Birria Tacos Recipe (and Quesabirria Tacos)
Birria Tacos (aka tacos de birria or quesabirria) are made with tender birria meat and gooey melted cheese wrapped in a crispy pan-fried tortilla. Served with flavorful birria consomé for dipping, these irresistible tacos are juicy, cheesy, and so easy to make from home!
Servings: 10 tacos
Calories: 433kcal
Ingredients
For the Birria de Res (Beef Birria)
- 6 pounds beef - bone-in beef short ribs, beef shank, chuck roast
- 5 dried ancho chiles
- 5 dried guajillo chiles
- 6 dried chiles de arbol - (less if you're sensitive to spicy foods)
- olive oil - divided
- 1 large onion - roughly chopped
- 5 tomatoes - I used Roma tomatoes
- 10 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
- 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 cups reserved chili liquid
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
For the Birria Tacos (Quesabirria Tacos)
- ½ white onion - minced
- ¼ cup cilantro - finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 10 corn tortillas
- 3 cups birria broth (consummé)
- 1 (8-ounce) package queso Oaxaca - or mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded
- Shredded beef birria
Instructions
For the Birria de Res (Beef Birria)
- Carefully cut open each dried chili pepper to remove the seeds. Toast the chiles in a large skillet set over medium heat until fragrant (1-2 minutes), then place them in a pot filled with simmering water for 15-30 minutes or until the chiles are rehydrated and softened. Save the chili liquid.
- In the same skillet, brown the onions in one tablespoon of olive oil for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Remove everything to a clean plate and set aside. With the skillet still set over medium-high heat, add the tomatoes and cook each side for approximately 1-2 minutes. Remove the tomatoes to a clean plate.
- Add a final tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Toast the cumin seeds, black peppercorns, whole cloves, and cinnamon stick for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Return the onions, garlic, and tomatoes to the skillet and add the ground ginger, thyme, oregano, and marjoram. Mix well to combine, then remove from heat.
- Transfer the onions, tomatoes, and all the spices to a high-speed blender, plus the rehydrated chilies and 1-2 cups of the soaking liquid. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the chili sauce to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, beef, and bay leaves. Bring it to a simmer, then cover it with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for at least 3-4 hours.
- Remove the beef from the pot and shred it with a fork. Save the birria broth (consummé).
For the Birria Tacos (Quesabirria Tacos)
- Add the onion, cilantro, and lime juice to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Set a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray or melt a little butter.
- Use tongs to dip one tortilla into the birria broth (even better, dip the tortilla into the layer of fat floating on the top of the broth). Allow any excess broth to drip off the tortilla.
- Place the tortilla on the hot skillet. Allow it to fry for about a minute, then flip it over.
- Top the entire surface of the tortilla with cheese and place a little shredded meat on one half of the tortilla. Fold the other side of the tortilla over the meat side.
- Allow the tortilla to crisp for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Repeat until the desired amount of tacos are made.
- Serve with a side of birria broth for dipping and diced onion and cilantro for freshness.
Notes
- You can use goat, lamb, or chicken instead of beef to make birria.
- Arbol chiles are spicy. If you are sensitive to spicy food, reduce the amount of arbol chiles added and remove the seeds.
- Some birria recipes may include chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Though I really do love chipotle peppers, I did not add them here. If you want to add chipotle peppers, start with 2-3 plus 1-2 tablespoons of adobo sauce.
- Cinnamon stick: If you do not have a high-powered, high-speed blender, substitute the cinnamon stick for one-half of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- To make birria in the slow cooker: Prepare and blend the sauce as instructed. Then place the blended chili sauce, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, beef, and bay leaves in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 1296mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 5396IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 6mg
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