If you’re searching for the Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos, you’ve found your culinary destination! This recipe guides you through creating incredibly flavorful and tender shredded beef tacos, swimming in a rich, flavorful consommé. It’s your guide to a truly authentic and satisfying Mexican street food experience made conveniently in your own kitchen.
Key Ingredients for Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos
For the Beef:
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4-5 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 2-3 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth (low sodium preferred)
- 1 cup water
For Assembling the Tacos:
- Corn tortillas (about 12-15)
- Toasted beef fat or vegetable oil for frying tortillas
- Chopped white onion, for garnish
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Optional: Queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
How to Make Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos
Get ready for an incredibly savory and deeply satisfying experience with these Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos. This recipe is surprisingly straightforward, transforming humble beef into a culinary masterpiece. The star is the slow-simmered beef, meltingly tender and infused with a complex blend of dried chilies and warm spices. The resulting consommé is rich and flavorful, perfect for dipping! Preparation time is approximately 30 minutes of active prep, followed by 3-4 hours of slow cooking, making it an ideal weekend project.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sear the Beef: Pat the beef chuck roast chunks dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
- Prepare the Chili Base: While the beef sears, rehydrate the dried chilies. Place the guajillo and ancho chilies in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes until softened. Drain the chilies, reserving about ½ cup of the soaking liquid.
- Toast the Aromatics: In the same Dutch oven (you may need to wipe out excess fat if there’s too much, but leave a thin layer), add the quartered onion and garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes.
- Blend the Chili Sauce: Transfer the softened, drained chilies, toasted onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and tomato paste to a blender. Add the reserved chili soaking liquid and about 1 cup of the beef broth. Blend until you have a smooth paste. If it’s too thick, add a little more beef broth or water.
- Simmer the Birria: Return the seared beef to the Dutch oven. Pour the blended chili sauce over the beef. Add the remaining beef broth and water. Stir to ensure the beef is mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it cook for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and easily shreds.
- Shred the Beef: Once the beef is tender, carefully remove it from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the beef. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids. You should have a rich, flavorful consommé. Skim off any excess fat from the consommé if desired. Return the shredded beef to the pot with some of the consommé.
- Prepare the Tacos: Heat a skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Dip each corn tortilla into the consommé, then place it on the skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until lightly softened.
- Crisp the Tacos: Add a tablespoon of beef fat from the birria pot (or vegetable oil) to the skillet. Place a consommé-dipped tortilla onto the hot fat. Spoon some of the shredded beef mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half to create a taco. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef. If adding cheese, sprinkle it onto the tortilla before folding.
- Serve: Serve the Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos immediately with bowls of the hot consommé for dipping. Garnish with chopped white onion and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Why You’ll Love This Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos
You’ll fall head over heels for these Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos because they deliver an explosion of deep, savory flavors that are simply unforgettable. The star of the show is undoubtedly the incredibly tender, slow-cooked shredded beef, which practically melts in your mouth, creating a culinary experience far superior to anything you’d find at a chain restaurant. Plus, making this authentic dish at home is significantly more budget-friendly than ordering from your favorite taqueria, allowing you to savor restaurant-quality tacos without breaking the bank.
The magic unfolds with each bite, complemented by the vibrant, fresh toppings of onion and cilantro, and that essential squeeze of lime that brightens all the rich flavors. Imagine the satisfaction of dipping your crispy, flavorful taco into that luscious, spicy consommé – it’s a sensation that no other taco can replicate! Forget the often-pricier versions you’ve had elsewhere; this homemade birria taco recipe is a total game-changer that will have you coming back for more. Don’t wait another minute to experience this incredible flavor; gather your ingredients and whip up a batch of these Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos this week!
Storing and Reheating Tips
- Storing Cooked Beef and Consommé: Allow the shredded beef and consommé to cool completely. Store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The consommé will likely solidify at the top due to the fat; this is normal and adds to the flavor when reheated.
- Freezing: For longer storage, transfer the cooled shredded beef and consommé to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. You can freeze them for up to 2-3 months. It’s often easiest to freeze the beef and consommé separately.
- Reheating:
- Stovetop: To reheat, place the desired amount of shredded beef in a skillet with a splash of consommé. Gently warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. For the consommé, heat it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering.
- Microwave: You can also reheat individual portions of beef in the microwave on a lower power setting. Heat the consommé in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Crisping Tacos: If reheating pre-made tacos that have been crisped, it’s best to reheat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until warmed through and slightly re-crisped. Avoid microwaving crisped tacos, as they will become soggy.
Final Thoughts
These Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos are a testament to the incredible depth of flavor achievable with a little patience. Gather your loved ones, embrace the rich aromas, and enjoy this truly authentic and satisfying culinary adventure that’s worth every second of preparation. Prepare to impress yourself and everyone you share them with!
Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Pat the beef chuck roast chunks dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.3 pounds beef chuck roast, 2 tablespoons olive oil, to taste salt
- Place the guajillo and ancho chilies in a bowl and cover them with hot water. Let them soak for about 20-30 minutes until softened. Drain the chilies, reserving about ½ cup of the soaking liquid.4-5 dried guajillo chilies, 2-3 dried ancho chilies
- In the same Dutch oven (you may need to wipe out excess fat if there’s too much, but leave a thin layer), add the quartered onion and garlic cloves. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly charred, about 5-7 minutes.1 large white onion, 6-8 cloves garlic
- Transfer the softened, drained chilies, toasted onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and tomato paste to a blender. Add the reserved chili soaking liquid and about 1 cup of the beef broth. Blend until you have a smooth paste. If it’s too thick, add a little more beef broth or water.1 large white onion, 6-8 cloves garlic, 4-5 dried guajillo chilies, 2-3 dried ancho chilies, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, to taste salt, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 4 cups beef broth, 1 cup water
- Return the seared beef to the Dutch oven. Pour the blended chili sauce over the beef. Add the remaining beef broth and water. Stir to ensure the beef is mostly submerged. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and let it cook for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and easily shreds.3 pounds beef chuck roast, 4 cups beef broth, 1 cup water
- Once the beef is tender, carefully remove it from the pot and place it on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the beef. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding the solids. You should have a rich, flavorful consommé. Skim off any excess fat from the consommé if desired. Return the shredded beef to the pot with some of the consommé.
- Heat a skillet or comal over medium-high heat. Dip each corn tortilla into the consommé, then place it on the skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes per side until lightly softened.12-15 corn tortillas
- Add a tablespoon of beef fat from the birria pot (or vegetable oil) to the skillet. Place a consommé-dipped tortilla onto the hot fat. Spoon some of the shredded beef mixture onto one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half to create a taco. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef. If adding cheese, sprinkle it onto the tortilla before folding.1 tablespoon toasted beef fat or vegetable oil, optional queso fresco or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Serve the Tastiest Beef Birria Tacos immediately with bowls of the hot consommé for dipping. Garnish with chopped white onion and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.chopped white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges