Birria Tacos (Crispy, Cheesy Beef Tacos with Consommé)

Birria tacos are the ones with everything: beef braised until it falls apart in a deep red chile sauce, tucked into corn tortillas with melty cheese, then crisped in a skillet until the edges are golden and the whole taco glows red-orange. You finish them by dipping each bite into a cup of rich, savory consommé. They take a few hours, but almost all of that is hands-off, and the payoff is far better than any taco you’ve had at home before.

This recipe walks through every step with photos, from toasting the dried chiles to getting that crispy, cheesy finish, with exact amounts so you can cook it from start to finish without opening another page. If you’ve never worked with dried chiles, don’t worry. They’re easy once you see how it’s done.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant-style at home. Crispy, cheesy, juicy tacos with a consommé for dipping, just like the taquerias.
• Mostly hands-off. After a short prep, the oven does the work for about 3 hours.
• Big, layered flavor. Toasted dried chiles, spices and slow braising build a sauce that tastes like it took all day, because it did, but not your day.
• Great for a crowd. The beef and consommé can be made ahead, and the tacos crisp up in minutes.
• Freezer friendly. The braised beef and broth freeze well for future taco nights.

What Are Birria Tacos?

Birria is a traditional Mexican stew from the state of Jalisco, originally made with goat and slow-cooked in a seasoned chile broth. Today’s birria tacos, often called quesabirria when cheese is added, are usually made with beef. The tender meat is folded into tortillas that have been dipped in the red fat from the stew, then griddled until crisp. The leftover braising liquid is served on the side as consommé, and you dip the tacos into it as you eat.

What Do They Taste Like?

Deep, savory and a little smoky, with mild heat from the dried chiles rather than sharp spice. The beef is fork-tender and juicy, the cheese is stretchy and creamy, and the tortilla is crisp on the outside and soft where it meets the filling. The consommé is rich and brothy with a hint of cinnamon and cumin, and a squeeze of lime with fresh onion and cilantro on top cuts through all that richness.

Which Beef Should You Use?

Chuck roast is the best choice. It has plenty of fat and connective tissue that melt during a long braise, giving you tender, shreddable beef and a flavorful broth. Short ribs and beef shank also work well and add extra richness, and many cooks use a mix. Lean cuts like sirloin or round tend to dry out and aren’t a good fit here.

The dried chiles are the heart of the flavor, and everything else is easy to find.

Ingredients

For the Beef

• 3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick

For the Chile Sauce

• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, halved
• ½ white onion, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp kosher salt

For the Tacos

• 12 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella (about 12 oz)
• About ½ cup red fat skimmed from the braise (or neutral oil)

To Serve

• ½ white onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• The strained braising liquid (consommé), warm, for dipping

Ingredient notes

• Dried chiles: Guajillo and ancho chiles are sold in the Mexican section of many grocery stores, at Latin markets and online. If you can’t find ancho, use extra guajillo. For more heat, add 2 or 3 dried chiles de árbol.
• Cheese: Oaxaca melts beautifully, but low-moisture mozzarella is an easy substitute. Monterey Jack also works.
• Tortillas: Fresh corn tortillas fold best. Warm them briefly before dipping if they crack.

Instructions

1. Sear the beef. Pat the beef dry and season with 2 tsp salt. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned, then move it to a plate. Don’t crowd the pot, since browning is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
2. Toast and soak the chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until fragrant and slightly darker. Don’t let them burn, because burnt chiles turn the sauce bitter. Move them to a bowl, cover with 2 cups of very hot water and soak for 20 minutes until soft.

A quick toast wakes up the flavor. Pull them as soon as they smell fragrant.

1. Blend the sauce. Drain the chiles, saving 1 cup of the soaking liquid. Add the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, pepper, cloves, 1 tsp salt and the 1 cup soaking liquid to a blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth. Pour it through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with a spoon, for a silky sauce.

Straining takes a minute and gives you a smooth sauce and a cleaner consommé.

1. Braise the beef. Heat the oven to 325°F. Return the beef to the Dutch oven and pour the strained sauce and the beef broth over it. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick and bring to a simmer on the stove. Cover and braise in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
2. Shred the beef. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Lift the beef out and shred it with two forks. Skim about ½ cup of the red fat from the surface of the broth into a small bowl, and set it aside for the tortillas. Taste the broth, which is your consommé, and add salt if needed. Return some of the shredded beef to the broth to keep it juicy.

When the beef pulls apart with almost no effort, it’s ready.

1. Dip the tortillas. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the red fat so both sides are lightly coated, then lay it in the pan.
2. Fill and crisp. Sprinkle about ¼ cup cheese over half of each tortilla, add about ⅓ cup shredded beef, then fold the tortilla over. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp, pressing gently with a spatula. Repeat with the rest, working in batches.

Medium heat gives the cheese time to melt before the tortilla browns.

1. Serve. Top the tacos with chopped onion and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges. Ladle the warm consommé into small cups for dipping.

Dip every bite. That’s what the consommé is for.

Tips for the Best Birria Tacos

• Sear the beef well. Deep browning adds a lot of flavor to both the meat and the consommé.
• Toast the chiles gently. A few seconds per side is enough. Scorched chiles make the sauce bitter.
• Strain the sauce. It gives you a smooth sauce and a clear, silky consommé.
• Skim the fat. The red fat on top of the braise is what gives the tortillas their color and crunch, so save it.
• Use medium heat for the tacos. High heat browns the tortilla before the cheese melts.
• Don’t overfill. Too much filling makes the tacos hard to fold and they fall apart in the pan.
• Keep the beef juicy. Store shredded beef in some of the broth, not dry.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common slip is rushing the braise. If the beef isn’t fork-tender, it will be chewy in the tacos, so give it extra time rather than pulling it early. The second is skipping the strainer, which leaves bits of chile skin in the consommé. The third is frying dry tortillas with no fat, which leaves them pale and cracked instead of red-orange and crisp. Take a moment to dip each tortilla in the red fat, and your tacos will look and taste like the real thing.

Variations to Try

• Slow cooker: Sear the beef, then cook everything in the slow cooker on low for about 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until shreddable.
• Instant Pot: Sear on the sauté setting, then pressure cook on high for about 55 minutes with a natural release.
• Chicken birria: Use bone-in chicken thighs and simmer in the sauce for about 1 hour, until very tender.
• Birria ramen: Pour hot consommé over cooked ramen noodles and top with shredded beef.
• Birria quesadillas or nachos: Use the same beef and cheese in a large flour tortilla, or pile it over tortilla chips.

What to Serve With It

Mexican rice and refried beans round out the plate, and a fresh pico de gallo or a simple cabbage slaw adds crunch. Pickled red onions are a great topping. For a drink, try a cold Mexican lager, a lime agua fresca or a glass of horchata. Make sure to put out extra lime wedges, onion and cilantro, since the fresh toppings balance the rich beef.

Storage, Make-Ahead and Freezing

Refrigerate: Store the shredded beef in some of the consommé in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep the extra consommé separate.

Reheat: Warm the beef and consommé gently on the stove. Crisp the tacos fresh in the skillet so they stay crunchy.

Make ahead: The beef and consommé taste even better after a day in the fridge. You can cook them a day or two ahead and then assemble the tacos when you’re ready.

Freeze: Freeze the shredded beef in consommé for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions