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Beef Birria Tacos

Beef birria tacos with slow-cooked braised beef, dipped corn tortillas, and crispy folds with melted cheese. Served with a steaming cup of dark consommé for dunking and topped with onion and cilantro.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Birria base and consommé
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Cut into chunks.
  • 3 dried guajillo chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried ancho chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 1 chipotle in adobo
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion Roughly chopped.
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 salt and black pepper To taste.
Tacos
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 2 cup Oaxacan or mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 diced white onion and cilantro for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make the birria
  1. Toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry Dutch oven over medium heat until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds, then transfer to a blender.
  2. Blend the toasted chiles with diced tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, chipotle in adobo, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt and black pepper until smooth, then pour over the beef chunks in the crockpot.
  3. Cook on LOW in the crockpot for 8 hours, until the beef is very tender.
  4. Shred the beef using two forks and reserve the consommé separately for dipping.
Dip and crisp the tortillas
  1. Warm a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then dip each corn tortilla in the top layer of the red consommé fat for about 1–2 seconds to coat lightly.
  2. Cook the dipped tortilla in the hot skillet for 1 minute until it begins to crisp, then remove to a plate.
Assemble and fry quesabirria tacos
  1. Add shredded Oaxacan or mozzarella cheese and a portion of birria beef to one half of each crisp tortilla, then fold in half.
  2. Cook 2–3 minutes per side in the hot skillet until the tacos are deeply browned and crispy and the cheese is fully melted.
  3. Serve immediately with a cup of consommé for dipping, topped with diced white onion and fresh cilantro.

Notes

For the crispiest quesabirria tacos, use tortillas right after dipping—don’t let them sit or they’ll soften. Store leftover birria beef and consommé in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat gently and re-dip tortillas fresh. Freezing: freeze the shredded beef and consommé separately up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm. For a lighter option, use low-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt since the dip will still be flavorful.