Beef Birria Tacos

★ 4.3 · Advanced

Chuck roast braised in a rich dried chile broth, shredded, then folded into cheesy tortillas and pan-fried until crispy -- served with the consomme for dipping.

35 minPrep Time

210 minCook Time

245 minTotal Time

6 servings (about 18 tacos)Yield

Why You'll Love This

Rich, deeply spiced dried chile braise
Crispy cheese-stuffed tacos dipped in consomme
A festive, crowd-pleasing centerpiece meal

Ingredients

4 lbbeef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
4dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
3dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2dried chiles de arbol, stemmed
1large white onion, halved (half for broth, half diced for topping)
6 clovesgarlic
2Roma tomatoes
1 tablespooncumin seeds
2bay leaves
1 teaspoondried oregano
2 tablespoonskosher salt, plus more to taste
8 cupsbeef broth
20corn tortillas
3 cupsshredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
1/2 cupchopped fresh cilantro
2limes, cut into wedges

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

560Calories

38gProtein

28gFat

38gCarbs

5gFiber

980mgSodium

Nutrition information is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed and will vary based on the specific products used. It is not a substitute for advice from a nutrition professional.

Method

Toast the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles in a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side until fragrant but not burnt; soak in hot water for 15 minutes to soften, then drain.
In a blender, combine the soaked chiles, half the onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin seeds, oregano, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 cups beef broth; blend until smooth.
Season the beef chunks with salt and place in a 6-quart Dutch oven or large pot.
Pour the blended chile sauce over the beef, add the remaining 6 cups beef broth and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently for 3 to 3.5 hours (or braise in a 325F oven), until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily and reaches at least 200F internal temperature.
Remove the beef, shred it with two forks, discarding any large fat pieces, and skim excess fat from the surface of the broth (consomme).
Taste the consomme and adjust salt as needed; strain out solids if a smoother broth is desired.
Ladle a bit of the fat-flecked consomme into a shallow bowl; dip each tortilla in it to coat both sides.
Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat; place the dipped tortilla down, top half with shredded cheese and shredded birria beef, fold in half.
Cook the folded taco 2 to 3 minutes per side until crispy and golden and the cheese is fully melted.
Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese, working in batches.
Serve the crispy tacos with small cups of hot consomme for dipping, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Avoid over-soaking tortillas in the consomme, more than a quick dip, or they will tear apart instead of frying crispy.

Tips

Toasting the dried chiles briefly before soaking deepens their flavor significantly compared to soaking raw chiles.
Skimming the flavorful fat off the top of the consomme before dipping tortillas gives the tacos their signature red, crispy fried edge.