Super Crispy Birria Tacos (Printer-friendly)
Tender beef birria in crispy corn tortillas with melted cheese, served with warm spiced consommé.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Birria Beef
01 - 2.5 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
02 - 1 lb beef short ribs or oxtail, optional for extra richness
03 - 6 cups beef broth
04 - 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
07 - 1 white onion, quartered
08 - 5 garlic cloves
09 - 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
10 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
11 - 2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 2 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried thyme
14 - 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
15 - 4 whole cloves
16 - 2 bay leaves
17 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ For the Tacos
18 - 18 small corn tortillas
19 - 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
20 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
21 - 1/2 cup finely diced white onion
22 - Neutral oil for frying, such as canola or vegetable oil
23 - Lime wedges for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 10 minutes until softened.
02 - In the same skillet, roast the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and halved Roma tomatoes until lightly charred on all sides, about 5-7 minutes.
03 - Drain the soaked chiles and transfer to a blender along with the roasted vegetables, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano, dried thyme, ground cinnamon, whole cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until completely smooth.
04 - Place the beef chuck roast and short ribs in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the blended chile mixture over the meat along with the remaining beef broth. Add the bay leaves and stir to combine.
05 - Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily. Skim any excess fat from the surface and reserve for frying tacos if desired.
06 - Remove the beef from the cooking liquid and shred using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the pot to keep warm, or transfer to a separate bowl. Strain the consommé if a smoother texture is preferred and keep warm for serving.
07 - Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Have the birria consommé, reserved fat, or neutral oil ready for dipping and frying.
08 - Briefly dip each corn tortilla into the top layer of birria consommé or reserved fat, coating both sides. Place on the hot skillet and sprinkle shredded cheese on one half. Add a generous portion of shredded birria beef, then fold the tortilla in half to form a taco.
09 - Cook the tacos for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Add additional oil or consommé to the skillet as needed to prevent sticking. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
10 - Serve the crispy birria tacos immediately, topped with finely diced white onion and chopped fresh cilantro. Accompany with lime wedges and a small bowl of warm birria consommé for dipping.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The way the consommé transforms from simple broth into something so complex youll want to drink it straight from a mug
- Tacos that stay impossibly crispy even after being dipped in that rich spiced liquid
- The house smells like a Mexican grandmother has been cooking all day even though it was mostly hands-off time
02 -
- The first time I forgot to skim the fat before serving, my tacos were soggy instead of crispy, so that layer of rendered fat is actually liquid gold for frying
- Your blender might struggle with the chile paste, so add extra broth gradually and never fill past halfway unless you enjoy cleaning hot explosions off your ceiling
- Overnight refrigeration lets the fat separate perfectly and makes the beef even easier to shred if you can plan ahead
03 -
- A splash of consommé directly onto your taco before the final bite changes everything
- Pickled red onions add a bright acid punch that cuts through the richness
- The leftover consommé freezes beautifully for up to three months