These Birria Tacos with Consommé are loaded with fall-apart tender, succulent beef birria and Oaxaca cheese then pan fried until perfectly crisp. And having that savory consommé dipping sauce on the side creates the ultimate bite!
Birria tacos have been all the rage on the internet and social media and for good reason! You can’t help but to fall in love with these juicy, cheesy, crispy tacos that are overflowing with deliciousness! They are also referred to as quesatacos de birria or quesabirria tacos (quesa means cheese).
You’ll quickly get the hang of making this beef birria recipe – you just need a little patience! – so you can enjoy these mouthwatering tacos whenever there’s a craving.
Jump to:
What is birria?
Birria is a Mexican meat stew (aka birria de res) that originated in the state of Jalisco. It’s traditionally made with lamb and goat meat, but beef is the most popular meat to use in the United States. Birria meat is slow cooked in a saucy beef broth richly flavored with chiles and spices.
What is birria taco sauce made of?
Consomé is the liquid the birria meat cooks in and becomes incredibly flavorful in the process. It’s made of beef stock, softened dried chiles, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, spices and cooked down onion, tomatoes and garlic that’s pureed into a smooth, velvety sauce.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Full of Amazing Flavor!
- Uses Simple Ingredients
- Make Ahead!
- Freezer-friendly
- Gluten-Free!
What You Need for this Birria Tacos Recipe
The foundation of the birria recipe is a combination of chuck roast or beef shank with bone-in short ribs. Guajillo peppers, ancho chiles, chiles de arbol, and dried spices do wonders with beef broth, bay leaves and a cinnamon stick or two to create an amazing sauce.
When the stew is done, the beef will literally fall apart in your hands. Here’s everything you’ll need to make the best birria tacos!
- Beef Birria – In this dedicated post you’ll find the steps and tips to make the best birria de res. A large Dutch oven or large pot gets things started on the stove before the oven takes over to braise. Slow cooker and pressure cooker instructions are included!
- Oaxaca Cheese – Oaxaca is known as Mexican mozzarella for its smooth melting quality. But don’t get hung up if your grocery store doesn't have it. Substitute whole milk or part-skim mozzarella, but not fresh mozzarella because of its high moisture level. Monterey jack will work as well.
- Corn Tortillas – Most commonly used for authentic birria tacos but feel free to change things up to your liking with almond or flour tortillas.
- White Onion
- Green Onion
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lime Wedges
How to Make Birria Tacos
Shredded beef flavored in a broth of dried chiles that’s slow cooked to yield the most tender meat is the basis of these tacos. Here are the steps that reflect the traditional way of making them.
- Begin by making the beef birria! You can even make the stew a few days ahead of frying up the tacos.
- Shred the meat in small pieces that will fit in the tacos. Be sure to skim the grease off the top and save the brothy sauce to serve on the side as a dip.
3. Heat a large cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip one side of 2-3 tortillas in the reserved grease and place in the skillet in a single layer.
Spread about a ¼ cup of cheese all over tortillas with some cheese spilling over into the pan to get crispy edges.
Then spoon about ¼ cup of the shredded meat onto one side of the tortilla along with a bit of onion, green onion and cilantro. Fold the other side of the tortilla over. Cook the tacos until crispy and the cheese is fully melted, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Serve tacos with a small bowl of the birria consome as a dipping sauce on the side along with lime wedges and extra cilantro.
Tips for the Best Quesabirria Tacos
- Use a good quality brand of tortillas that won’t fall apart when frying the tacos. I'm a huge fan of La Banderita (not a sponsored post, just a recommendation!).
- Reserve extra birria sauce to dip tortillas in case you use all the stew's grease.
- To make the tacos ahead, keep them warm on a baking sheet in a 250 degrees F oven.
Birria Tacos with Consommé FAQs
If you have leftover tacos, store them in an airtight container up to 3 days and rewarm in the oven on a rimmed baking sheet at 375 degrees F until hot. I don’t recommend freezing birria tacos because they will become soggy while thawing, but the birria stew can be frozen up to 3 months.
While traditional birria is made with beef, lamb or goat meat, you can definitely substitute chicken or pork. I suggest using chicken thighs or pork shoulder which become nice and tender when slow cooked.
Birria is pronounced beer-rea with a rolling ‘r’ and here’s an audible example. The word birria refers to the wonderful Mexican stew and means ‘exquisite, savory dish full of culture and tradition’.
More Taco Recipes to Try!
🌟Love the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and/or a review in the Comments section below!
👋Stay in touch on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes! And subscribe above to join our email community for all the latest updates!
📋 Recipe Card
Birria Tacos with Consommé
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 batch Beef Birria , shredded
- 20 corn tortillas
- 16 ounces Oaxaca cheese (or other good melting cheese like mozzarella)
- 1 cup white onion , finely chopped
- ½ cup green onions , thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro , chopped and extra for garnish
- 4 limes , cut into wedges
Instructions
- Make the Birria Recipe: All the details you need to make the best birria are given in this dedicated post.
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Place reserved grease (see Notes below) from birria in a medium bowl.
- Working in batches, dip one side of 2-3 tortillas in the grease and place in skillet in a single layer.
- Spread about a ¼ cup of cheese all over tortillas with some cheese hanging over to get crispy edges. Then place about ¼ cup of the shredded meat onto one side of the tortilla along with a bit of onion, green onion and cilantro. Fold the other side of the tortilla over.
- Cook the tacos until crispy and the cheese is fully melted, about 3 minutes per side.
- Transfer cooked tacos to a baking sheet to keep warm in preheated oven.
- Serve tacos with a small bowl of the birria consommé as a dipping sauce on the side along with lime wedges and extra cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Birria Tacos
- If you’re not making the tacos the same day as the birria, the skimmed off fat from the birria stew can be stored in the fridge up to 3 months. When ready to use simply reheat in a microwave safe dish or in a small saucepan over low heat on the stove.
- Use a good quality brand of tortillas that won’t fall apart when frying the tacos.
- Reserve extra birria sauce to dip tortillas in case you use all the birria stew grease.
- To make the tacos ahead, keep them warm on a baking sheet in a low oven of 250 degrees F.
Nutrition
This page contains affiliate links. Meaning, whenever you purchase an item after clicking an Amazon link through this website, we receive a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn’t cost anything extra to you! It simply helps maintain the blog. Thanks so much!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen says
I've never had (nor probably heard of) Birria Tacos, but they look and sound so tasty. These golden taco shells look phenomenal and so appetizing!
Kim Peterson says
Thanks so much Ben! They are completely addictive!