Birria Tacos

Ingredients

• 4.5 lb chuck roast (cut into large 4-inch chunks; source specifies 4 to 5 pounds)
• 0.5 tbsp kosher salt
• 0.5 tbsp black pepper
• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 12 guajillo chiles (rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2.5 oz))
• 5 ancho chiles (rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2 oz))
• 5 árbol chiles (rinsed and stemmed (about 0.1 oz))
• 2 Roma tomatoes (large)
• 0.5 yellow onion (medium)
• 1 Mexican cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves
• 0.5 tsp whole black peppercorns
• water (as needed for boiling chiles)
• 2 cup beef broth
• 0.25 cup distilled white vinegar
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 0.5 tsp ground cloves
• 24 Corn tortillas (homemade or store-bought; estimated 3 per serving)
• 2 cup shredded cheese (Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella work best)
• 0.5 white onion (diced)
• 0.5 cup cilantro (chopped)
• 2 Lime wedges (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned.

4. 4

   Remove the pot from the heat, add the seared meat back into the pot, and set aside.

5. 5

   While the meat is searing, add the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot.

6. 6

   Cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

8. 8

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and all the other ingredients (tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns) to a large blender.

9. 9

   Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water, the beef broth, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves to the blender.

10. 10

    Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. (You may have to do this in 2 batches if your blender isn’t big enough.)

11. 11

    Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind.

12. 12

    Stir the meat and chile sauce together to combine and bring to a boil over high heat.

13. 13

    Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 3 ½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.

14. 14

    Transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks.

15. 15

    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

16. 16

    Lightly dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the layer of fat that sits at the top of the red chile birria broth (consomé), then place it in the hot skillet to begin frying.

17. 17

    Top half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded cheese and shredded beef birria meat.

18. 18

    Fold the other half of the tortilla over to create a taco, and cook for 1 minute on each side until the cheese has fully melted and the taco becomes crispy and browned. Repeat to make more tacos.

19. 19

    Pour some of the birria consomé into a small ramekin or bowl.

20. 20

    Stuff each taco with fresh cilantro and white onion and serve on a plate with lime wedges and the consomé as a dipping sauce.

Notes

Slow Cooker Method: Brown meat in a skillet, then add meat and blended sauce to slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5 hours. Instant Pot Method: Sauté to sear meat, add sauce, and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Reheating: Leftover assembled tacos can be crisped in an air fryer or oven for 5-10 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• tacos
• beef
• mexican
• slow-cooked
• dinner
• quesabirria