What are birria tacos?

Classic birria stew is made with meat cooked in a spicy-rich chile consommé, served in bowls with a stack of corn tortillas, a side of rice and beans, and topped with white onion, oregano, fresh cilantro, radish slices, and a squeeze of lime juice. Take that same concept and put it between tortillas that are bathed in the chile broth (with more on the side for dunking), and you have birria tacos.

Where did birria tacos originate?

Originally from the Mexican state of Jalisco, traditional birria stew is served all over Mexico and has made its way to mom and pop Mexican restaurants in America. Birria and quesabirria tacos first started appearing at food trucks in Tijuana, Mexico.

What meat is in birria tacos?

Birria is customarily made with red meat such as goat, lamb, or beef slow-cooked to the “fall off the bone” stage until it literally melts in your mouth.

How do you reheat birria tacos?

You can simmer the meat and sauce for birria tacos up to 2 days ahead, then reheat them until hot on the stovetop. But for best texture, assemble the tacos shortly before serving.

Birria Tacos - Nibbles and Feasts

Description

These beef birria tacos are messy, mouthwatering, crispy, and irresistible. Make sure you have a large stack of napkins, because you’re going to want to enjoy (or catch!) every drop.

Ingredients

Scale

6 dried guajillo chilies (or New Mexico chilies)
4 dried ancho chilies (or pasilla chilies)
2 small white onions (divided)
7 Roma tomatoes (1 1/4 lb. total)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
7 garlic cloves (peeled)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
16 cups water (divided)
2 tsp. salt (plus up to 2 tsp. more to taste)
1 1/2 lb. beef short ribs (with bones)
2 lb. beef shank (bone-in, or 1 1/2 lb. if boneless)
16 corn tortillas (yellow, thick and rustic, 5-6 inches wide, such as La Fe brand; or use handmade-style corn tortillas with corn and wheat, such as Maria and Ricardo’s)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or Monterey jack cheese, optional)
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges (for serving)
radish slices (for serving)

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Instructions

Cut off stems from guajillo and ancho chilies. Cut chilies lengthwise with kitchen scissors. Shake out seeds, pull off veins, and discard. Rinse chilies, then set aside. Coarsely chop enough onion to make 1 cup; set it and remaining onion aside. Quarter the tomatoes.
Heat oil in a 6- to 8-qt. pot over medium heat. Add coarsely chopped onion, the tomatoes, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Add black pepper, cumin, thyme, oregano, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes begin to break apart and release liquid, about 5 minutes.
Add guajillo and ancho chilies, vinegar, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chilies are soft enough to break apart easily when pressed with a spoon, 10-12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Discard cinnamon stick.
Transfer mixture to a blender (in batches, if needed). With lid slightly ajar and a towel over lid to catch any splatters, blend chili mixture until smooth, about 1 minute.
Transfer chili mixture back to the 6- to 8-qt. pot. Add remaining 12 cups (3 qt.) water, 2 tsp. salt, and short ribs and beef shank. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until meat pulls from bones and can easily be separated with 2 forks, about 2 1/2 hours.
While meat cooks, finely chop remaining onion and set aside.
With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut meat from bones, discard bones, and then chop meat into small pieces. Put meat in a bowl, season to taste with more salt, and set aside. Strain broth through a mesh sieve into another pot. Season to taste with more salt and keep warm over low heat.
To assemble tacos, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. (Using a wide pan allows the broth to thicken rapidly and become more of a sauce, which makes a lovely and tasty coating on the tortillas.) Spoon 1/4 cup broth into pan and place a corn tortilla in the broth. Heat tortilla until it’s lightly wet and softened but not soggy, about 20 seconds, then flip it over. Sprinkle tortilla with 2 Tbsp. cheese (if using), then top with 1/4 cup chopped beef, a sprinkle of onion, and cilantro. Fold tortilla over taco to close.
Using a wide spatula and tongs (preferably with silicone ends), transfer taco to a serving dish, then tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat to make remaining tacos.
Sprinkle filled tacos with more onion and cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with radish slices and more lime wedges. Ladle broth into bowls and serve on the side for dipping. Freeze extra broth to use as a flavorful base for soup.