📖 This recipe is in the book
The Imported Kitchen — every Takeout Kit classic plus my travel favorites: 22 recipes with the exact imported brands that make them taste real.
Get the Cookbook — $9.99 →Birria Tacos Recipe: Birria tacos are beef braised for hours in a dried-chile sauce, shredded, tucked into tortillas dipped in the fat skimmed from the top of the pot, and fried until crisp. The consommé goes on the side for dunking.
🛒 Build Your Own Birria Kit
The secret to authentic birria is the dried chile blend - you won't find these at most grocery stores. Beef, onion, garlic, and tortillas are easy to grab locally.
- 🌶️ Dried Guajillo Chiles - mild, sweet, and slightly smoky (the backbone of birria)
- 🌶️ Dried Ancho Chiles - fruity dried poblanos for depth and color
- 🔥 Chile de Arbol - small and hot, adds the kick
- 🫙 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce - smoky depth for the braising liquid
- 🌿 Mexican Oregano - more citrusy than Mediterranean oregano
- 🫓 Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press
For the tortillas: fresh corn tortillas are the difference between good tacos and the ones you remember. Cast iron gives the even pressure a wooden press cannot.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Birria tacos are everywhere now, but birria itself has been made in Mexico for generations. It comes from the state of Jalisco, where it’s served at weddings, baptisms, and holidays. It’s cold-weather comfort food, though it’s good any time of year.
Jump to:
- What is Birria?
- What ingredients do you need for birria tacos?
- What is the best meat for birria tacos?
- What is birria consomé and why does it matter?
- How to make birria tacos
- Making the birria chile sauce
- What can you substitute in birria tacos?
- Variations
- What equipment do you need for birria tacos?
- What do you serve with birria tacos?
- How do you store leftover birria?
- Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions About Birria Tacos
- More Mexican recipes
- South American Recipes
- More slow-cooked recipes
- 1 Hour+
- Birria Tacos Recipe
What is Birria?
Birria is a stew from the state of Jalisco, traditionally made with goat meat (chivo). The beef version became popular in Tijuana in the 1950s-60s. The meat braises slowly in a broth built on dried chiles and spices until it pulls apart with a fork. The consommé is just the cooking liquid from the braise, concentrated with rendered fat and chile. In Jalisco, birria is festive food for celebrations and family gatherings, not an everyday dish. The word “birria” roughly translates to “something of little value,” which is funny given where it ended up. Birria tacos went viral on TikTok in 2020-2021, with the hashtag #birriataco accumulating over 3 billion views. Beef birria tacos take the shredded meat from the stew, fold it into crisp tortillas with cheese and toppings, and serve the consommé on the side for dipping.
What ingredients do you need for birria tacos?
The base is three dried chiles (guajillo, ancho, and arbol), beef chuck, and a short list of spices. Here’s what you need:
- Beef chuck roast
- Dried guajillo chilies
- Dried ancho chilies
- Dried arbol chilies
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Tomatoes
- Bay leaves
- Cinnamon stick
- Cumin
- Dried oregano
- Beef broth
- Corn tortillas
- Chopped onion and cilantro for garnish
- Lime wedges
- Shredded cheese (optional)
- Oaxaca cheese (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
What is the best meat for birria tacos?
Beef chuck roast is the usual choice. It stays tender over a long braise. For a more traditional birria, use goat or lamb, which are gamier and stand up well to the chiles. Whatever you pick, choose a cut with a good mix of fat and lean meat so the birria comes out tender and juicy.
What is birria consomé and why does it matter?
The consommé is only as good as the beef broth that goes into it. A good store-bought broth works, or you can make your own by simmering beef bones. If you’re using a slow cooker or Instant Pot, the beef broth is your cooking liquid too.
Watch the consistency. Cutting the beef broth with water keeps the consommé from getting too thick or heavy. A 1:1 ratio of broth to water works well, and you can adjust from there.
How to make birria tacos
- Step 1: Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies. Toast them in a skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant.
- Step 2: Soak the toasted chilies in hot water for about 15 minutes until they soften.
- Step 3: In a blender, combine the softened chilies, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and a cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth to create the birria sauce.
- Step 4: Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sear the meat on all sides until browned.
- Step 5: Pour the birria sauce over the meat. Add remaining beef broth, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is tender and falls apart easily.
- Step 6: Remove the meat from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the broth.
- Step 7: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip tortillas into the top layer of the birria broth to coat them with the flavorful fat.
- Step 8: Place the tortilla on the skillet, add shredded meat and cheese (if using), and fold in half. Cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Hint: Make the birria a day ahead if you can. It tastes better the next day. For a quicker version, pressure cook it in an Instant Pot, which cuts the cooking time a lot. To make quesabirria tacos, dip the tortillas in consommé, fry them, and add cheese alongside the shredded birria.
Making the birria chile sauce
The chile sauce is what makes birria taste like birria. People often call it adobo, but it’s really a dried-chile purée. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat until they’re fragrant and release their oils. Don’t skip this step. Then soften them in hot water and blend with some beef broth into a smooth purée.
Adjust the amount of chiles to suit your heat preference. Take your time with this sauce, since everything else in the pot depends on it.
What can you substitute in birria tacos?
Here are some substitutions to accommodate different dietary needs and ingredient availability:
- Meat Options - Substitute beef with lamb, goat, or even chicken.
- Chilies – If you can’t find specific chilies, use a combination of other dried chilies available, adjusting for heat.
- Gluten-Free - Use tortillas made from 100% corn to keep this recipe gluten-free.
Variations
- Spicy – Add extra arbol chilies or a pinch of cayenne pepper to increase the heat level.
- Cheesy - Add a layer of melted Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese inside the taco.
- Vegetarian – Replace the meat with hearty vegetables like mushrooms or jackfruit for a vegetarian version.
What equipment do you need for birria tacos?
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. For this birria tacos recipe, a large Dutch oven or slow cooker is ideal for achieving tender meat. If you don’t have one, a heavy-bottomed pot works too. Consider using a good quality blender to make a smooth birria sauce. You can find my favorite blender this Dutch oven on Amazon.
- Dutch oven
- Cast iron skillet
- Vitamix (or blender)
- Tongs
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring spoons
- Prep bowls
- Forks (for shredding meat)
- Ladle
- Small bowls (for consomé dipping sauce)
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups
What do you serve with birria tacos?
Serve birria tacos with a cup of the consommé for dipping. Birria also works as a stew, with warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream. For a bigger meal, add Mexican street corn, grilled vegetables, or a simple green salad.
How do you store leftover birria?
Store leftover birria meat and broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavor keeps developing, so leftovers are often better. You can also freeze the meat and broth separately for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove.
The assembled tacos are best enjoyed fresh, but you can prepare the meat in advance and assemble when ready to eat.
Tips
Don’t rush the braise. The longer it simmers, the more tender the meat gets. And don’t skip dipping the tortillas in the birria broth before they hit the skillet. That’s what flavors the tortilla and helps it crisp up.
Top the tacos with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of lime. Shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack, sour cream, diced radishes, or a splash of apple cider vinegar are all good too.
Frequently Asked Questions About Birria Tacos
A birria taco is made of tender, slow-cooked meat-traditionally goat, but often beef (such as beef chuck roast) is used-marinated and cooked in a rich, flavorful broth infused with dried chilies, tomatoes, and aromatic spices like cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. The meat is cooked until it is so tender that it easily shreds.
The sauce for birria tacos is made from a blend of dried chilies (such as guajillo, ancho, and arbol), tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices like cumin, oregano, and cinnamon. These ingredients are blended into a rich, flavorful sauce that both marinates and cooks the meat, and the resulting broth (consomé) is used for dipping the tacos.
Birria tacos are typically made using beef chuck roast because it becomes tender and flavorful when slow-cooked. Other suitable cuts include beef shank and beef short ribs. Traditionally, birria is made with goat meat, but beef is now commonly used due to its accessibility and taste.
Birria has a rich, deeply savory flavor with warm chili heat from guajillo and ancho peppers (not burn-your-mouth hot). The meat is slow-braised until it falls apart, absorbing the complex sauce made from toasted dried chiles, cumin, oregano, and cloves. When served as tacos, the tortillas are dipped in the consommé fat and crisped on a griddle, adding a crunchy, slightly charred dimension.
Both are slow-cooked Mexican meat dishes, but they come from different regions and use different preparations. Birria originated in Jalisco and is cooked in a rich chile sauce (adobo) made from dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol peppers. Barbacoa is traditionally pit-roasted or steamed, often wrapped in maguey leaves. Birria has a saucier, more complex chile flavor; barbacoa is more about the pure meat flavor with simpler seasonings.
Yes - birria is actually ideal for a slow cooker. After toasting and blending the dried chiles into the adobo sauce, combine everything in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. The low, slow heat produces incredibly tender, shreddable meat and a rich consommé.
Traditional birria uses a combination of three dried chiles: guajillo (mild, sweet, slightly smoky), ancho (dried poblano - fruity and mild), and chile de arbol (small, hot, adds heat). The combination creates a complex, layered flavor that no single chile can achieve. You can find all three at Mexican grocery stores or online. Toast them briefly in a dry skillet before soaking to release their oils.
More Mexican recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
South American Recipes
More slow-cooked recipes
They take a little longer, but are well worth the wait!
1 Hour+
- Best Neapolitan Pizza Dough Recipe: Easy Homemade Pizza2 Hours 15 Minutes
- Beef Bourguignon Slow Cooker Recipe6 Hours 20 Minutes
- Dal Makhani Instant Pot Recipe1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Eggplant Lasagna Parmesan Recipe: Step-by-Step Recipe Guide2 Hours
More Mexican & Latin American recipes: For another Mexican classic, try my chile rellenos with roasted poblanos. Want creamy Mexican comfort? My enchiladas suizas are the move. For a lighter taco option, try my grilled mahi mahi fish tacos. And for something completely different from Latin America, my Peruvian aji de gallina is a sleeper hit.
Birria Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- Vitamix (or blender)
- Forks (for shredding meat)
- Small bowls (for consomé dipping sauce)
Ingredients
For the Birria Stew:
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast or goat meat for traditional birria
- 5 guajillo chili dried
- 3 ancho chili dried
- 2 arbol chili dried, adjust quantity for desired heat level
- 1 onion large, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 2 bay leaves dry
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon mexican oregano dried, or oregano
- 6 cups beef broth
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
For the Tacos:
- Corn tortillas
- Onion chopped, for garnish
- Cilantro chopped, for garnish
- Lime cut into wedges
- Shredded cheese optional
Instructions
Prepare the Chilies
- Remove stems and seeds from the dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies.
- Toast the chilies in a skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.
- Soak the toasted chilies in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes until they soften.
Make the Birria Sauce
- Transfer the softened chilies to a blender.
- Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves, chopped tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and 1 cup of beef broth to the blender.
- Blend until the mixture is smooth, forming the birria sauce. Set aside.
Sear the Beef Chuck Roast
- Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Heat the large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add a little oil if needed to prevent sticking.
- Sear the meat in the pot, browning it on all sides to lock in flavor, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Cook the Birria
- Pour the birria sauce over the seared meat in the pot.
- Add the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to the pot.
- Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Check occasionally, stirring to prevent sticking, until the meat is tender and easily shreds with a fork.
Shred the Meat
- Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board.
- Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the shredded meat to the pot, mixing it with the broth.
Assemble the Tacos With Corn Tortillas
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Skim some fat from the top of the birria broth and place it in a shallow dish.
- Dip each corn tortilla into the fat to lightly coat both sides.
- Place the tortilla on the hot skillet.
- Add shredded meat onto one half of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the meat if desired.
- Fold the tortilla over to create a taco.
- Cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Serve
- Garnish the tacos with chopped onion and cilantro.
- Serve with lime wedges on the side for an extra burst of freshness.
- Ladle some birria broth (consomé) into small bowls.
- Enjoy the tacos by dipping them into the consomé.
Get the Cookbook
Every Takeout Kit recipe — in one book
22 authentic recipes across 6 regions, each with the exact imported brands that make them taste real. Instant PDF, free updates forever.
