If you’re into flavor-city food, these Space City Birria Tacos and More are the way to go. They came into the food scene a year or so ago, when late night street taco carts began offering birria and established shops started adding it to their menus
Birria is a meaty stew or soup made with seasoned beef, lamb and/or goat. It’s slow-cooked in a tangy sauce of chili peppers, onions, garlic, spices and herbs, like oregano, cumin, and cloves.
Birria Tacos are essentially the same stew rolled into a taco and served with cheese and other condiments. This is a popular breakfast dish in Mexico and it’s also enjoyed for lunch and dinner. Birria is incredibly flavorful, and the shredded stew meat is perfect for tacos!
Traditionally, birria is made with goat, but since it’s been popularized on TikTok and Instagram, beef has become the norm. It’s usually served on a corn tortilla that has been lightly dipped in the red chile birria broth. To prepare a birria taco, first heat the tortilla on a comal or pan. Once it’s warmed, place a generous amount of shredded beef birria meat on half of the tortilla and then top with a sprinkling of cheese. Once everything is assembled, fold the other half of the tortilla over and enjoy!
There are many different types of birria, but the ingredients in most recipes are similar. The stew is typically made with a combination of goat, lamb, and/or beef for its hearty texture and smoky flavor. It’s also often prepared with a variety of herbs and spices, including dried chiles, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, and cloves. The birria broth is often simmered for several hours to create a rich, flavorful broth.
It’s important to use high quality cuts of meat for your birria. The best cuts for birria are chuck roast or short ribs, because they’re both tender and have great flavor. If you don’t have these cuts of meat on hand, you can also make birria with other kinds of meat, like oxtail or lamb. The most important thing is to have a good quality beef, because the flavor of the stew is entirely dependent on it. You can buy chuck roast or short ribs at your local grocery store, but they’re typically more expensive than other cuts of meat. You can also find oxtail and lamb at your local butcher or specialty market.
How to Make Birria
Birria is a savory, hearty Mexican stew that becomes even better when shredded beef and cheese are added and then lightly fried into tacos. It’s a bit of a process to make this top-rated birria recipe (also called quesabirria) but the results are well worth it! Crispy tacos filled with juicy shredded beef and melty Oaxacan cheese. Delicious, comforting and satisfying — this top-rated birria recipe is sure to be a new favorite!
Birria has a complex flavor that comes from simmering a combination of different cuts of meat. I like to use chuck roast because it has a high fat content and gets super tender when slow cooked. But you can also use brisket, short ribs or lamb meat for a slightly different flavor. In this version of the dish, I also add in dried chiles like guajillo chiles and chiles de arbol (if using) for an extra boost of flavor. The spices used here are basic and common in many Mexican recipes but feel free to adjust them according to your personal tastes.
You can make birria in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. If making in the Instant Pot, use the ‘Saute’ function to sear the meat and then add in the chile sauce and water. Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure. If making in the slow cooker, sear the meat and then add the chile sauce, spices and enough water to cover. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
To assemble the tacos, warm the tortillas by dipping them in the top layer of the braising liquid. This will help them get crispy and golden in the pan. Once hot, place a tablespoon of the shredded beef on one side of the tortilla and a spoonful of cheese on the other. Fold over and cook just until the cheese is melted. Remove from the pan and serve.
These cheesy birria tacos are best served with a small bowl of the flavorful consomme for dipping. Top with a squeeze of lime and sprigs of cilantro for garnish.
What to Serve with Birria
Birria tacos are taking the culinary world by storm. These Mexican-originated tacos filled with tender stewed meat and spices are incredibly satisfying on their own, but pairing them with the perfect sides takes this meal to another level. Side dishes like pico de gallo, refried beans and Mexican street corn complement the rich, savory flavors of birria tacos and add a variety of textures to this hearty dish.
If you’re looking to spice up your birria tacos, consider adding dried chili peppers to your consomme. Dried guajillo or ancho peppers are great choices for this purpose, but feel free to experiment with other varieties. These spices will bring a smoky, earthy dimension to your birria that’s sure to please.
Alternatively, you can replace the beef in your birria recipe with goat or lamb meat for a more authentic take on this classic stew. The contrasting flavors of the two meats make for an amazing taco filling. While most people prefer to eat goat or lamb birria in its pure form, this combination of proteins creates a unique and delicious experience that’s worth trying.
When it comes to serving birria, traditional rules suggest that this hearty stew be served with some form of carbohydrates on the side. This can be tortillas or rice, depending on the venue and the specific birria that is being served. However, a recent trend has seen birria combined with ramen noodles for a fun fusion of both Mexican and Japanese cuisine.
While the birria taco craze peaked on the West Coast around 2018, it’s taken some time for this trend to spread to the East Coast and beyond. But this hearty, savory dish is definitely here to stay.
When you’re ready to try a birria taco for yourself, prepare your ingredients by heating a skillet or cast iron griddle on the stove. Brush the skillet with cooking spray or vegetable oil, then place a large, soft corn tortilla on the skillet. Dip the tortilla in the consome from the birria and add shredded oaxaca cheese to one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the cheese and cook for 30-60 seconds, or until the tortilla is crispy on both sides. Top with a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro for garnish, then serve with a cup of the broth on the side for dipping.
Birria Recipes
Birria is traditionally made with lamb meat but has been popularized in the US as birria de res, meaning beef birria. This version is often made with chuck roast, short ribs or even brisket (the cut will change the flavor and tenderness of the stew but it’s still delicious). It’s also common to marinate the beef beforehand as this adds more flavor to the final dish, helps it to cook faster and makes it more tender.
Dried chiles are another key ingredient in most birria recipes. While the chiles are not required in every recipe, they do add a deep richness to the broth and help bring out the flavors of the beef. Guajillo chiles, ancho chiles and chiles de arbol (aka chiles chiles) are the main chiles that are used in birria. All can be found at your local Mexican market or in the Hispanic aisle of most grocery stores.
It’s customary to soak the dried chiles ahead of time in hot water, but that is not mandatory in all birria recipes. Once the chiles are rehydrated and blended into a puree with onions, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar and spices the stew is simmered for 1 hour to build incredible depth of flavor.
After the birria is cooked, the beef is removed from the pot and shredded. The shredded beef can be added back to the birria or it can be served on top of corn tortillas with garnishes and condiments for mouthwatering tacos.
Whether you’re making a bowl of birria to enjoy on its own or filling tortillas for birria tacos, it’s important to get the best quality beef and ingredients. That will ensure that your birria is delicious and authentic! You’ll want to serve it with a side of beans, chopped cilantro and Oaxacan cheese for an absolutely divine meal.