Birria tacos

Lunch | Mexican

Prep time: 30 min Cook time: 4 min Servings: 4

Birria Tacos; slow-cooked beef soaked in rich broth and wrapped in freshly made corn tortillas with cheese and coriander. And the best part, served with a side of the braising sauce to dip your tacos in.

These one do take a little while to make but most of the time is for the meat to slowly cook until it's tender. If you've ever made pulled pork at home, you should definitely try birria tacos.

What is Birria?

Birria originates from the state of Jalisco in Mexico, traditionally made with goat slow-cooked in a sauce of dried chillies, spices, and tomato. The beef version, which spread from Tijuana, is the one that became globally popular and introduced the technique of dipping the tortilla in the braising sauce before frying.

The meat

The great thing about cooking this dish is that we can use a tougher cut of beef which is sometimes more economical. The slow cooking method (or fast if you're using a pressure cooker) allows the connective tissue to gelatinise and become tender.

Ingredient Notes

Dried chillies: This recipe uses ancho, guajillo, and chipotle morita. Ancho is mild and fruity; guajillo is tannic with a slight smokiness; chipotle morita is smoked and hot. Together they build a layered sauce. The seeds can be removed for a milder result, but they’re not as aggressive as you might expect even left in.

Oaxaca cheese: A stringy, semi-soft Mexican cheese that melts well with a mild, milky flavour. The stretch and pull of the melted cheese is part of what makes these tacos work alongside the soft, tender beef. If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese, dry mozzarella is the best substitute: it behaves similarly in the pan.

Beef oyster blade: You need a collagen-rich cut for birria. As the connective tissue breaks down over the long braise, it gelatinises into the sauce and gives the broth its body. Chuck steak is an excellent substitute and so is short rib or beef cheeks. Avoid lean cuts.

Equipment

Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Small saucepan (for rehydrating chillies)
Blender
Cheesecloth and kitchen twine (for spice pouch)
Large heavy-based pot with lid (dutch oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker)
Cast iron or heavy-based frying pan (for tacos)
Ladle
Cheese grater
Tongs
Wooden spatula and fish slice

Ingredients

1.2kg (2.65 lbs) Beef oyster blade (chuck, cheeks, and short ribs are all good alternatives)
3 dried Ancho chillies
2 dried Guajillo chillies
2 dried chipotle chillies
1 roma tomato
1 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaves
4 peppercorns
2 whole cloves
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup (250ml) beef stock
salt, to taste
To serve
1 medium white onion
½ bunch fresh coriander (cilantro)
230g Oaxaca Cheese or Mozzarella cheese
12 corn tortillas
1 lime

Directions

Prep ingredients
Dice the small white onion and smash the garlic cloves.
Slice the beef into large 5cm x 5cm chunks and season generously with salt. Cover and leave at room temperature while you prepare the chillies.
Place the dried chillies in a saucepan of boiling water.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, adding the tomato in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Transfer the chillies and tomato from the water, along with the garlic and onion, to a blender. Add just enough of the chilli water to facilitate a smooth blend.
Cook the beef
Prepare a large, heavy based pan and heat the oil on medium-high. If you are cooking the beef in the oven instead of a slow cooker, use a dutch oven or wide heavy based pot instead.
Use a paper towel to pat the beef dry, then carefully lower it into the hot oil. Sear on all sides for 3-4 per side or until golden brown all over. Remove from the oil and place aside
In the same pan with the oil, cook the blended chilli mixture for 6-7 minutes until the sauce thickens and just begins to stick to the bottom.
Add the beef back to the pot/pan and stir through the chili mixture. If you’re using a pressure cooker or slow cooker, transfer the beef to this vessel. Otherwise turn the element to low.
Tie the spices together in a cheese cloth and add to the slow cooker with vinegar and beef stock.
Cover with the lid and cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours, until the meat is tender and falls off the bone. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 45 minutes once at pressure.
After cooking, let the meat rest in the sauce with the heat off for about an hour.
Transfer the beef to a bowl and shred, reserving the sauce.
Serve
For serving, grate the cheese, finely dice the onion, pick the coriander leaves and slice the lime.
Then, immerse a corn tortilla in the reserved birria sauce, then place in a large frying pan on medium high heat.
Layer the tortilla with shredded beef, grated cheese, diced onion, and coriander.
Fold the tortilla in half and toast both sides. Serve with an additional helping of the braising sauce and a lime wedge.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Cook Method - In the Oven

If using a dutch oven (instead of a slow cooker), preheat the oven to 175c. You will also need to add 1L of beef stock (not the 250ml in method), and cook for 3 hours with the lid on.

Check after 2 hours to ensure the meat is still submerged in the liquid. If the meat is starting to dry out, add 1⁄2 cup of water to the pot pot. After three hours in the dutch oven, the meat should be tender and falling apart.

Pat the beef dry before searing

Use paper towel to pat the beef thoroughly dry before it goes into the hot oil. Surface moisture steams the meat rather than allowing it to brown, and you won’t get a proper sear. Lower the chunks carefully into the hot oil and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown all over before removing and setting aside.

Dip the tortilla fully in the sauce before frying

The sauce-soaked, crispy exterior is what makes birria tacos distinct. Immerse the corn tortilla completely in the braising sauce so it’s fully coated, then place it straight into a hot dry pan. The fat in the sauce is what fries the tortilla, giving it a lacquered, deeply flavoured crust. A dry tortilla in a dry pan gives you a much more ordinary result.

Storage

Store the braising broth and shredded beef separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat the beef in the sauce to keep it moist. Assembled tacos don’t store well: assemble and eat immediately.

FAQs

Which cooking vessel should I use? All three methods work. Slow cooker: 3-4 hours on low. Pressure cooker: 45 minutes at pressure. Dutch oven in the oven: 175°C for 3 hours with the lid on, checking after 2 hours to ensure the meat is still submerged. Note that the dutch oven method requires 1 litre of beef stock to maintain the liquid level, compared to 500ml for the other methods.

Can I use a different beef cut? Yes. Short rib, chuck, and beef cheeks are all good alternatives. Avoid lean cuts: you need collagen-rich, well-marbled beef for the connective tissue to gelatinise into the sauce.

Can I adjust the spice level? Yes. Removing the seeds from all three chillies gives a noticeably milder result, though even with the seeds in the heat is manageable rather than aggressive. For more heat, leave the seeds in or add a fresh chilli to the blender when you process the sauce.