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My amazing Birria Tacos recipe is amazing! It has all the flavors you're looking for in a birria recipe! They're sweet and mildly spicy, with fall-apart tender chuck roast beef and Mexican cheese.
Whether you call them birria tacos, quesabirria tacos, or quesatacos, this recipe is amazing! One bite into the crispy shell dipped in the delicious sauce and you'll never go back.
Jump to:
- Best Birria Tacos
- Birria Ingredients
- Tacos de Birria Ingredients
- How to Make Birria
- How to Make Birria Tacos
- Birria Taco Recipes FAQs
- What is birria?
- What is the difference between birria and barbacoa?
- Is birria spicy?
- Quesabirria Tacos Bar
- Best Beef Tacos Recipes
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Best Birria Tacos
It all begins with my homemade beef birria recipe! Beef Consomme is one of my favorite dishes to make. It's rich and earthy with just the right amount of spice, and perfect for use in dishes like these tacos de birria!
If you have yet to try these 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 internationally. Quesabirria tacos are especially popular in North America, and if you've ever had them, you know why.
They are so delicious. There is nothing like tender beef tacos, with their earthy, mildly spicy flavor that goes so well with melty Mexican cheese, cilantro, and lime. Dip them in birria consome - it's the best taco dipping sauce - and you will know why they're so popular! At our house, it's a toss-up between this recipe or my easy mississippi pot roast when it comes to our favorite roast beef recipe.
The trick to making these incredible beef birria tacos is dipping your tortillas in the consome fat, then frying them in a pan! Crisp fried taco shells are a life-changer.
Oh my goodness!!! This recipe was everything!!! So so so good!!
Jennifer on Pinterest
Birria 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
Beef birria meat: I use chuck roast beef in my recipe, but you can also use beef shank, short ribs, or sirloin roast.
Dried guajillo chiles: Dried Mexican peppers offering 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.
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.
Tacos de Birria 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.
I tried it! It came out perfect and delicious. So easy and fun to make!!
Danelle on Pinterest
How to Make Birria
- 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.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 remaining solids into 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.
- 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.
These were so delicious! So good that I am now growing the peppers used in this recipe so I have them on hand. Seriously worth the effort.
Kimberly on Pinterest
How to Make Birria Tacos
- Turn off the heat, remove beef from the sauce, and shred.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Birria Taco Recipes FAQs
Birria tacos are made of delicious Mexican Stew and Mexican cheese such as oaxaca (my personal favorite). 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.
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 beef chuck roast to make my beef 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.
Mexican cheese, like oaxaca, works best. You can also use another melty cheese like Monterey Jack or Mozzarella.
As long as you check your beef broth making the stew is gluten-free, and you use corn tortillas as in this recipe, quesabirria tacos are totally gluten-free.
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 beef in my Mexican stew.
Traditionally, the stew is served for Mexican celebrations like the holidays or weddings, but it's become popular internationally recently - and there's no question why!
You can also make this recipe with chicken. Chicken Birria Tacos are equally just as amazing. And if you like this recipe, then you are also going to love my empanadas recipes!
What is the difference between birria and barbacoa?
Barbacoa traditionally uses the same meat as birria, but is steamed and slow-cooked rather than cooked submerged in a broth. The result is a dish of smooth, shredded meat, typically not spicy.
Birria, however, is cooked with a variety of spices, and submerged in a broth. It has the consistency of a stew and is typically spicy whereas barbacoa is not.
Is birria spicy?
Traditional recipes are typically spicy, but the flavor of my dish is a nice balance of earthy and spicy flavors. Using guajillo and ancho chiles, my recipe is only mildly hot.
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 with the earthy flavors of the rest of the dish.
I was craving a good Birria recipe and glad I found this! Absolutely delicious.
Krystal on Pinterest
Quesabirria Tacos Bar
Birria tacos are amazing at a taco bar for a party! You can prepare the beef birria consomme ahead of time, fry up the tortilla shells, and give guests their choice of toppings to serve with the quesabirria tacos. Follow my guide on how many tacos to prepare per person!
How Many 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 Guests | Amount of Birria Consomme to Make | Amount of Tacos |
|---|---|---|
| 4-8 | Prepare 50% more (2.5 to 3 lbs. roast) | 8-16 |
| 8-12 | Double the recipe (4 to 4.5 lbs. roast) | 16-24 |
| 12-15 | Prepare 150% more (4.5 to 5 lbs. roast) | 24-30 |
| 15-20 | Triple 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 Beef Tacos Recipes
I also love making tacos with leftover smoked brisket. They are the perfect use for leftover brisket. Make more of my favorite Mexican Beef Recipes!
Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Birria Tacos
Equipment
- 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
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
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Making the tacos
- Turn off heat, remove beef from the sauce, and shred.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
Amanda Anderson says
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!! 🥵
Em Beitel says
Amanda, we're so glad you enjoyed it! Adding more chile peppers sounds incredible. We do love the spice!
Gloriann says
Hello,
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Em Beitel says
Hi Gloriann! If you make this in the crockpot, I recommend cooking on low for 8 to 10 hours. Thank you for your question!
Kathy says
Love this recipe! Added chile de Arbol for heat. Making a bigger batch next time!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Kathy! We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Bill Harod says
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.
Em Beitel says
Thank you for sharing, Bill! We're so glad you enjoyed it! Your adjustments sound delicious.
Aja says
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!
Em Beitel says
That is so awesome, Aja! We're so glad you enjoyed them - thank you for sharing!