Birria Tacos

Birria Tacos are stuffed with tender, juicy beef and lamb, topped with cheese, then pan-fried to a crisp before adding cilantro and onions! This Mexican street food recipe has become a new favorite everywhere thanks to social media!

Switch up your Taco Tuesday with more fun, tasty taco recipes! My Shredded Chicken Tacos served in soft flour tortillas or Easy Fish Tacos ready in just 30 minutes would be a deliciously welcome change to your taco lineup!

These Birria Tacos (tacos de birrias) are jam-packed with the best combination of sweet and spicy flavor tucked inside a crispy pan-fried tortilla! The process of slow cooking the lamb and beef in a dutch oven after the meat has marinated in a homemade sauce packed with chiles, onions, tomatoes, spices, and seasonings definitely pay off in this recipe!

What is Birria?

Birria is a Mexican meat stew (commonly called Birria de res) that’s traditionally made with goat meat. It’s often enjoyed as a celebratory meal at weddings, baptisms, and holidays.

This recipe takes the meat from the stew and shreds it before stuffing it into tortillas that have been dipped in the juice from the stew. The tacos are then fried up in a skillet before enjoying!

Though this recipe takes longer than your easy store-bought taco kit, it is worth every second you invest into it! The reward is absolutely delicious and will have you passing up that premade kit any day of the week!

Birria Ingredient Notes

This Birria Taco recipe seasons bone-in lamb, beef shank, and beef loin with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. The meat then soaks in a homemade marinade that has a base of boiled and sautéed dried ancho chiles, guajillo chiles, chipotle chiles, tomatoes, and onions.

Once sautéed, seasonings such as garlic cloves, bay leaf, clove, Mexican oregano, marjoram, thyme, minced onion, and cinnamon stick are added to the skillet. After being heated altogether they’re pureed to form the marinade.

The marinated meat then gets baked and basted before it gets shredded into tender juicy perfection and stuffed into flour or corn tortillas! These tacos then reach the finish line after frying with cheese, fresh chopped cilantro, and white onion.

How To Make Beef Birria Tacos

1. Add water, dried ancho chiles, guajillo peppers, and chipotle chiles to a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes then simmers for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the chile water into a large bowl setting aside 1/2 cup of water. Then remove the chiles and pour the remaining chile water into a casserole dish.
3. Rub salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin onto all sides of the meat and put it into the casserole dish with the chile water.
4. Remove and discard the stems from chiles.
5. Saute cut-up onions and tomatoes in oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then add in the chiles, cooking until lightly browned.
6. Add garlic cloves, bay leaves, cloves, oregano, marjoram, thyme, minced onion, and cinnamon stick. Saute long enough to heat.
7. Puree the contents from the skillet in a food processor or blender with the reserved chile water. Strain into the casserole dish.
8. Marinate for 2 hours then remove the meat from the casserole dish.
9. Brown the beef shank and beef loin in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about one minute per side. Pour the remaining marinade into a large Dutch oven.
10. Place the rack of lamb, beef shank, and beef loin into the pot, cover, and place in the oven.
11. Bake. Baste the meat every 30 minutes with the liquid inside.
12. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Then remove it from the oven, discard the bones and shred the meat with meat shredders or forks.
13. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the tortilla into the consomme right on top of the shredded beef. Add cheese and shredded meat.
14. Cook in the skillet, making sure to fold over and flip the taco to fry both sides. Then top with fresh chopped cilantro, onions, and a drizzle of lime juice. Serve with consomme and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How To Store

Refrigerate any leftover Birria for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Do I Have To Make This In A Dutch Oven?

Not at all! Another popular way of making Birria Tacos is doing so in an instant pot or a slow cooker.

What Can I Serve With These Tacos?

These tacos are definitely good enough as a stand-alone meal! But if you’re looking for something else to compliment them, you could serve Mexican rice or homemade tortilla chips alongside them! We also enjoy them with fun extras like these Candied Jalapenos!

These Birria Tacos will have you reaching for more delicious taco recipes after just one bite! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with more of the best taco recipes from salads, to sandwiches, all the way to pizza!

• Fish Sticks Wonton Tacos – Over a dozen mini tacos made with crunchy breaded fish ticks, slaw, and an Asian-inspired sauce, ready in 30 minutes!
• Easy Taco Sliders – Taco fixings packed with a little heat and then stuffed between bread and baked to perfection!
• Pulled Pork Tacos with Blueberry Barbecue Sauce – Pork shoulder slow-cooked in root beer covered in apple slaw and homemade blueberry sauce and then tucked into naan bread.
• The Best Taco Salad – Loaded with fresh veggies, cheese, and seasoned meat with crunchy tortilla strips for a quick dinner option!
• Taco Pizza – All of your favorite taco toppings piled onto a delicious flatbread and then baked for an easy dinner the whole family will love!
• Buffalo Chicken Tacos – A zingy twist to Taco Tuesday!

Let’s Connect!

If you’ve tried this recipe, please let me know how you liked it in the comments below and leave a review. I love hearing from you!

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