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These birria tacos are crispy, cheesy, and absolutely packed with flavor, made with slow-braised shredded beef stuffed inside a pan-fried corn tortilla and served with a rich consomé for dipping. Worth every minute.
A Note from Isabel
Birria was always around growing up – my mom made her own version, it showed up at family gatherings, and it was on the menu at pretty much every Mexican restaurant we went to. But birria tacos? Those came later, when they blew up on TikTok and social media, and suddenly everyone was making them.
I was already sold on birria as a stew, so making them into tacos (aka quesabirria) wasn’t a hard sell. What I will say is that after making these dozens of times, I’m convinced the chile sauce is everything. If the sauce isn’t good, the whole recipe falls flat – the tacos, the consomé for dipping, all of it. The combination of ancho, árbol, and guajillo chiles is what gives birria that deep, rich, complex flavor that’s hard to describe until you taste it. It’s not just spicy, it’s layered in a way that makes every bite taste like it took all day.
These are a special occasion dish in my house, not because they’re difficult, but because they deserve the time and attention. When you make them right, they’re absolutely worth it.
What Are Birria Tacos?
Birria is a slow-cooked Mexican stew that originated in Jalisco and was traditionally made with goat or lamb. It’s rich, deeply spiced, and built on a complex dried chile sauce that gives it its signature red color and flavor. Birria has been a staple at Mexican celebrations and family tables for generations.
Birria tacos (sometimes called quesabirria ) are what happens when you take that braised meat and turn it into a taco. Corn tortillas are dipped in the fat layer that rises to the top of the birria broth, then fried in a skillet until crispy and filled with shredded beef and melted cheese. A bowl of the birria broth (consomé) comes alongside for dipping.
The version most people know today, with beef, cheese, and the crispy tortilla dipped in consomé, became popular in Tijuana before spreading to California and going fully viral on TikTok a few years ago. They rank right up there with carnitas, al pastor, chicken tinga, and carne asada as some of the best Mexican tacos you can make.
Birria Taco Ingredients
- Dried chiles: This is the backbone of the whole recipe. You need three types, and each one does something different: guajillo chiles bring fruity tartness, earthiness, and the deep red color; ancho chiles add a sweet, slightly raisin-y depth and body to the sauce; and árbol chiles bring the heat and extra color. Don’t skip any of them. Together, they’re what make birria taste like birria. You can find them in the international foods aisle of your local grocery store or at all Hispanic grocery stores. If you can’t find them in your area, buying them online is always a great option.
- Spices and aromatics: I used a combination of garlic, cumin, ground cloves, Mexican oregano, Mexican cinnamon, black peppercorns, and bay leaves. Mexican cinnamon (also called Ceylon cinnamon) is more brittle than regular cinnamon and blends smoothly into the sauce. If you can only find regular cinnamon sticks, use 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon instead.
- Beef: Chuck roast is my first choice. It has a great fat-to-meat ratio and produces the layer of fat on top of the broth that you need to fry the tortillas. Short ribs, beef shanks, and oxtail also work great and add even more richness to the consomé.
- Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas that you can get just about at any grocery store are perfect! Of course, you can always make your own homemade corn tortillas if you’re feeling fancy.
- Shredded cheese: Traditional Mexican melting cheeses like Oaxaca (quesillo), Chihuahua, and Asadero are the best options, but you could also use Monterey Jack or Mozzarella if you can’t find those near you.
- Toppings: Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges. Non-negotiable.
How to Make Birria Tacos
Make the birria. Season and sear the meat on all sides. Soak the dried chiles, blend them with the aromatics until smooth, and strain the sauce into the pot with the seared meat. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 3–3½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender. Remove and shred with two forks.
Dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the layer of fat that sits on top of the pot of birria. Try to only dip into this top layer and not further down into the red broth or consomé.
Quick tip: I find that if you let the birria settle for 10 minutes or so, the layer of fat will rise to the top, making it easier to make birria tacos.
Fry the tortilla in a large skillet over medium-high heat. It should begin bubbling immediately. Top half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded cheese and shredded birria meat.
Fold the other half of the tortilla over to create a taco, and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until the cheese has fully melted and the tortillas are crispy.
Stuff your tacos with diced white onion and cilantro, and serve on a plate with lime wedges and the consomé as a dipping sauce!
Recipe Variations
- Chicken birria tacos: Make the birria sauce as written, but swap the beef for bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and easy to shred. Assemble and fry the tacos the same way.
- Slow cooker birria tacos: Make the chile sauce on the stovetop as written, then add the seared meat and sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7–8 hours until the meat is tender. Assemble tacos as instructed.
- Instant Pot birria tacos: Use the sauté function to sear the meat, then add the blended chile sauce. Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure manually.
What to Serve With Birria Tacos
Birria tacos are a full meal on their own, but if you’re making them for a crowd, here are a few sides that go really well:
- Elote (Mexican street corn) or esquites
- Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice
- Borracho beans or charro beans
- Calabacitas or avocado salad
Storing and Reheating
Birria can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat, warm everything back up on the stovetop and assemble the tacos fresh – this keeps the tortillas crispy instead of soggy.
If you do have leftover assembled tacos, reheating them in an air fryer or in the oven for 5-10 minutes crisps them back up!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What’s the difference between birria and birria tacos? Birria is a slow-cooked Mexican stew, traditionally served in a bowl with consomé, onion, cilantro, and lime. Birria tacos (quesabirria) take that same braised meat, stuff it into corn tortillas dipped in the birria fat, and fry them until crispy. Same dish, different format.
- Can I make birria tacos ahead of time? Yes, the birria itself is actually great made a day or two ahead. Store the meat in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve, warm everything up and assemble the tacos fresh so the tortillas stay crispy.
- What cheese is best for birria tacos? Oaxacan cheese (quesillo) is the most traditional and melts beautifully. Chihuahua and Asadero are also great. If you can’t find any of those, mozzarella or Monterey Jack are the best widely available substitutes.
- Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn? Corn tortillas are traditional and fry up crispier, but flour tortillas work too. Just know the texture will be a little different – softer and chewier rather than crispy and snappy.
- How spicy are they? Mild to medium, depending on how many árbol chiles you use. The guajillo and ancho chiles are not spicy, but the árbol is where the heat comes from. Reduce or skip the árbol chiles for a milder version.
- Can I freeze birria? Yes. Freeze the birria in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop and assemble tacos fresh.
More Mexican Recipes
Birria Tacos
Ingredients
For the birria
- 4 to 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into large 4-inch chunks
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 12 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2.5 oz)
- 5 ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded (about 2 oz)
- 5 árbol chiles, rinsed and stemmed (about 0.1 oz)
- 2 large Roma tomatoes
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 1 Mexican cinnamon stick*
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- water, as needed
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano*
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
For the tacos
- Corn tortillas (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cups shredded cheese* (see Notes for best options)
- ½ white onion, diced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Generously season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides, and heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Working in 2 batches, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. Remove the pot from the heat, add the seared meat back into the pot, and set aside.
- While the meat is searing, add the guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, arbol chiles, tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a medium pot. Cover completely with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and all the other ingredients to a large blender.
- Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked cooking water, the beef broth, white vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Blend on high for a few minutes until completely smooth. (You may have to do this in 2 batches if your blender isn’t big enough.)
- Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the seared meat. Discard any solids left behind.
- Stir the meat and chile sauce together to combine and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3 to 3 ½ hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred it with 2 forks.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the layer of fat that sits at the top of the red chile birria broth (consomé), then place it in the hot skillet to begin frying. Top half of the tortilla with a generous amount of shredded cheese and shredded beef birria meat. Fold the other half of the tortilla over to create a taco, and cook for 1 minute on each side until the cheese has fully melted and the taco becomes crispy and browned. Repeat to make more tacos.
- Pour some of the birria consomé into a small ramekin or bowl. Stuff each taco with fresh cilantro and white onion and serve on a plate with lime wedges and the consomé as a dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- Shredded cheese: Traditional Mexican melting cheeses like Oaxacan (quesillo), Chihuahua, and Asadero are the best options, but you could also use Monterey Jack or Mozzarella if you can’t find those near you.
- Mexican cinnamon: This cinnamon is also known as Ceylon cinnamon. It’s brittle, can be easily broken into small pieces, and is blended into the sauce. It’s readily available in most Hispanic grocery stores. If you can’t find it near you, I recommend using a regular cinnamon stick and removing it before blending or using 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
- Mexican oregano: If you don’t have Mexican oregano, you can use regular oregano instead.
- To make this in the Instant Pot: Use the ‘Saute’ function to sear the meat, then add in the blended chile sauce. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes using the manual setting. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- To make birria in the slow cooker: Brown and sear the meat in a pot or skillet. Add the seared meat and blended chile sauce to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in June 2023 and has been updated with more helpful information to help readers make the best possible birria tacos at home!
thank you for this great recipe! I’m using leftover for birra ramen. So good.
love this recipe! my family wanted them again as soon as we finished the leftovers.
Absolutely delicious! I made this today and my husband and stepson have officially gone into food comas, I’m not far behind.