This Birria Tacos Recipe made from tasty and tender meat have a spicy kick and are full of so much delicious flavor. They’re all the rage right now and you won’t be able to stop at just one.
Talk about a fantastic addition to your Taco Tuesday menu! These Birria Tacos Recipe are great any day of the week. So much flavor and it’s nice to have something different to make for dinner besides your classic tacos or even fajitas.
When I started making these Birria Tacos, I had my parents over and they were surprised how they couldn’t get enough of them. Well, actually not so surprised because we already couldn’t get enough.
My Dad was literally drinking the stew after eating his tacos, they are that good! I’ve been making them for quite some time now and they’re always a hit, now my parents can’t stop making them.
When I’m feeling up to it, I’ll make a double batch and we can have leftovers for a couple days. No one has ever turned these Birria Tacos down yet, not even the kids.
We are lucky enough to have spice lovers in our house, so these really fit right in with our menu plan. If you haven’t tried these yet, run to your kitchen and make them now!
Some of our other favorite Mexican themed recipes we have on our site include: Pupusas, Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef and Slow Cooker Street Tacos.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- There is no lack of flavor in there.
- Easy to make a double batch to feed more people.
- A nice change to traditional tacos.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT BOTTOM)
Dried ancho chiles
Dried guajillo chiles
Water
Beef short ribs with bones
Kosher salt
Chipotle in adobo
Low sodium beef broth
Vegetable oil
Large sweet onion
Carrots
Head of garlic
Tomato paste
Bay leaves
Cinnamon stick
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Dried oregano
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Corn tortillas
Shredded quesadilla cheese
Small diced onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges
HOW TO MAKE BIRRIA TACOS, STEP BY STEP:
- Use scissor or a knife to cut off the tops of the dried guajillo and ancho chiles. Toss the stems and seeds.
- Add them to a large dutch oven or large pot and add in 2 quarts of water before placing on high heat. Bring ite to a boil then take remove from the heat and let it all soak for 15 minutes.
- Season the shorts ribs all over with the salt and set them aside.
- Strain the chiles out of the water and add them to a blender. Now, add in the chipotle in adobo and 2 cups of the beef broth and blend it until it’s all completely smooth before setting it aside.
- Discard the water from the dutch oven/pot and wipe out any excess water leftover. Place the pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Working in batches, sear the short ribs on all sides until they’re golden brown, do not overcrowd the pan. Use the extra oil as needed to sear the rest of the short ribs. Once you’ve seared the short ribs place them on a plate or sheet tray and set them aside.
- Wipe out any excess grease from the pot/dutch oven. Then add in the onion, carrots, and garlic. Then pour in the blended chiles along with the remaining beef broth.
- Next, add the tomato paste, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir together.
- Toss the short ribs back into the pot, and stir them around with the rest of the pot ingredinets so they are covered in the liquid. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Then cover and simmer for about 3 ½ – 4 hours or until the short ribs are tender enough to shred. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks on the bottom.
- Remove the short ribs out and place them onto a plate and set the plate aside.
- Strain the stock and discard any of the solids that remain in the strainer. Pour the liquid back into the pot and keep it warm.
- Remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat. Discard the bones and any large chunks of fat if have any.
- Place a large skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Work in batches and make one taco at a time. Then dip a corn tortilla into the cooking liquid, let the excess liquid drip off and place it directly on the griddle. Add about ¼ cup or a little less of the shredded meat on top of the tortilla then add about 2 tablespoons of the cheese on top of the meat. Fold the tortilla over the filling to make a taco. Gently press the top down. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Once finished, place the tacos onto a wire rack that’s over a sheet tray to catch any drips, this will help keep the tacos crispy. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until all tacos have been made.
- Serve immediately with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges along with a bowl of the cooking liquid “stew” for dipping and enjoy.
CAN I CHANGE THE SPICE LEVEL?
The recipe as written is pretty spicy, if you don’t like as much spice for your Birria Tacos, only use 2 chipotle in adobo peppers or just leave them out completely.
Using these chipotle in adobo peppers does add a smokey flavor to the dish, so if you are leaving them out I would add 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika in its place.
WHAT OTHER CHEESE CAN I USE?
Other cheese that would be good for this recipe would be: mozzarella, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or white cheddar. Keep in mind that you want your cheese choice to be a good melting cheese and one that is freshly grated.
Some people make these tacos without cheese too, so do whatever is your preference.
WHAT OTHER MEAT CAN I USE?
We use all beef short ribs for this recipe but you can use a combination of beef cuts for this. Beef shank and chuck roast are also good options to try.
If using chuck roast you will only need about a 3-pound roast since it is boneless, I suggest cutting it into large chunks and searing it off as we did the short ribs.
You can also use a mix of all of these meats! I really highly recommend using bone-in beef if possible, it gives so much more flavor to the dish.
And if you’re feeling a little more adventerous, Birria Tacos are also commonly made with goat meat.
HOW TO STORE:
Leftover tacos should be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container where they will keep for up to 3 days.
You can freeze these in a freezer container for up to 3 months. Also, you can store the shredded meat in the cooking liquid or separately, totally up to you.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- We sear off the short ribs first to add a depth of flavor to the overall dish, if you are tight on time you can skip this step and add the short ribs directly to the broth in step 7, if needed.
- This makes a large batch, you can halve the recipe or keep leftovers if needed.
- The cinnamon stick adds an enticing aroma and complexity of flavors to the tacos. It is not overwhelming but the little addition makes your guests question what your secret ingredient is!
- Serve these by themselves or with some Mexican rice and beans for a whole complete meal.
- You can freeze these for later, use my tips above.
- Feel free to change the spice level on these by using my suggestions shared above.
- You can swap the meats out, other options are listed above.
Get ready for some delicious and slightly spicy shredded beef Birria Tacos! They’re so delicious, mouthwatering and absolutely amazing. Make some of these tacos for your next Taco Tuesday for the family.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
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Birria Tacos
Ingredients
- 3 dried ancho chiles
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 quarts water
- 4 pounds beef short ribs with bones
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 7 ounce can chipotle in adobo
- 2 quarts low sodium beef broth divided
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the stock:
- 1 large sweet onion skin removed cut into 4ths
- 2 large carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 head of garlic cut in half to expose the cloves
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
To serve:
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded quesadilla cheese
- 1 cup small diced onion
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Use scissor or a knife to cut off the tops of the dried guajillo and ancho chiles. Toss the stems and seeds.
- Add them to a large dutch oven or large pot and add in 2 quarts of water before placing on high heat. Bring ite to a boil then take remove from the heat and let it all soak for 15 minutes.
- Season the shorts ribs all over with the salt and set them aside.
- Strain the chiles out of the water and add them to a blender. Now, add in the chipotle in adobo and 2 cups of the beef broth and blend it until it's all completely smooth before setting it aside.
- Discard the water from the dutch oven/pot and wipe out any excess water leftover. Place the pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Working in batches, sear the short ribs on all sides until they're golden brown, do not overcrowd the pan. Use the extra oil as needed to sear the rest of the short ribs. Once you've seared the short ribs place them on a plate or sheet tray and set them aside.
- Wipe out any excess grease from the pot/dutch oven. Then add in the onion, carrots, and garlic. Then pour in the blended chiles along with the remaining beef broth.
- Next, add the tomato paste, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir together.
- Toss the short ribs back into the pot, and stir them around with the rest of the pot ingredinets so they are covered in the liquid. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Then cover and simmer for about 3 ½ - 4 hours or until the short ribs are tender enough to shred. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks on the bottom.
- Remove the short ribs out and place them onto a plate and set the plate aside.
- Strain the stock and discard any of the solids that remain in the strainer. Pour the liquid back into the pot and keep it warm.
- Remove the meat from the bones and shred the meat. Discard the bones and any large chunks of fat if have any.
- Place a large skillet, like a cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Work in batches and make one taco at a time. Then dip a corn tortilla into the cooking liquid, let the excess liquid drip off and place it directly on the griddle. Add about ¼ cup or a little less of the shredded meat on top of the tortilla then add about 2 tablespoons of the cheese on top of the meat. Fold the tortilla over the filling to make a taco. Gently press the top down. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Once finished, place the tacos onto a wire rack that's over a sheet tray to catch any drips, this will help keep the tacos crispy. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until all tacos have been made.
- Serve immediately with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges along with a bowl of the cooking liquid “stew” for dipping and enjoy.
Notes
- We sear off the short ribs first to add a depth of flavor to the overall dish, if you are tight on time you can skip this step and add the short ribs directly to the broth in step 7, if needed.
- This makes a large batch, you can halve the recipe or keep leftovers if needed.
- The cinnamon stick adds an enticing aroma and complexity of flavors to the tacos. It is not overwhelming but the little addition makes your guests question what your secret ingredient is!
- Serve these by themselves or with some Mexican rice adn beans for a whole complete meal.
- You can freeze these for later, use my tips above.
- Feel free to change the spice level on these by using my suggestions shared above.
- You can swap the meats out, other options are listed above.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Misfitmom
Best recipe ever!!!
Denzel
I loved this recipe! but I also used the 123 method using a product called insta-birria by el sabor products. If you look them up on google they should pop up. Their flavor is out of this world! its easy and simple. just add water, sauce and meat. I loved both recipes but insta-birria had a flavor that just blew my mind. so flavourful. I love my birria.