Birria tacos recipe with juicy shredded beef slow-cooked in a rich chili sauce, dipped in consomé and pan-fried until crispy. The best tacos you'll ever make.
Birria Tacos Recipe
Have you tried Birria Tacos yet, my friends? You are in for a culinary treat. Your taste buds are going to thank you. You might be able to cruise over to your favorite Mexican restaurant for these, but this homemade version is so good, you'll wonder where they've been all your life.
What are Birria Tacos?
Birria Tacos (tacos de birria) are tacos made with meat that is slowly braised in a flavorful chili sauce. The meat is usually lamb, goat or beef, with beef being more popular today.
The tortillas are dipped first into the chili consome, or braising liquid, before they are lightly pan fried until crispy. They are filled with juicy birria stew and topped with your favorite fixings, like shredded oaxaca cheese, sliced peppers, onion and cilantro, whatever you like.
Birria is actually an iconic Mexican dish from Jalisco of shredded braised meat, usually served as a soup or stew. Birria tacos, however, is a more recent way to serve them, becoming hugely popular for their amazing flavor.
Learn more about more traditional birria with this birria recipe.
The birria consome is served in a small bowl on the side for sipping or dipping your birria tacos.
I already know you're going to love this recipe, spicy food lover that you are. Time to get cooking.
Let's talk about how to make birria tacos, shall we?
Birria Tacos Ingredients
- FOR THE BIRRIA
- Dried Peppers. Use ancho peppers and dried guajillo peppers. I also use a few chiles de arbol for a bit of extra spice and heat.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Vegetables. Onion, fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, garlic. You can also toss in some fresh peppers, if desired.
- Seasonings. Mexican oregano, cinnamon (ground cinnamon stick), cumin, ginger, sea salt and pepper. You can use others, like bay leaves.
- Vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar for this recipe.
- Beef Stock.
- Meat. I'm using chuck roast for this recipe, though you can use lamb, goat or beef. Lamb shoulder or lamb belly are hugely popular options. For beef, use brisket, chuck roast or beef shank.
- FOR THE BIRRIA TACOS
- Tortillas. I'm using corn tortillas, though you can use flour.
- Fixings. Chopped red onion, sliced jalapeno or serrano, fresh chopped cilantro, chili flakes, fresh lime juice. Use your favorites. Shredded oaxaca cheese is great here.
How to Make Birria Tacos - the Recipe Method
Dry Toast the Peppers. Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried chilies. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
Soak the Peppers. Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
Cook the Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic. While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat. Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
Food Processor. Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor. Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick, but you can thin if needed with the reserved soaking liquid.
Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.
Marinate the Meat. Cut the beef into large chunks and add to a large bowl. Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat.
Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
Dutch Oven or Large Pot. When you’re ready to cook, sear the meat, then add in the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth to a large pot or Dutch oven.
Simmer the Birria. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred.
Shred the Beef. Shred the meat with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the liquid from the pot. This is your consomé, and it's what makes birria tacos so special. I have a full post on how to make Birria Sauce (Consomé) if you want to go deeper on it.
MAKE THE BIRRIA TACOS
Heat the Oil. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet to medium heat or medium high heat.
Dip the Tortillas. Dip the tortillas into the birria sauce (consome) to coat them evenly, then set them into the hot pan.
Top with Birria and Lightly Fry. Top with shredded meat. Fold the moistened shell over and fry 2-3 minutes until crisp, then flip over and fry the other side until crisp.
Serve the Birria Tacos. Cool slightly and serve with your preferred toppings, with reserved liquid consomé from the pot as a side for dipping. The consomé is rich, spiced, and deeply savory. Don't skip it.
Boom! Done! Your birria tacos are ready to serve. Don't they look great? This meat is so incredibly tender and flavorful. I can't wait to dig into these!
Recipe Tips & Notes
Meat Options. You can use other cuts of meat to make birria. Beef is more popularly used today, but lamb and goat are more traditional.
For lamb and goat, consider shoulder or belly.
For the cut of beef, use brisket, chuck roast or beef shank. Short ribs are great, too.
You can realistically make this with any cut of meat, but the best are the tougher cuts that require low and slow cooking.
Slow Cooker Birria. To make slow cooker birria, simply skip the large pot and add the marinated meat and other ingredients to your slow cooker or crock pot.
Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or until the meat is tender and easily shreds with a fork. Then, proceed and make your birria tacos. See my Slow Cooker Birria Recipe for full printable instructions.
Quesabirria Tacos. An extremely popular way to serve birria, aside from birria tacos, is with lots of melted cheese. This way, it is called "quesabirria", and it is fantastic!
Dare I say, quesabirria is better than birria tacos? You be the judge!
To make it this way, you simply add lots of melty cheese onto the birria when you lightly fry the coated tortilla shells in the hot pan.
See my Quesabirria Tacos recipe. I hope you love it!
Instant Pot Birria Tacos. To make birria tacos in the Instant Pot, use the sauté function to sear the meat first (optional but worth it). Add the marinated meat, chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining beef broth. Cook on high pressure for 60-75 minutes, then allow a natural pressure release of at least 15 minutes. The meat should be fork-tender and easy to shred. Proceed with making the tacos as directed.
Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing
Birria is a great make-ahead dish. The braised beef actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have had time to meld. Make the birria up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate the meat and consomé separately in airtight containers, then fry the tacos fresh when you're ready to serve.
To store leftovers, keep the shredded beef and consomé refrigerated for up to 4 days. Store assembled tacos separately from the broth.
For freezing, birria freezes very well. Cool completely, then store the meat and consomé together in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Fry the tortillas fresh after thawing. Don't freeze assembled tacos.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this birria tacos recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you and how you served yours.
Cookbook Recommendations
If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes
- Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos)
- Tacos al Carbon
- Beef Barbacoa
- Barbacoa Tacos
- Spicy Chorizo Tacos (with Homemade Chorizo)
- Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- The Best Fish Tacos
- Cochinita Pibil
- Tacos De Papa (Crispy Potato Tacos)
- See all of my Tacos Recipes.
Try this beef birria ramen recipe, too, or birria quesadillas! Or Birria Nachos!
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Birria Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BIRRIA RECIPE
- 5 ancho peppers
- 5 guajillo peppers
- 2-3 chiles de arbol optional for spicier
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 large tomatoes chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 large roasted tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups beef stock separated
- 4 pound boneless beef chuck Or you can use beef shank or brisket - try with lamb shoulder. See Recipe Notes.
FOR THE BIRRIA TACOS
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 16 corn tortillas You can use flour tortillas.
- Fixings. Chopped red onion, sliced jalapeno or serrano, fresh chopped cilantro, chili flakes, fresh lime juice. Use your favorites. Shredded cheese is great here.
Instructions
MAKE THE BIRRIA
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried peppers. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
- Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
- While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat.
- Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor.
- Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
- Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick, but you can thin if needed with the reserved soaking liquid. Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.
- Cut the beef into large chunks and add to a large bowl.
- Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
- Remove the beef from the marinade and sear in batches in your Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of oil, 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Don't discard the marinade.
- Once all the beef is seared, add the reserved marinade, chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred. It should be fairly saucy.
- Shred the meat with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the birria sauce (consome).
MAKE THE BIRRIA TACOS
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pan or skillet. Dip the tortillas into the birria sauce (consome) to coat them evenly, then set them into the hot pan.
- Top with shredded birria meat. Fold the moistened shell over and fry 2-3 minutes until crisp, then flip over and fry the other side until crisp.
- Cool slightly and serve with your preferred toppings, with reserved liquid consome from the pot as a side soup/broth.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Birria Tacos FAQ
Are birria tacos spicy?
This recipe is mild to medium. The heat level depends almost entirely on which dried chiles you use and how many.
Guajillo peppers are mild and fruity with almost no heat, more about flavor and color than spice. Ancho peppers are also mild, with a deep smoky, chocolatey flavor and only a faint warmth (around 1,000-2,000 Scoville heat units). The chiles de arbol are where the actual heat comes from. They register around 15,000-30,000 Scoville units, making them quite a bit hotter than the other two. I call for 2-3 in the recipe and mark them as optional.
To make the tacos milder, leave the chiles de arbol out entirely. The dish still has full flavor from the guajillos and anchos, you just lose the heat. To make them spicier, add more chiles de arbol or drizzle in hot sauce. You can also add a dried chile negro or chipotle for extra smokiness with a medium heat bump.
What kind of cheese is best for birria tacos?
Oaxaca cheese (quesillo) is the traditional choice. It has a mild, buttery flavor with excellent melt and stretch. You'll find it at most Latin markets.
If you can't find Oaxaca cheese, Monterey Jack is the best substitute and easy to find. It melts nicely, has a mild flavor that doesn't compete with the birria, and crisps up nicely in the pan. Provolone also works well. I'd skip mozzarella, as it is too bland and a little watery for this recipe.
For quesabirria style tacos (fully cheese-loaded), I recommend going heavy on the Oaxaca or Monterey Jack and letting it melt and crisp against the pan before folding. See my Quesabirria Tacos recipe for the full version.
Can you use other cuts of beef?
Yes. Chuck roast is my go-to because it's affordable, easy to find, and turns super tender after a few hours of low and slow cooking. But brisket, beef shank, and short ribs all work well here too. Short ribs add extra richness and fat to the consomé, which makes the dipping liquid extra special. For the most traditional preparation, use bone-in cuts where possible.
Lamb shoulder or lamb belly are the traditional options if you want to go that route. Goat is also traditional. The recipe method stays the same, just adjust cooking time slightly for different cuts, since some take longer to fully break down.
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 4/27/26 to include new information, including FAQs. The recipe was not changed.
Carolyn says
Absolutely outstanding! OMG the flavor is award winning!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! Thanks, Carolyn! I agree, these are SO GOOD!
WendyUSA says
A piece of cool info from a chef. Let your Birria sauce separate and dip your taco shell in only the Oil of the birria sauce which will make for a crispier taco.
Everything I have made on your site rocks and is so flexible.
Thank you Mike!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! Thanks, Wendy! I do this in my video. Perfection!! I appreciate the kind words. YOU ROCK!
Debby says
I don't have (or access to) fire roasted tomatoes can I add some Rotel (homemade) instead?
Mike Hultquist says
Debby, that will work very nicely, absolutely. Perfect flavors. I hope you enjoy it!