Birria Tacos with Dipping Sauce

Name: Birria Tacos with Dipping Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Latin American
Ingredients: 3 lbs beef chuck roast (or traditional goat meat); 1 lb beef short ribs (for extra richness); 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded; 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded; 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and deseeded; 3 Roma tomatoes, halved; ½ white onion, chopped; 5 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp ground cloves; 2 bay leaves; 4 cups beef broth; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Corn tortillas; 1 cup Oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella), shredded; Chopped white onion & cilantro, for garnish; Lime wedges, for serving

16 steps

Prep:30minCook:4h

Need a go-to taco recipe? Birria is a traditional Mexican dish that was created to make tough meat tender by slow-cooking it with rich spices. Today, it's a favorite, especially as crispy, cheesy tacos served with consomé (a flavorful broth) for dipping.

Updated at: Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:55:30 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories778 kcal (39%)

Total Fat55.7 g (80%)

Carbs15 g (6%)

Sugars3.1 g (3%)

Protein51.1 g (102%)

Sodium1000.2 mg (50%)

Fiber3.8 g (14%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Instructions

Make the chilli sauce

Step 1

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the dried chiles for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Cast Iron Skillet

Skillet

dried guajillo chiles4

dried ancho chiles2

dried pasilla chiles2

Step 2

Transfer them to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes until softened.

Bowl

Step 3

In the same skillet, char the tomatoes, onion, and garlic until slightly blackened.

roma tomatoes3

white onion0.5

garlic cloves5

Step 4

Blend the soaked chiles, charred vegetables, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth, then strain for a silky sauce.

BlenderMix

white vinegar2 Tbsp

ground cumin1 tsp

dried oregano1 tsp

ground cinnamon½ tsp

ground cloves½ tsp

beef broth4 cups

dried guajillo chiles4

dried ancho chiles2

dried pasilla chiles2

roma tomatoes3

white onion0.5

garlic cloves5

ground cloves½ tsp

Slow cook the meat

Step 5

Season the meat with salt and black pepper.

salt

black pepper

Step 6

Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides until browned.

Dutch Oven

Pot

Cast Iron Pot

beef chuck roast3 lbs

beef short ribs1 lb

Step 7

Pour the blended chile sauce over the meat, then add the remaining beef broth and bay leaves.

beef broth4 cups

bay leaves2

Step 8

Cover and let the meat simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours, or until fall-apart tender. If using a slow cooker, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours for the best flavor and tenderness, or on HIGH for 4-5 hours if you're short on time.

Slow CookerHigh

Slow CookerLow

Dutch Oven

Pot

Shred the meat and make the consomé (dipping sauce)

Step 9

Remove the meat and shred it with two forks.

Fork

Step 10

The consomé is the rich, spiced broth left after slow-cooking the birria meat, used both for dipping the tortillas before frying (for extra flavor and crispiness) and as a savory dipping sauce when serving the tacos. All you need to do is skim the excess fat from the broth, then season the consomé with salt if needed.