Birria Tacos Houston have taken the food scene by storm in recent years. It’s a savory and comforting masterpiece with tender meat, fragrant spices, and a flavorful beef broth.
This recipe uses a brisket cut and a mixture of three dried chiles (guajillo, ancho, and arbol), onions, garlic, and beef broth. Serve it with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
1. Tender Beef
The main ingredient in birria is beef, so these tacos are sure to please any meat lover. Slow cooked to perfection, the tender beef is paired with broth-infused tortillas and topped with fresh cilantro and onions. It takes a bit of patience to make this recipe, but the results are well worth it. The beef is fall-apart tender and flavored with savory spices like cumin, paprika and cloves. The tangy and spicy consomme (or beef broth, also known as consome) is perfect for dipping into the tacos or sipping on its own.
In order to get the authentic flavor of this dish, it is important that you use high quality beef and follow the recipe closely. You also need to use the proper ingredients for making birria, including a pot, chiles, beef broth and seasonings. Dried red chiles, such as guajillo and ancho are a staple in almost all birria recipes. They need to be toasted on a skillet or comal, then soaked in hot water before adding to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.
Once the birria has been simmered for an hour, the chiles are removed and pureed into a smooth sauce. The meat is then added back to the pot and simmered for three more hours, or until the beef is fork tender. Before serving, stir the birria to combine the meat and sauce. Serve the birria and consomme in small bowls to be used for dipping the tacos. To assemble the tacos, place shredded beef and Oaxaca cheese on one side of a warm tortilla. Fold in half and cook on a skillet, flipping until both sides are crisp and the cheese is melted.
2. Spices
Birria is a traditional stew from Jalisco that can be made with goat, lamb or beef. This version uses a combination of meats to create the perfect balance of tender texture from chuck roast and succulence from short ribs. The shredded meat is then added to the flavorful broth for a satisfying taco filling. The flavors of the birria are rich and deep, combining notes of smoke and fruit with the earthiness of chiles, smoky cumin, thyme, oregano, and ground cloves.
The guajillo chile peppers used in this recipe add a subtle smokey flavor and mild to medium heat. They are one of the most commonly used Mexican dried chiles and can be found in most grocery stores. Alternatively, you can use pasilla or ancho chilies. The chiles are toasted on the stovetop in order to infuse them with more flavor and reduce their cooking time. Paprika can also be added, although traditionally birria doesn’t contain it. If you prefer a less-smoky, less-sweet version of this recipe, skip the paprika or substitute it with a pinch of ground cinnamon instead.
These cheesy tacos are the perfect comfort food and are easy to make. To make them, you’ll need the cooked shredded meat from birria (you can also use a beef stew), a soft corn tortilla, melted cheese like Oaxaca, and some chopped onion and cilantro. The tortillas are dipped briefly in the birria cooking liquid before being filled and folded into tacos.
To serve, top each taco with a sprinkling of the reserved white onion and fresh cilantro. Ladle some of the warm birria over each taco and finish with a squirt of lime juice.
3. Tortillas
Birria tacos are a fun variation on traditional birria, a classic Mexican stew that traditionally uses goat legs but can also be made with beef shortribs (like in this recipe from Marcela Valladolid) or lamb. They’re a great way to use up leftover birria and the combination of tender beef + melted cheese makes them perfect for a filling snack or light dinner.
Birria recipes often call for dried red chiles, which need to be toasted on a dry skillet or comal, rehydrated in hot water and pureed into the broth. This adds both flavor and color, but you can also substitute a little bit of tomato for the same effect. The final birria should have a reddish hue and is usually pretty thick, making it a hearty, comforting meal.
To make birria tacos, you’ll want to have plenty of corn tortillas on hand. You can also use flour tortillas if you prefer. You’ll also need some oil to help crisp up the tortillas while they’re being fried. I like to use a neutral-flavored vegetable oil such as canola.
Ideally, you’ll prepare the birria de res and consomme ahead of time to let the flavors meld. It’s even better if you can make it 2-3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. The fat that rises to the surface as it cools will solidify and be easier to spoon off before you’re ready to reheat it and make the tacos.
For quesabirria, you’ll dip each tortilla into the layer of liquid fat that collects on top of the birria, coating it in the red, savory meat juice. It’s then filled with shredded beef from the birria and topped with a handful of melted cheese. Traditional Oaxacan cheeses work well here, but Monterey jack or mozzarella will do just as nicely if you can’t find these kinds of melty Mexican cheeses nearby.
4. Avocado
Birria is a savory and super-rich Mexican beef stew that’s slow cooked until the meat is tender and falls apart. Traditionally, it’s served shredded and dipped into the broth (a soupy presentation called consome de birria). But one day somebody had the genius idea to stuff that fatty and tender beef into tortillas, then deep fry them and serve the whole thing together as a taco. And the rest is history, because birria tacos are now everywhere.
It’s not the only way to eat birria either, because it’s also served in burritos, enchiladas and as a filling for quesadillas. But this fried version is probably the most popular, and I can see why. There’s just something about a crispy, fried tortilla and melty cheese that makes it hard to resist.
To make birria tacos, you’ll need corn tortillas (preferably fresh and warm) and melted cheese, like Oaxacan string or queso fresco. You’ll also need a skillet or griddle to crisp the tortillas in, and a large bowl of hot birria broth.
I recommend using guajillo, ancho and arbol chilies for this recipe because they are easy to find in the international foods aisle or at any Hispanic grocery store. The guajillo chiles will add the classic birria flavor, while the ancho and arbol chiles will give it a little extra heat.
If you want to add even more flavor, try garnishing the tacos with a squeeze of lime and some chopped cilantro. And don’t forget a side of that hot, rich birria broth for dipping! It’s just as good as the tacos themselves. Birria tacos are fast becoming a family favorite around our house, and I think they’ll become a hit at your home too.
5. Sides
In Mexican cuisine, side dishes play an important role in framing the taste of a taco meal. They amplify the flavor of the star dish, complementing its robust tastes and savory tang.
Birria tacos are best served with a selection of sides that mirror the rich, full-bodied flavors of this hearty stew. For example, refried beans offer a comforting complement to the meat in birria tacos, while grilled vegetables like zucchini and corn bring an earthy, summery twist that balances the richness of the beef in these tacos. In addition, guacamole offers a creamy texture that adds to the tacos’ smooth, savory taste.
While birria is often made with lamb or goat, it can also be made with beef. If you’re going to use beef in your birria tacos, make sure the beef is well-seasoned and browned before it’s added to the pot. This step helps to infuse the beef with a nutty, toasty flavor and ensures that the meat is tender and juicy.
Another way to take birria to the next level is by using it as an ingredient in a classic taco soup. This adaptation of birria uses the meat from the stew to fill tacos that are then topped with the beef broth (consome) and plenty of diced white onion and fresh cilantro.
This hearty dish is even more decadent when it’s paired with other Mexican favorites like salsa verde or a bowl of tortilla soup. It’s also delicious with a drizzle of ranchero sauce, which adds a zing that compliments the savory flavor of the birria tacos. Try these delicious birria tacos for an unforgettable lunch or dinner. They’re easy to prepare and will have your family asking for more!