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    Home » Recipes » Mexican Beef Recipes

    Birria Tacos Recipe

    Published: Feb 13, 2023 Modified: Feb 13, 2023 by Isabel Laessig

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    My Birria Tacos recipe will blow your mind with flavor. The birria stew is deeply flavorful, while the quesatacos are crisp, cheesy, and totally mouthwatering. Sweet, mildly spicy, and filled with fall-apart tender chuck roast and Mexican cheese, you will savor every bite and want to share them with everyone!

    Beef birria tacos on a white platter with birria stew in a bowl
    Jump to:
    • Birria Tacos
    • Birria Recipe Ingredients
    • Birria Tacos Ingredients
    • How to Make Birria
    • How to Make Birria Tacos
    • Tacos de Birria Tips
    • What are Birria Tacos?
    • Birria Tacos Recipes FAQs
    • How Many Birria Tacos Per Person
    • Best Tacos Recipes
    • 📌 Pin it for later!
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Birria Tacos

    Whether you call them birria tacos, quesabirria tacos, or quesatacos, this recipe is amazing. One bite into the crispy shell dipped in delicious beef birria sauce, and you will be completely hooked on these tacos.

    It all begins with my homemade birria. Beef consomme is one of my favorite dishes to make, and I promise, it's easier to make than it might seem. Even if you've never made a dish like this before, I promise you will be able to make the most amazing birria on the first try following this recipe!

    "Just made this tonight for my family and everyone loved it!! My first time making birria, might i add . Amazing recipe!"

    @lookatmarie
    Birria tacos on a plate with stew in a bowl

    Birria Recipe Ingredients

    • boneless chuck roast cut into large chunks
    • olive oil
    • guajillo chiles
    • ancho chiles
    • tomatoes quartered
    • onion halved
    • garlic
    • cinnamon stick up to 2-inch
    • bay leaf
    • dried oregano
    • cumin seeds 
    • dried thyme
    • salt 
    • black peppercorns
    • beef broth

    Ingredients notes:

    1. Birria meat: I use chuck roast, but you can also use beef shank, short ribs, or sirloin roast.
    2. Dried guajillo chiles: Dried Mexican peppers offer mild heat and a fruity, smoky, sweet flavor. You can generally find these peppers in the international aisle of your local grocery store, near Mexican foods. New Mexico, Pasilla, and California peppers can be used instead if necessary.
    3. Dried ancho chiles: Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. They have a smoky, fruity flavor and offer a mild spice level. You can find them in the same place as the dried guajillo chiles.
    Guajillo and ancho chiles on a surface with scissors and a bowl

    I was craving a good Birria Taco and glad I found this! Absolutely delicious.

    Krystal on Pinterest

    Birria Tacos Ingredients

    • corn tortillas
    • diced onion
    • chopped cilantro
    • Mexican melting cheese such as oaxaca
    • lime cut into wedges

    Mexican melting cheese: Look for Oaxaca cheese to use in your quesabirria tacos. If you can't find oaxaca, try mozzarella or Monterey Jack.

    The best part about using corn tortillas for quesatacos is that they are gluten-free!

    The trick to making these incredible birria tacos is dipping your tortillas in the consome fat, then frying them in a pan! Crisp fried taco shells are a life-changer.

    I tried it! It came out perfect and delicious. So easy and fun to make!!

    Danelle on Pinterest
    Beef birria tacos ingredients on a white surface

    How to Make Birria

    1. Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When hot, season beef with salt and pepper and add to pot. Sear on all sides. Add half of the onion to the pot and cook for two minutes more. Remove the dutch oven from heat and set aside while you make the sauce.
      Birria beef in the dutch oven
    2. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.
      Guajillo and ancho chiles on a surface with scissors and a bowl
    3. In a medium pot, add the chiles, tomatoes, half onion, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Pour in enough water to cover all ingredients. Place on stove over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
      birria stew ingredients in pot
    4. Add remaining seasonings to the saucepot: dried oregano, cumin seeds, dried thyme, and salt and peppercorns. Give it a stir and simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
      Birria stew cooking in pot
    5. Strain the contents of the saucepot into a large wire-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and discard. Place the remaining solids into a blender.
      Chiles, tomatoes, and onions in a blender
    6. Add the broth from the sauce into the blender, plus the beef broth. Whirl until well blended. Taste and add more salt if needed and blend just until mixed in.
      Birria beef stew base blended
    7. Place the pot with the beef and onion back on the stove at medium heat. Pour the contents of the blender over the beef. If the sauce is not enough liquid to cover the beef, pour in enough beef broth to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and lower the heat. Simmer until meat is tender and shreds easily about 2½ to 3 hours.
    Birria beef stew in a dutch oven pot

    Was so good! Boyfriend did a happy dance lol

    Briana on Pinterest

    How to Make Birria Tacos

    1. Turn off the heat, remove the beef from the sauce, and shred.
      Beef birria stew meat next to a dutch oven of the stew
    2. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the top of the stew (where the fat floats), then place it in the hot skillet. Top with some shredded beef, cheese, and cilantro.
      Beef birria tacos in a skillet
    3. Fold tortilla over and fry for about one minute on each side, until crispy. Remove taco to plate or baking sheet and keep warm. Repeat the above steps with the remaining tortillas.
      Two beef birria tacos folded over in skillet
    4. Serve warm with a small bowl of the birria stew for dipping. This is key! Serve with lime wedges and sliced jalapenos if desired. Top tacos with diced onion, more cilantro, and more cheese if desired.

    If you have yet to try these famous tacos, you've probably heard about them or seen them on a menu. They're all the rage right now on social media and are popping up in food trucks and restaurants everywhere. Quesabirria tacos are especially popular in North America, and if you've ever had them, you know why. You'll never want tacos any other way!

    Dipping a beef birria taco in stew

    These were so delicious! So good that I am now growing the peppers so I have them on hand. Seriously worth the effort.

    Kimberly on Pinterest

    Tacos de Birria Tips

    • You can also make these with chicken. Chicken Birria Tacos are equally just as amazing. Also, you are definitely going to love my beef empanadas!
    • For more heat, try adding dried chiles de árbol. These hot peppers add a sharp flavor to the stew that's just perfect for matching the earthy flavors of the rest of the dish.
    • Use your largest pot to make this dish.
    • Prep all your ingredients, like the peppers and stew base, ahead of time the day before you make the dish to make it even easier to get started.
    • Use a nice melting cheese for quesabirria tacos.
    • Fry the tacos in the leftover grease that rises to the top of the stew for the most amazing flavor.

    What are Birria Tacos?

    Birria is an amazingly sweet, spicy, and savory Mexican stew. It is simmered to tender, fall-apart juicy beef, that melts in your mouth.

    This saucy goodness is then stuffed into a tortilla and then dipped into the stew and pan-fried until crispy. This results in the most amazing taco you will ever taste!

    Birria Tacos Recipes FAQs

    What is birria?

    It is a popular Mexican recipe from the state of Jalisco, originally made with lamb meat. Beef birria recipes, or birria de res, are common now - I use chuck roast in my Mexican stew.
    Birria tacos are made of delicious Mexican Stew and Mexican cheese such as oaxaca. The secret to what makes birria tacos so incredible is dipping the tortillas in the fat from the stew to fry them in a pan. You then dip the tacos in the birria consome.

    What meat is used for birria tacos?

    The traditional Mexican stew used goat meat. But these tacos have evolved over the years and now it is common to also use beef. I use chuck roast to make my birria stew, then remove it from the stew to shred and use in tacos. You can use any kind of stew meat you prefer, but I like chuck roast for its affordability and how easy it is to shred with a fork.

    What cheese goes on birria tacos?

    Mexican cheese, like oaxaca, works best. You can also use another melty cheese like Monterey Jack or Mozzarella.

    How Many Birria Tacos Per Person

    If you're allowing your guests to fill their own tacos, account for 2 tacos per person - people tend to over-fill their own tacos!

    Number of GuestsAmount of Birria Consomme to MakeAmount of Tacos
    4-8Prepare 50% more (2.5 to 3 lbs. roast)8-16
    8-12Double the recipe (4 to 4.5 lbs. roast)16-24
    12-15Prepare 150% more (4.5 to 5 lbs. roast)24-30
    15-20Triple the recipe (6 to 6.5 lbs. roast)30-40

    Tip: Use the slide bar next to the recipe yield in the recipe card to automatically calculate how much of each ingredient you will need.

    Best Tacos Recipes

    • Taco Casserole
    • Carne Picada Tacos
    • Carne Asada Tacos
    • Taco Soup
    • Taco Bowls

    Make more of my favorite Mexican Beef Recipes!

    Dipping a beef birria taco in stew

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    📋 Recipe

    Beef birria tacos on a white platter
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.76 from 81 votes

    Birria Tacos Recipe

    My Birria Tacos recipe has all the flavors you're looking for in birria: they're earthy and mildly spicy, with fall-apart tender chuck roast beef and Mexican cheese! Of all the birria tacos recipes, this is the best!
    Prep Time50 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs 5 mins
    Total Time3 hrs 55 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: birria taco recipe, birria tacos, birria tacos recipe, how to make birria tacos, tacos de birria
    Servings: 12 to 15 tacos
    Calories: 311kcal
    Author: Isabel Laessig

    Equipment

    • Dutch oven
    • Blender or food processor
    • Kitchen scissors
    • Medium pot
    • Skillet
    • Tongs

    Ingredients

    • 2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast cut into large chunks
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 dried guajillo chiles
    • 2 dried ancho chiles
    • 2 roma tomatoes quartered
    • 1 medium onion halved
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick up to 2-inch
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
    • 1 to 2 cups beef broth

    For Tacos

    • 12-15 corn tortillas
    • 1 cup diced onion
    • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
    • ½ cup Mexican melting cheese such as oaxaca
    • 1 lime cut into wedges

    See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

    Instructions

    • Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When hot, season beef with salt and pepper and add to pot. Sear on all sides. Add half of the onion to the pot and cook two minutes more. Remove dutch oven from heat and set aside while you make the sauce.
      2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 medium onion
      Birria beef in the dutch oven
    • Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.
      3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles
      Guajillo and ancho chiles on a surface with scissors and a bowl
    • In a medium pot, add the chiles, tomatoes, half onion, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Pour in enough water to cover all ingredients, about 4 to 5 cups. Place on stove over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
      3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 medium onion, 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic
      birria stew ingredients in pot
    • Add remaining seasonings to the sauce pot: dried oregano, cumin seeds, dried thyme, and salt and peppercorns. Give it a stir and simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
      1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt
      Birria stew cooking in pot
    • Strain the contents of the sauce pot into a large wire-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and discard. Place remaining solids into a blender.
      Chiles, tomatoes, and onions in a blender
    • Add 2 cups of the broth from the sauce into the blender, plus 1 cup of beef broth. Whirl until well blended. Taste and add more salt if needed and blend just until mixed in.
      Birria beef stew base blended
    • Place the pot with the beef and onion back on the stove at medium heat. Pour the contents of the blender over the beef. If the sauce is not enough liquid to cover the beef, pour in enough beef broth to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and lower heat. Simmer until meat is tender and shreds easily, about 2½ to 3 hours.
      1 to 2 cups beef broth
      Birria beef stew in a dutch oven pot

    Making the tacos

    • Turn off heat, remove beef from the sauce, and shred.
      Beef birria stew meat next to a dutch oven of the stew
    • Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the top of the stew (where the fat floats), then place in the hot skillet. Top with some shredded beef, cheese, and cilantro.
      12-15 corn tortillas
      Beef birria tacos in a skillet
    • Fold tortilla over and fry for about one minute on each side, until crispy. Remove taco to plate or baking sheet and keep warm. Repeat above steps with remaining tortillas.
      Two beef birria tacos folded over in skillet
    • Serve warm with a small bowl of the birria stew for dipping. Serve with lime wedges and sliced jalapenos if desired. Top tacos with diced onion, more cilantro and more cheese if desired.
      1 cup diced onion, ¼ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup Mexican melting cheese, 1 lime
      Beef birria tacos arranged on a white platter with a bowl of mexican beef stew

    Video

    Notes

    For more heat, try adding dried chiles de árbol when cooking the beef, or jalapenos after making the tacos.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1taco | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 453mg | Potassium: 573mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1913IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 3mg

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    About Isabel Laessig

    Isabel Laessig, better known as Family Foodie and the founder of the Sunday Supper Movement, is passionate about food and family! She is the author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook, and makes regular television appearances to spread her mission of bringing Sunday Supper back around the family table in every home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda Anderson says

      November 29, 2021 at 11:38 am

      5 stars
      This was SO GOOD. I'm going to make it again soon, I need to add more dried chiles de árbol to make it more spicy!! 🥵

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 30, 2021 at 11:59 am

        Amanda, we're so glad you enjoyed it! Adding more chile peppers sounds incredible. We do love the spice!

        Reply
    2. Gloriann says

      April 05, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      Hello,
      Can you make this in a crockpot?

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        April 11, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        Hi Gloriann! If you make this in the crockpot, I recommend cooking on low for 8 to 10 hours. Thank you for your question!

        Reply
    3. Kathy says

      April 22, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Added chile de Arbol for heat. Making a bigger batch next time!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        April 25, 2022 at 4:00 pm

        Thanks so much, Kathy! We're so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    4. Bill Harod says

      May 12, 2022 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      They were delicious! I'm a big onion fan, so I doubled the amount; the consomme came out thicker and slightly chunky (small fine bits, but nonetheless, not a thin consomme texture). So I added beef broth and strain it through a fine sieve, kept the flavor, lost the chunks and it turned out beautiful.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        May 18, 2022 at 2:46 pm

        Thank you for sharing, Bill! We're so glad you enjoyed it! Your adjustments sound delicious.

        Reply
    5. Aja says

      June 09, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been obsessed with these tacos lately so when I found a recipe, I was so excited! And Omg I’m in love with these! Made them for dinner last night and I cried happy tears cause they were so good! Made elotes as my side dish and oooh best thing ever! Definitely going to have these on the dinner table more often, thank you for your recipe!

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        June 09, 2022 at 4:20 pm

        That is so awesome, Aja! We're so glad you enjoyed them - thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    6. Jana R says

      August 28, 2022 at 5:25 pm

      5 stars
      I've made these twice in two weeks! they are amazing and my husband has requested them once a week now. Thank you for this awesome recipe.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        September 07, 2022 at 3:23 pm

        Thank you so much, Jana! We are so glad you and your husband both enjoyed them!

        Reply
    7. Kathy says

      September 11, 2022 at 3:45 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! My family loves it. Second time making this, but I doubled it to freeze for another meal. It’s a saver!

      Reply
    8. Emily says

      November 04, 2022 at 3:23 pm

      Making it for a second time and doubling, so good! My blender is a little on the fritz but hopeful that my immersion blender will suffice. I’m sure I won’t get a response before I’m done, but anyone else try doing the sauce with an immersion blender.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        November 07, 2022 at 11:04 am

        Hi Emily! I've never tried making the sauce with an immersion blender myself, but am positive it will work just fine. I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    9. Pat says

      December 03, 2022 at 10:40 pm

      For the most part went great and are delicious. Only question is advice for keeping the tortillas from sticking to pan. I had to break out a nonstick which I don’t like using if at all avoidable.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        December 05, 2022 at 3:57 pm

        Hi Pat! Hmm, if you're seeing an issue with the tortillas sticking to the pan even after dipping them in the fat from the stew, I'd maybe add some of the fat from the stew to the skillet first to grease it, then dip and fry as normal.

        Reply
    10. Meredith says

      December 17, 2022 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      I made these, they turned out great. Here are my comments…

      - I seared the meat in a cast iron and then put it in a slow cooker for 8 hours. I made the sauce as directed and added it to the slow cooker for that time.

      - I had to kind of destroy my dried chilis to get most of the seeds out, but that’s okay. They don’t need to be whole.

      - You will have some leftover broth that you’ll toss after step 6, you won’t blend all of it into your sauce (unless I misunderstood the directions).

      - I used a tortilla warmer to heat up the tortillas before dipping them in the sauce, otherwise they broke.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        December 19, 2022 at 10:35 am

        These are awesome notes, Meredith. Thanks so much for trying the recipe, and we're glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    11. Mike Y says

      December 31, 2022 at 2:28 pm

      4 stars
      Just made these, tasted great. Will add some extra spice next time but made these as instructed as my wife is not a spicy food fan. Two complaints. The photo caption notes a full onion (Step 3), so I scrambled to add another 1/2 although instructions didn't state such. Not a biggie, but dislike inconsistencies. Second, Corn tortillas were a disaster (fell apart becoming something closer to a stir fry than a taco). I switched to flour which held together better, but they never got crisp as I expected. Next time (yes there will be!) I'll add a little oil to the fry pan to help crisp up the finished tacos (looks like this was a problem for you as in the video it appears you have added a second tortilla, I'm guessing to keep them together.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        January 09, 2023 at 1:21 pm

        Hi Mike! We're so glad you enjoyed it! The ingredients automatically populate under each step to make it easier to track which you're using - but this does mean it will show 1 whole onion instead of just a half, since you need a whole one for the full recipe (which is why the step itself says half, but that section does not). As for the corn tortillas, they surely can be finicky... but I'm happy to hear there will be a next time and that you enjoyed it! Take care!

        Reply
    12. Jana R says

      February 16, 2023 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe! I literally make these about once a week. My husband has said it's better than a few restaurants he's been too. So just wanted to thank you for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Em Beitel says

        February 21, 2023 at 5:18 pm

        Thank you so much, Jana! We're so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! That is awesome!

        Reply

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