Birria Tacos (Quesabirria)
Birria tacos are a delicious type of Mexican food that originated in the state of Jalisco. These tacos are made with tender braised beef, and a variety of peppers and spices. Corn tortillas are dipped in the broth, filled with shredded beef and cheese, and fried until the corn tortillas are crispy.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 381kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chuck
- 1 pound short ribs
- 1 tablespoon oil
Sauce
- 7 guajillo chiles trimmed and seeds removed
- 5 chile de arbol chilies trimmed and seeds removed
- 1 white onion peeled and halved
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 4 roma tomatoes halved
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 cups beef broth
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup orange juice
Quesabirria tacos
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- lime juice
- Corn tortillas
- 2 ounces Queso Fresco cheese crumbled
- 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
Instructions
Make the birria
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF
- Heat oil in Dutch Oven over medium-high heat.
- Season all sides of the meat with salt, and sear all sides of the chuck roast and short ribs, working in batches.
- Once all sides are seared, add 3 cups of beef broth to the Dutch Oven, deglazing the pot.
- Add the halved onion, tomatoes, garlic cloves, trimmed peppers, and spices (pepper, salt, oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin) to the pot. Submerge all ingredients into the broth.
- Add the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves to the top and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Make the birria sauce
- Once the 10 minutes is up, turn the heat to low and transfer the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and peppers to a food processor.
- Scoop out 1 cup of the broth and add to the vegetables as well as the apple cider vinegar and orange juice.
- Discard the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
- Blend sauce until smooth.
Braise the birria
- Pour the sauce over the meat and turn the heat up until it simmers.
- Place the Dutch Oven lid onto the pot and place it in the oven.
- Allow the meat to braise for 3 to 3 ½ hours. The meat should fall off the bone and easily shred with two forks.
- Remove the meat from the sauce and shred. Discard any bones.
- Make Birria (quesobirria) tacos
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and dip a corn tortilla into the top of the broth from the pot.
- Allow the corn tortilla to fry for about 30 seconds, flip, and the shredded birria meat to one side of the tortilla. If adding cheese, add it at this time.
- Fold the tortilla over onto the meat, flip, and pan-fry for another 30 seconds.
- Repeat the steps until the desired amount of tacos are made.
- Serve with a side of the broth from the remaining broth in the pot.
- Serve with cheese, cilantro, and onion if desired.
Notes
Instant Pot Birria Tacos Instructions
Set Instant Pot to saute and add oil. Sear all sides of beef in batches. Add broth to the liner and deglaze the pot. Add the vegetables, peppers, and spices as the recipe directs. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove everything but the beef by following the recipe and then after making the sauce, pour it over the beef. Pressure cook on HIGH/PRESSURE COOK for 60 minutes following a 10-minute natural release. Proceed with the recipe as written.Stovetop Birria Tacos Instructions
Follow the recipe as written up until it states to place the Dutch oven in the oven to braise. Instead, cover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 3 hours. With this method, you will want to occasionally stir the pot. TIP: Avoid boiling the beef on the stovetop as it can make the beef tough. Simmering over low heat will create tender, fall-off-the-bone beef.TIPS for making birria tacos:
Oxtails can be substituted for short ribs. Marinate for at least 24 hours to lock in flavor. Maximize the flavor of these tacos by spritzing lime juice on them when serving.Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1596IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 5mg
