Birria Tacos (Quesabirria)

About This Recipe

Birria is the slow-braised meat stew of Jalisco state, traditionally made with goat but popularized worldwide in its quesabirria form — corn tortillas dipped in the brick-red consommé, griddled with cheese until lacy and crisp, then folded around shredded birria meat. The technique is two-stage: first a long, gentle braise of beef chuck or short rib in a chili-vinegar broth with charred aromatics and a half-dozen warm spices; second a quick assembly at the griddle where each taco emerges slick with deep orange chili-oil. A small cup of the strained consommé sits beside the plate for dunking. It is the most photographed Mexican dish of the decade for good reason.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgbeef chuck roast and 500 g bone-in short ribs
• 5guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 3ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
• 2chiles de árbol (optional, for heat)
• 1 largewhite onion, halved
• 1 headgarlic, halved crosswise
• 2ripe tomatoes
• 1 stickMexican cinnamon (canela)
• 4whole cloves
• 1 tspcumin seeds, toasted
• 1 tspMexican oregano
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 2bay leaves
• 3 tbspapple cider vinegar
• 1.5 Lbeef stock
• salt to taste
• 24fresh corn tortillas
• 300 gOaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 1 smallwhite onion, finely diced (garnish)
• 1 small bunchcilantro, chopped (garnish)
• 3limes, wedged

Instructions

1. 1

   Char and toast

   Dry-toast the chilies on a comal for 20 seconds per side until pliable and smoky; do not burn. In the same pan, char the onion, garlic, and tomatoes until blackened in spots.

2. 2

   Bloom the chilies

   Cover chilies with hot water and soak 20 minutes until pliable.

3. 3

   Blend the adobo

   Drain chilies. Blend with charred vegetables, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, vinegar, and 250 ml beef stock until very smooth. Strain through a sieve.

4. 4

   Sear the beef

   Salt the beef well. In a heavy ovenproof pot, sear chuck and short ribs in batches until deeply browned. Drain off excess fat.

5. 5

   Braise low and slow

   Return meat to the pot. Pour over the strained adobo and remaining beef stock. Add bay leaves. Cover and braise at 150°C for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the meat falls apart at the touch of a fork.

6. 6

   Shred and strain

   Lift the meat out and shred coarsely with two forks, discarding bones and gristle. Strain the cooking liquid into a wide jug and let the brick-red chili fat rise. Skim and reserve 4 tbsp of the orange fat — this is liquid gold for griddling.

7. 7

   Build the quesabirria

   Heat a wide skillet or griddle over medium-high. Dip each tortilla briefly into the consommé fat layer, lay it on the griddle, scatter 2 tbsp cheese, and pile on a generous spoonful of shredded meat. Fold and press.

8. 8

   Crisp and serve

   Cook 90 seconds per side, pressing gently, until the cheese has crisped at the edges into lacy orange skirts and the tortilla is golden. Transfer to plates with diced onion, cilantro, and lime.

9. 9

   Dunk

   Pour the warm consommé into small bowls or cups. Each taco is dunked just before each bite. Eat immediately while everything is hot and slick.

Variations

• •

  Birria de chivo: replace beef entirely with goat shoulder for the traditional Jalisco version.

• •

  Birria ramen: serve the meat and consommé over fresh ramen noodles with soft egg.

• •

  Vegetarian: use king oyster mushrooms shredded and braised in the same adobo for 45 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate meat and broth separately up to 4 days; freezes well for 2 months. Reheat the consommé gently and assemble fresh — pre-griddled tacos go soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions