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Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos

Delicious crispy Birria Tacos, or Quesabirria, filled with cheesy shredded beef and served with rich consommé.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Course mains
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 25 tacos
Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

  • large saucepan
  • blender
  • heavy based pot
  • Non-Stick Pan

Ingredients
  

Birria adobo (paste)

  • 25 g guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped ¾ cup once chopped)
  • 45 g ancho chillies, dried (~2-3 pieces, 1 cup once chopped)
  • 6 g chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tablespoon once chopped)
  • ½ cup chilli soaking water reserve after simmering
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 small onion (roughly sliced, ~tennis ball size)
  • 1 medium tomato (roughly sliced, 180g)
  • 2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Birria braising

  • 5 tablespoon vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 1.3 kg chuck beef (or boneless beef short ribs - 1.8kg/3.6 lb bone-in)
  • 2 cups beef stock / broth (low sodium)
  • 10 cloves whole cloves (or ¼ teaspoon ground cloves)
  • 1 stick cinnamon (substitute ¼ teaspoon powder, but it's not quite the same)
  • 3 leaves bay leaves (preferably fresh else dried)
  • 2 ½ teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt (halve for table salt, +30% for flakes)
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or regular white vinegar, red or white wine vinegar)

Beef seasoning

  • ½ teaspoon cooking salt / kosher salt

Birria Tacos

  • 20 - 25 corn tortillas (14.5cm/6" wide)
  • 1 white onion (diced)
  • ½ cup finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
  • 3 ½ cups shredded cheese (Colby, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese)
  • Lime wedges optional
  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce optional

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Use gloves if you're sensitive to working with chilli!
  • Deseed - Trim and discard stems. Cut lengthwise, remove and discard the seeds. Roughly chop into 1 - 1.5cm / ¼" pieces.
  • Simmer - Put chillis in a large saucepan of boiling water. Simmer rapidly for 10 minutes to soften, until flesh is mushy (skin stays intact but softens).
  • Reserve ½ cup of chilli-simmering water. Drain chilli in a sieve, lightly press out residual liquid.

Shredded beef

  • Birria Adobo (paste) - Place cooked chillies, reserved ½ cup chilli water and remaining Adobo ingredients in a tall jug large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz for 20 seconds until as smooth as possible.
  • Sear beef - Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add half the beef and sear each side aggressively until it's dark golden brown.
  • Cook off Adobo - Add the paste to the same pan and stir for 2 minutes in oil.
  • Slow cook 2 ½ hours - Add all Birria braising ingredients, stir, then add the beef. Bring to a boil then lower heat until it's simmering very gently. Cover with a lid and cook for 2 ½ hours, or until beef shreds easily.
  • Shred - Remove the beef to a clean pan and shred well. Add the ½ teaspoon of salt and toss meat to distribute.
  • Birria oil - Skim off as much of the red oil floating on the braising liquid surface as possible.
  • Soak beef - Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid into a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 15 seconds, then add all the beef and toss in the sauce until it's all absorbed by the beef.
  • Birria Consommé - Taste and check for salt, add more if needed.

Make Crispy Cheesy Birria Tacos

  • Red tortillas - Heat 1 teaspoon Birria Oil in the same non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Put a tortilla in and wipe around to make the underside red.
  • Stuff - Spread cheese on half of each tortilla, top with beef, then onion and coriander/cilantro.
  • Crisp! - Fold over then pan-fry 3 Birria Tacos at a time over medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side, until golden-red and crispy.
  • Serve - Remove and serve while hot with the Birria Consommé for dunking!

Notes

Yield - Makes 22 - 25 tacos, depending on how generously you stuff with beef. Excellent for prepare ahead - keep the beef (tossed in the sauce), red oil, and Consommé separate, prep chopped coriander and onion. Then cook on demand. Keeps 4 days in the fridge, freezer 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tacoCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 20gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 500mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 15mg
Keyword birria, birria recipe, birria tacos, birria tacos recipe, Quesabirria
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