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Crispy Cheese-Stuffed Birria Tacos with Rich Braised Beef and Dipping Consommé Recipe

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4.3 from 8 reviews

A traditional Mexican Birria Tacos recipe featuring slow-cooked, shredded chuck beef simmered in a rich adobo sauce made from dried chillies and spices. The beef is then pan-fried inside corn tortillas with melted cheese to create crispy, flavorful tacos, served with a savory birria consommé for dipping.

Ingredients

Chilli Paste

  • 25 g (0.9 oz) guajillo chillies, dried (~4 pieces, heaped 3/4 cup chopped)
  • 45 g (1.6 oz) ancho chillies, dried (~2-3 pieces, 1 cup chopped)
  • 6 g (0.2 oz) chillies de arbol, dried (~6 pieces, 2 tbsp chopped)
  • 1/2 cup chilli soaking water (reserved after simmering)
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 small onion, roughly sliced (~tennis ball size)
  • 1 medium tomato, roughly sliced (180g)
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper

Main Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp vegetable oil (or canola oil)
  • 1.3 kg (2.6 lb) chuck beef, cut into 6 large pieces (or boneless beef short ribs 1.8 kg/3.6 lb bone-in)
  • 2 cups low sodium beef stock / broth
  • 10 cloves (whole)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon as substitute)
  • 3 bay leaves (preferably fresh, else dried)
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or regular white/red/white wine vinegar)
  • 2 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (halve if using table salt, increase 30% for flakes)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

Taco Assembly

  • 20 – 25 corn tortillas (14.5 cm/6″ wide)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander / cilantro leaves
  • 3 1/2 cups (350g) shredded Colby, Monterey Jack, or Oaxaca cheese (if available)
  • Lime wedges (optional)
  • Your favorite salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Chillies: Remove stems and seeds from all dried chillies, then roughly chop into 1 to 1.5cm pieces. Use gloves to avoid irritation.
  2. Simmer Chillies: Place chopped chillies in a large saucepan with boiling water. Simmer rapidly for 10 minutes until chillies are soft and mushy (skin soft but intact). Reserve 1/2 cup of this chilli-simmering water, then drain chillies, pressing out excess liquid.
  3. Make Birria Adobo Paste: In a tall jug, combine the softened chillies, reserved chilli water, garlic cloves, sliced onion, sliced tomato, dried oregano, ground cumin, and black pepper. Blitz with a stick blender or regular blender for about 20 seconds until a coarse smooth paste forms.
  4. Sear Beef: Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add half the beef pieces and sear each side for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until dark golden brown. Remove to a bowl and repeat with remaining beef.
  5. Cook Off Adobo Paste: Lower heat slightly and add the adobo paste to the hot pot. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes to develop flavor, adjusting heat to prevent splatter.
  6. Slow Cook Beef: Add beef stock, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and 2 1/2 tsp salt to the pot. Stir well, return seared beef pieces to the pot, bring to boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with lid and slow cook for 2 1/2 hours (or 3-3.5 hours for bone-in short ribs), until beef shreds easily.
  7. Shred Beef: Remove beef from pot and shred finely with forks. Add 1/2 tsp salt and toss well to season evenly.
  8. Skim Birria Oil: Skim off approximately 6 tablespoons of red oil (fat) floating on the braising liquid surface and set aside in a small bowl. This is the flavorful Birria Oil.
  9. Soak Beef in Consommé: Pour 1 cup of the braising liquid (Birria Consommé) into a large non-stick pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add shredded beef and toss in the broth until fully absorbed, about 15 seconds. Transfer beef back to shredding pan, scraping the pan clean.
  10. Adjust Consommé Seasoning: Taste the consommé and add salt if necessary. It should be slightly salty to complement dipping but not overpowering.
  11. Prepare Tortillas with Birria Oil: Heat 1 teaspoon of Birria Oil in the non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and quickly ‘wipe’ it around to coat the underside with red oil, making it slightly soft and red without flipping, about 10 seconds. Remove and repeat twice more heating 1/2 teaspoon of oil per tortilla.
  12. Assemble Tacos: On each prepared tortilla, spread shredded cheese on half, layer with braised beef, then sprinkle diced white onion and chopped cilantro on top. Fold the tortilla over to close.
  13. Pan Fry Tacos: Over medium-high heat, pan-fry 3 tacos at a time in the non-stick pan for about 2 minutes per side, until golden-red, crispy, and cheese is melted.
  14. Serve: Serve tacos hot with bowls of warm birria consommé for dunking. Optionally garnish with lime wedges and your favorite salsa or hot sauce.

Notes

  • Note 1: Dried chillies should be deseeded and chopped for best flavor and to reduce heat intensity.
  • Note 2: Vegetable or canola oil is recommended for searing and frying; avoid olive oil due to lower smoke point.
  • Note 3: Chuck beef is ideal, but short ribs can be used for richer flavor; adjust cooking time accordingly.
  • Note 4: Use traditional 6-inch corn tortillas for authentic tacos that fold easily and crisp well.
  • Note 5: White onion provides sharp and fresh topping balance; can use red onion if preferred.
  • Note 6: Oaxaca cheese melts beautifully, but Colby or Monterey Jack are good substitutes.
  • Note 7: Paste can be blended with a stick blender, food processor, or high-speed blender according to available equipment.
  • Note 8: Slow cooker adaptation: After searing beef and cooking adobo paste, transfer all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat is tender.

Find it online: https://cookedbysarah.com/crispy-cheese-stuffed-birria-tacos-with-rich-braised-beef-and-dipping-consomme-recipe/