Birria Tacos: the sensational recipe for easy Mexican beef tacos

With its flavorful, tender meat cooked in a beautifully spiced, tomato marinade, it's no wonder that everyone is buzzing about birria tacos. Although traditionally made from goat or lamb, beef birria tacos are currently very popular thanks to social media.

The melt-in-your-mouth meat is sweet, tangy, a little spice, and perfect when served in crisp fried tacos and topped with cilantro and cheese. Birria is also served as a mouthwatering stew in consommé broth and garnished with onions and cilantro. No matter how you decide to enjoy it, birria is a fantastic dish and super easy to make!

What are Birria Tacos?

Birria tacos, or tacos de birria, are a phenomenal flavorful Mexican dish, originally from the central states of Michoacan and Jalisco. It's made from meat, peppers, garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and other spices, and cook low and slow so that the meat becomes ultra-tender and takes on a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Traditionally, it's made with goat meat but has been adapted into a dish known as quesabirria, made with beef and cheese, which is popular on Instagram and TikTok.

Birria Tacos Ingredients

Birria tacos are so popular thanks to their incredible flavors.

Ingredients like guajillo, chipotle, tomatoes, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and other spices go into the marinade and stew.

You'll need some beef shank and chuck roast, which are ideal types of meat for stewing.

To make the tacos, you'll need corn tortillas, cilantro, queso fresco, and chopped onion, plus any other desired toppings.

How to Make Birria Tacos

Your first step when making birria tacos at home is to soak the guajillo peppers in hot water to soften them. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place it in a bowl. Place the chipotle peppers, vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, paprika, and cumin in a blender and puree until smooth. Cut the tops of the guajillo peppers off and discard the seeds. Blend them into the marinade.

Pour the marinade over the beef, tossing to coat, then cover and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours up to overnight. The longer you marinate, the better the flavor. When you're ready to cook, saute the onions over medium heat.

Stir in the beef, marinade, and spices, followed by the chicken broth. Cover the stew with a lid and simmer over low heat for 4 to 6 hours, or until the beef is tender. Once the beef has cooked, take the meat out of the stew and shred it.

Heat the tortillas in a pan. Dip them in the stew, then add the beef and additional toppings. Fry the tacos over medium heat, and serve.

Can You Make Birria Tacos in a Slow Cooker? 

Absolutely! Slow cooking your birria stew will make it even more flavorful and tender. Cook the stew on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Can You Make Birra Tacos in an Instant Pot?

You can definitely cook birria tacos in an Instant Pot. After adding in the chicken broth, set the pressure to High and cook it for 45 minutes, followed by a natural release.

Tips for the Best Birra Tacos

You can use other types of dried chili as a substitute for guajillo if you're unable to find them. Ancho, pasilla, or cascabel are good options, with ancho having the most similar flavor.

You can use two forks to easily shred the beef.

Use beef shank plus chuck roast, cap sirloin, or short ribs.

Instead of beef, birria can also be made with goat or lamb.

What to Serve with Birria Tacos

There are loads of fillings you can add to your tacos. Try chopped cilantro, queso fresco, chopped white onion, guacamole, mole, sour cream, and fresh lime juice.

Wash your birria tacos down with a cold Mexican lager or a Margarita. For a non-alcoholic option, try agua fresca.

How to Store Birra Tacos

For best results, store the beef separately from the tortillas. The beef can be kept for three to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Instructions

Boil water in a large pot. Take off heat and soak guajillo peppers for 15 to 20 minutes.

Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place in a bowl.

Put chipotle peppers, vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, paprika, and cumin in a blender. Blender until smooth.

Slice the tops of the guajillo peppers and remove the seeds. Add to blender and blitz until smooth.

Pour the marinade over the beef, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beef, marinade, and spices.

Pour in chicken broth, then cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 4 to 6 hours, or until the beef is tender.

Take the meat out of the stew. Shred the beef.

Heat the tortillas. Dip them in the stew, then add the beef and additional toppings.

Fry the tacos over medium heat, and serve.

Notes

If you can't find corn tortillas, you can substitute flour tortillas to make your tacos.