This easy birria tacos recipe leans on slow cooking that turns a simple pot of chuck roast into tender, shredded beef flavored with dried chiles and Mexican spices. Pile that succulent meat into chile-dipped tortillas with melty Oaxaca cheese and then pan-fry until perfectly crispy.
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What are Birria Tacos?
Just like Pozole Rojo and Tortas Ahogadas, Birria is a traditional Mexican dish from Jalisco, Mexico, and at its heart it is a simple stew. The classic version uses goat meat, simmered low and slow with a deep red braise of dried chiles, garlic, and warm spices until the meat collapses into ribbons.
In the last decade, beef has largely taken over — what we call birria de res — usually starting from a chuck roast or short ribs, two cuts that reward slow cooking with shreds you can pull apart with a spoon. The guajillo chiles do most of the lifting in that birria stew, with ancho chiles adding their raisin-sweet hum.
At some point, someone turned that cozy birria stew into what we now know as beef birria tacos or quesabirra tacos—stuffing the shredded meat into tortilla shells with melty cheese, dipping them into that flavorful broth, and pan frying until the tortillas are crispy and irresistible.
The result? Juicy, cheesy, slightly crispy tacos served with a rich consommé for dipping—and honestly, it’s easy to see why these have become a viral sensation.
If you love shredded beef tacos, check out my carne deshebrada tacos—they’re one of my most popular recipes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Even though the cooking time is long, most of that time is hands-off. You just basically throw everything in a pot and let the meat cook until it is nice and tender.
- Crispy, cheesy perfection: A quick pan fry gives the tortillas that golden crunch while the Oaxaca cheese melts into every bite.
- Made for sharing: This birria recipe makes a generous batch, perfect for feeding a crowd or setting out for special occasions.
- Even better the next day: The birria meat and rich consommé reheat beautifully, making leftover tacos just as delicious.
Key Birria Ingredients
- Beef (Chuck Roast or Short Ribs): Boneless beef chuck roast is my go-to for tender meat, but short ribs or beef shanks add even more richness.
- Dried Chiles (Guajillo & Ancho): Guajillo chiles bring a mild heat and bright flavor, while ancho chiles add depth and a slightly sweet, smoky note. You can usually find them in the Mexican aisle of your local grocery store.
- Roma Tomatoes: Add body and a subtle acidity that balances the rich broth.
- White Onion & Garlic: Yellow onion will work great. Be sure to use fresh garlic cloves.
- Spices: Mexican oregano, cumin, coriander, black pepper, cloves, and bay leaves create that classic birria flavor.
- Liquid (Water or Beef Broth): Keeps everything simmering low and slow until the beef is fall-apart tender.
For serving:
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas hold up to being dipped in the broth before being fried. Flour tortillas will just fall apart.
- Oaxaca Cheese: Melts beautifully and gives you that signature cheesy pull. Substitute mozzarella or Monterey Jack if you can’t find it.
- Cilantro, Onion & Lime: Fresh toppings serve with blended broth for dipping
How to Make Birria Tacos
Brown the meat. Season well, and sear in a large pot or dutch oven with a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove to a plate.
Toast the dried chiles. In a dry skillet, lightly toast the guajillo chiles and ancho chiles until fragrant. Keep an eye on them—they should be aromatic, not burnt.
Sauté the aromatics. In the same pot you used to sear the beef, sauté chopped white onion and garlic cloves in the leftover oil until softened and golden.
Build the stew. Add the browned beef, toasted dried chiles back into the pot. Pour in enough water (or beef broth for a richer flavor) to cover everything. Then add roma tomatoes, mexican oregano, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and cloves.
Simmer low and slow. Bring everything to a gentle simmer over low heat, cover and cook for 2–3 hours, until the beef is incredibly tender and easy to shred.
Shred and blend. Remove the meat and shred it into juicy shredded tender beef. Blend the remaining liquid into a smooth, flavorful broth—this is your rich consommé. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Assemble the tacos. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a little oil. Dip a tortilla into the consommé to coat both sides. Lay the tortilla in the hot oil. Cover with shredded cheese and fill half with the shredded meat.
Pan fry until crispy. Fold and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden and crispy. Flip and fry the other side until crisp.
Finish and serve. Ladle the birria consommé into a small bowl or ramekin and top the broth with minced onion and cilantro. Serve the tacos with the consommé on the side for dipping.
Storage & Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the birria meat and rich consommé separately in an airtight container for up to a week. The flavors get even better as it sits.
- Freeze: Both the shredded meat and broth freeze well for up to 6 months—perfect for future taco nights.
- Reheat: Warm the birria meat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of broth to keep it juicy. Heat the consommé separately until hot.
- Crispy Again: For best results, assemble fresh tacos and pan fry just before serving to bring back those crispy tortillas.
What to Serve with Birria Tacos
When I’m serving birria tacos, I like to round things out with a mix of comforting sides and something fresh to balance all that rich, slow-cooked flavor.
For comforting, a side of refried beans is a given or try my elote corn casserole for something a little different. As for something crunchy and light, one of these fresh cabbage recipes would be a great side.
For toppings, keep it fresh and simple. Pico de gallo, guacamole, fresh salsa, all add brightness and contrast to the rich, cheesy tacos. For drinks, I suggest my passion fruit margarita and for dessert, arroz con leche is a make-ahed dessert that everyone loves.
You can also get a little creative with leftovers—birria ramen or even birria stuffed eggplant are both delicious ways to switch things up the next day.
FAQs
Boneless beef chuck roast is the most popular because it becomes incredibly tender with slow cooking, but short ribs or beef shanks also work for a richer birria stew.
Yes! Brown the meat in a skillet, toast the chiles, and sauté the onions and garlic in the same skillet as the meat. Then add everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6–8 hours until the meat is tender and easy to shred.
Definitely. Brown the meat on the sauté function, remove from the pot and add the onions and garlic and sauté those as well. You will need to toast the chiles on the stove top. Then add everything back to the pot (fill the water to the fill line, it probably won’t be 8 cups) and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Let naturally release for 30 minutes, then shred the meat and blend the broth as usual.
They’re more flavorful than spicy. Guajillo chiles and ancho chiles are mild, but you can add chile de arbol or chipotle peppers if you want more heat.
Yes, and it actually tastes better the next day. Store the shredded meat and broth in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
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Easy Birria Tacos Recipe
This easy birria tacos recipe leans on slow cooking that turns a simple pot of chuck roast into tender, shredded beef flavored with dried chiles and Mexican spices. Pile that succulent meat into chile-dipped tortillas with melty Oaxaca cheese and then pan-fry until perfectly crispy.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2-3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil or neutral-flavored oil
- 5 dried guajillo chiles , stemmed and seeded and rinsed
- 5 dried ancho chiles , stemmed, seeded, and rinsed
- 1 medium white onion , chopped
- 5 garlic cloves , smashed
- 8-10 cups cold water
- 2 Roma tomatoes , quartered
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferable Mexican oregano)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
For Serving
- 4-6 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 12-15 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese
- 1/2 cup minced white onion
- 1/2 cup minced cilantro
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Season 3 pounds boneless chuck roast generously all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil or other neutral oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown until golden and crisp on all sides. Turn on your exhaust fan if you have one and open the windows, it will get smoky. Remove meat to a plate once it is well browned but keep pot on the stove.
- Toast the dried chiles. Meanwhile, heat a comal or a dry skillet over medium heat. Lightly toast the 4 guajillo chiles and ancho chiles, turning frequently until fragrant. Keep an eye on them—they should be aromatic, not burnt.
- Sauté the aromatics. In the same pot you used to sear the beef, add the chopped white onion and 5 garlic cloves in the leftover oil. Season well with salt and pepper and sauté until softened and golden.
- Build the stew. Add the beef and the toasted dried chiles back into the pot. Pour in enough cold water to cover everything (about 8-10 cups). Then add the 2 roma tomatoes, a tablespoon of salt, 5 black peppercorns, the 3 whole cloves, the 2 bay leaves, the teaspoon Mexican oregano, teaspoon cumin, and the teaspoon coriander.
- Simmer low and slow. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and cover. Gently simmer for 3-4 hours, until the beef is incredibly tender and easy to shred.
- Shred and blend. Remove the meat to a baking sheet and let cool slightly. Remove pot from the heat and let the broth cool as well. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces and discard any excess fat or gristle. Pour the broth with the chiles and everything into a blender and blend until smooth —this is your rich consommé. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender or do it using an immersion blender. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Assemble the tacos. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Dip a tortilla into the consommé to coat both sides. Lay the tortilla in the hot oil. Cover with shredded cheese and place abou 1/4 cup of shredded meat on one side.
- Pan fry until crispy. Fold and cook until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden and crispy. Flip and fry the other side until crisp. Repeat with remaining tortillas, meat, and cheese. Add more oil to the pan if it dries out. You may be able to do more than one at a time if your pan is large enough.
- Finish and serve. Ladle the birria consommé into a small bowls or ramekins and top the broth with minced onion and cilantro. Serve the tacos with the consommé on the side for dipping and lime wedges.
Notes
- Serving: I like to serve the tacos as I finish cooking them but if you want to do cook them all at once and then serve, keep the fried tacos on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you cook the others.
- Beef broth: If you use beef broth instead of water for the consomeé, lower the amount of added salt to 1 teaspoon then taste at the end and add more if needed.
- Don't Rush the Sear: The "smoky" browning step of the beef is where your deep flavor comes from. If the meat is crowded, cut into smaller pieces and sear it in batches to ensure it browns rather than steams.
- Make Ahead: Birria actually tastes better the next day. You can braise and shred the meat a day in advance, then simply fry the tacos when you're ready to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 340Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 85mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 13g
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