria beef on one side of the tortilla. Cook until the bottom is lightly brown and crispy. Gently fold the tortilla in half to make a taco and press gently with a spatula. Remove from the skillet and serve topped with chopped onions, cilantro, and crumbled cheese.
Stove Top
- Follow the recipe above from step 1 to 7. Sear the meat in a Dutch oven or large pot until golden brown. Do this in batches, if needed, to not overcrowd the pot.
- Pour the chile sauce over the beef and add the broth. With a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits stuck at the bottom and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 4 hours or until the meat becomes tender and shreds easily. Keep an eye on the meat and stir occasionally. If the sauce begins to dry up, add additional broth as needed. Continue with the recipe instructions above.
Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
- Follow the recipe above from step 1 to 7. Sear the meat in a Dutch oven or large pot until golden brown. Do this in batches, if needed, to not overcrowd the pot. Deglaze the pot with some of the broth.
- Transfer the beef and broth to the slow cooker. Pour the chile sauce and the remaining broth over the meat and stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 8 hours covered or until the meat becomes tender and shreds easily. Continue with the recipe instructions above.
Recipe Notes
- If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves when handling the dried chiles.
- You can use any combination of dried chiles you prefer.
- Dip the tortillas in the very top of the broth. The top may be a bit oily which helps the tortillas from sticking to the skillet when fried.
- Don’t overfill the tacos.
- Keep the prepared tacos on a baking sheet in a warm oven while you fry up the rest of the batch.
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