There are some meals that just stop you in your tracks, and this Birria Tacos recipe is one of them. The first time I had one was at a bustling street food market, and I was immediately captivated. It’s a complete sensory experience: the corn tortilla, stained red from the flavourful cooking liquid and fried until crisp at the edges; the impossibly tender, slow-cooked beef that falls apart with the gentlest nudge; and the glorious layer of melted, stringy cheese holding it all together. But the real magic is the consommé – the rich, savoury broth served alongside for dipping. It transforms the taco from merely excellent to absolutely unforgettable.

This is my go-to recipe when I need something truly special for a weekend gathering. While it takes a little time, the process is mostly hands-off, letting the hob do the heavy lifting. The result is a dish that feels celebratory and deeply satisfying, bringing the vibrant flavours of Mexican street food right into your own kitchen. It’s the kind of meal that has everyone gathered around the table, happily dipping and munching away. This recipe is for anyone who loves deep, complex flavours and enjoys a rewarding cooking project.

Recipe Overview

This recipe guides you through making authentic Birria de Res, a rich beef stew from Jalisco, Mexico, and turning it into the most incredible cheesy tacos. The beef is slow-simmered in a fragrant broth made from rehydrated chillies and spices until it’s fall-apart tender. We then use the flavourful fat from the top of that broth (the consommé) to fry the tortillas, filling them with the shredded beef and cheese. I’ve tested this many times, and I found that letting the consommé simmer for the full three hours is non-negotiable for that deep, complex flavour.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
• Servings: 4-6 people (makes about 12-16 tacos)
• Difficulty: Medium

Why You’ll Love This Birria Tacos Recipe

• Incredibly Rich Flavour: The combination of three different dried chillies, toasted spices like cumin and clove, and slow-braised beef creates a stew with layers of smoky, savoury, and slightly sweet notes. It’s a truly profound flavour that you just don’t get from a quick taco recipe.
• The Ultimate Cheesy Taco: Dipping the tortillas in the beef fat before frying makes them wonderfully pliable and infuses them with flavour. When you add the cheese, it melts into a gloriously gooey layer that crisps up against the pan.
• A Show-Stopping Meal: This isn’t your average weeknight dinner. It’s an event. Serving these tacos with individual bowls of hot consommé for dipping is impressive and makes for a really fun, interactive meal. It always gets compliments.
• Works Beautifully for a Weekend Cook: This is an ideal project for a lazy Saturday or Sunday. Most of the time is hands-off simmering, filling your home with the most amazing aromas. If you’re planning a full weekend of cooking, you could even prep our Stuffed Peppers With Rice Recipe for another day.
• Family Tested: My husband says these are the best tacos he’s ever eaten, and my kids absolutely love the dipping part. It’s a meal that brings everyone together.

Birria Tacos Recipe

⏱️ 25 min prep  •  🍳 225 min cook  •  👥 4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

The key to amazing Birria is using dried Mexican chillies. You can find them online or at specialty grocers. For the beef, I find that chuck roast (braising steak) provides the perfect balance of meat and fat for a tender, juicy result. Don’t be tempted to use a leaner cut, as the fat is essential for flavour and for frying the tacos later.

• 1.2kg beef chuck roast, cut into large 5cm chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large white onions, one quartered, one finely chopped for serving
• 8 cloves garlic, whole
• 4 dried Guajillo chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried Ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 1-2 dried Árbol chillies, stems and seeds removed (optional, for heat)
• 2 large tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 litres good quality beef stock
• Salt to taste (start with 1 tsp)
• 16 small corn tortillas
• 300g Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, grated
• Fresh coriander, chopped, for serving
• Limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Ashley’s Tip: When rehydrating your chillies, don’t throw away that water! It’s full of earthy flavour. I always use a cup or so of it to help blend the sauce, which gives the final consommé an extra layer of complexity.

How to Make Birria Tacos

The process involves a few key stages: toasting the spices, creating the chilli sauce base, slow-cooking the beef until it’s tender, and finally, assembling and frying the tacos. It’s a journey, but every step adds to the magnificent final flavour.

1. Toast the Aromatics: Place a large, dry heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the dried chillies, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves. Toast for 1-2 minutes, moving them around constantly, until they become very fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the spices and chillies and set aside.
2. Prepare the Sauce Base: In the same pot, place the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and halved tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until they have a nice char in places. Add the toasted chillies back to the pot along with 500ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover, and let the chillies rehydrate for 20 minutes.
3. Sear the Beef: While the chillies rehydrate, pat the beef chunks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches, ensuring you don’t overcrowd the pan, until deeply browned on all sides. Set the browned beef aside. This step is crucial for developing deep flavour, a technique well-explained by sites like Serious Eats.
4. Blend the Sauce: Transfer the rehydrated chillies, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and all the toasting liquid to a blender. Add the toasted spices, apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until completely smooth. If needed, add a splash more water to get it moving.
5. Simmer the Birria: Return the large pot to the hob. Place the seared beef inside and pour the blended chilli sauce over it through a sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Add the beef stock, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Slow Cook to Perfection: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for at least 3 hours, or until the beef is completely tender and falls apart easily when prodded with a fork.
7. Prepare for Tacos: Carefully remove the beef from the pot and place it in a bowl. Shred it using two forks. Skim the red-tinged fat from the surface of the consommé and place it in a separate bowl – this is your liquid gold for frying! Season the remaining consommé in the pot with salt to your liking. This will be your dipping sauce.
8. Assemble and Fry: Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over a medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the skimmed beef fat, ensuring it’s lightly coated on both sides. Place it in the hot pan. Top one half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded beef and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
9. Get Crispy and Melty: Fry for 1-2 minutes until the bottom starts to crisp up. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling. Press down gently with a spatula and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is golden and crispy and the cheese is gloriously melty and bubbling at the edges. What works best for me is to control the heat carefully here to avoid burning the tortilla before the cheese has fully melted.
10. Serve Immediately: Serve the hot, crispy tacos immediately with small bowls of the warm consommé for dipping. Garnish with finely chopped onion, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature is Key: When frying the tacos, a steady medium heat is your best friend. Too high, and the tortilla will burn before the cheese melts. Too low, and it won’t get that essential crispiness.
• The Secret Step: Toasting Spices: I learned that taking two minutes to toast the whole spices and dried chillies before rehydrating them makes a world of difference. It awakens their aromatic oils and adds a nutty depth to the Birria that you just can’t replicate with ground spices.
• Make-Ahead Magic: The beef stew (the birria itself) is actually better when made a day in advance! The flavours have more time to meld and deepen. Simply make the stew up to step 7, cool it, and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat it, shred the beef, and assemble the tacos.
• Storing Leftovers: If you have any leftovers, store the shredded meat and the consommé in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The consommé may solidify at the top; this is just the fat, which you can skim and use again when reheating.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
• Large frying pan or griddle (non-stick is helpful for the tacos)
• Blender
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Tongs and a spatula
• Sharp knife and cutting board

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the Pan: When you’re searing the beef, do it in batches. Giving each piece of meat enough space allows it to brown properly and develop a deep crust. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will steam instead of sear, and you’ll miss out on a huge layer of flavour.
• Not Simmering Long Enough: There’s no rushing perfection. The 3-hour simmer is essential for breaking down the tough connective tissues in the chuck roast, resulting in that signature fall-apart texture. If your meat is tough, it simply needs more time on a low heat.
• Skipping the Sieve: Straining the blended sauce is a step some might be tempted to skip, but it’s what gives the consommé its silky-smooth consistency. It removes any tough bits of chilli skin or seeds, which can be unpleasant.

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the classic recipe, feel free to get creative. This dish is wonderfully adaptable.

• Extra Spicy Version: For those who like more heat, simply increase the number of Árbol chillies. You could also add a canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce to the blender for a smoky, fiery kick.
• Vegetarian Option: Create a delicious plant-based version by replacing the beef with a mixture of shredded king oyster mushrooms and tinned jackfruit in water (drained and rinsed). Sauté them until browned before adding to the sauce to simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Try it with Lamb: For a more traditional take, substitute the beef with bone-in lamb shoulder. The cooking time will be similar, and the result is a slightly gamier, incredibly rich stew that is absolutely divine. If you enjoy lamb, you might also like our Grilled Lamb Chops Recipe.

What to Serve With Birria Tacos

The tacos are the star of the show, so the sides should be fresh and simple to complement the richness.

• Pickled Red Onions: Their sharp, tangy crunch cuts through the richness of the beef and cheese beautifully.
• Guacamole or Sliced Avocado: A creamy, cooling element that provides a lovely contrast in texture and flavour.
• Mexican Lager or Agua Fresca: A crisp, light beer like a Modelo or Corona works perfectly. For a non-alcoholic option, a hibiscus or lime agua fresca is wonderfully refreshing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Birria Tacos Recipe

Authentic, slow-cooked beef tacos, crisped in their own flavorful fat and served with a rich consommé for dipping. A truly decadent and impressive meal.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 980

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.2 kg beef chuck roast cut into large 5cm chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large white onions one quartered, one finely chopped for serving
• 8 cloves garlic whole
• 4 dried Guajillo chillies stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried Ancho chillies stems and seeds removed
• 1-2 dried Árbol chillies stems and seeds removed (optional, for heat)
• 2 large tomatoes halved
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 litres good quality beef stock
• Salt to taste start with 1 tsp
• 16 small corn tortillas
• 300 g Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese grated
• Fresh coriander chopped, for serving
• Limes cut into wedges, for serving

Method

 

1. Toast the Aromatics: Place a large, dry heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Add the dried chillies, cumin seeds, peppercorns, and cloves. Toast for 1-2 minutes, moving them around constantly, until they become very fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove the spices and chillies and set aside.
2. Prepare the Sauce Base: In the same pot, place the quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, and halved tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until they have a nice char in places. Add the toasted chillies back to the pot along with 500ml of water. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, cover, and let the chillies rehydrate for 20 minutes.
3. Sear the Beef: While the chillies rehydrate, pat the beef chunks dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches, ensuring you don't overcrowd the pan, until deeply browned on all sides. Set the browned beef aside. This step is crucial for developing deep flavour, a technique well-explained by sites like Serious Eats.
4. Blend the Sauce: Transfer the rehydrated chillies, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and all the toasting liquid to a blender. Add the toasted spices, apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of salt. Blend until completely smooth. If needed, add a splash more water to get it moving.
5. Simmer the Birria: Return the large pot to the hob. Place the seared beef inside and pour the blended chilli sauce over it through a sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Add the beef stock, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Slow Cook to Perfection: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for at least 3 hours, or until the beef is completely tender and falls apart easily when prodded with a fork.
7. Prepare for Tacos: Carefully remove the beef from the pot and place it in a bowl. Shred it using two forks. Skim the red-tinged fat from the surface of the consommé and place it in a separate bowl – this is your liquid gold for frying! Season the remaining consommé in the pot with salt to your liking. This will be your dipping sauce.
8. Assemble and Fry: Heat a large non-stick frying pan or griddle over a medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the skimmed beef fat, ensuring it's lightly coated on both sides. Place it in the hot pan. Top one half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded beef and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
9. Get Crispy and Melty: Fry for 1-2 minutes until the bottom starts to crisp up. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filling. Press down gently with a spatula and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is golden and crispy and the cheese is gloriously melty and bubbling at the edges. What works best for me is to control the heat carefully here to avoid burning the tortilla before the cheese has fully melted.
10. Serve Immediately: Serve the hot, crispy tacos immediately with small bowls of the warm consommé for dipping. Garnish with finely chopped onion, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Notes

Serve immediately with warm consommé for dipping, garnished with fresh onion, coriander, and a squeeze of lime. The skimmed fat is key for frying the tortillas to perfection.

Making this birria tacos recipe is a true labour of love, but the payoff is immense. That first dip of a crispy, cheesy, beef-filled taco into the rich, warm consommé is a moment of pure culinary joy. I really hope you set aside an afternoon to make these for your friends or family. If you do try it, please leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out. I’d love to hear from you! Happy cooking!

– Ashley