Description
Traditional Mexican Birria Tacos feature tender, slow-simmered beef infused with a rich, smoky chili paste made from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies. This savory filling is served on warm corn tortillas and topped with fresh cilantro and lime, delivering an authentic and flavorful Mexican street food experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Broth
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp vinegar
Chili Paste
- 2 dried guajillo chilies
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 2 dried pasilla chilies
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp salt
For Serving
- Corn tortillas (for tacos)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Toast the Chilies: In a hot pan, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Remove the stems and seeds, then soak the chilies in hot water for 20 minutes to soften.
- Make the Chili Paste: Transfer the soaked chilies to a blender along with minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped tomatoes, ground cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and salt. Blend until smooth to create a flavorful chili paste.
- Brown the Beef: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the beef chuck roast chunks and brown on all sides, which should take about 5-7 minutes, to develop rich flavor.
- Cook the Beef: Pour the prepared chili paste over the browned beef and stir well to coat the meat thoroughly. Add the beef broth and vinegar to the pot, then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer: Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the beef to cook uncovered or partially covered for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef pieces from the pot and shred them finely using two forks. Return shredded beef to the pot to soak up more sauce if desired.
- Garnish and Serve: Warm the corn tortillas, fill them with the shredded birria beef, and top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve immediately and enjoy this authentic Mexican delicacy.
Notes
- For extra heat, add a chipotle pepper or some chili flakes to the chili paste.
- Serve with a side of consomé (the cooking broth) for dipping the tacos.
- Leftover birria can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Use a heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven for even cooking and better heat retention.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
