Birria Tacos with Crispy Corn Tortillas and Oaxaca Cheese
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
20 min
Cook
150 min
Total
170 min
Servings
12
Level
Medium
Serve birria tacos for dinner, which offer multiple dipping options. Shredded chuck roast beef, chile paste, and melted Oaxaca cheese are wrapped in tortillas. Tortillas are dipped in consomé and fried to create a crunchy taco filled with juicy meat.
The chile paste recipe calls for dried guajillo and ancho chiles, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, tomatoes, beef broth, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and other spices. Chuck roast is seared with onion and other ingredients and cooked in a mixture of beef broth and water until it can be shredded. Consomé is prepared from the chuck roast cooking liquid and served as a dipping sauce.
The beef is done when it can be pulled apart with forks. The tacos are done when the tortilla browns and crisps in the skillet. Some common problems when preparing this recipe include tortillas becoming too soft from soaking in consomé, which prevents them from crisping. Short soaking times allow tortillas to absorb consomé flavors without becoming soggy.
Serve tacos with consomé and other toppings, including cilantro and pico de gallo, straight away. Keep leftover beef, broth, tortillas, and cheese separate to help keep tortillas crisp for later taco servings.
Why we keep this one around
- These tacos feed twelve people and are perfect for family dinners and game nights and other casual taco nights with plenty to pass around.
- Tender chuck steak is a good option for serving larger portions because it can be braised to shreds and served in a crisp tortilla with melted Oaxaca cheese.
- Corn tortillas are good bases for tacos with meat fillings and are another gluten-free taco option described in the article.
- Make-ahead ingredients help cooks save time by preparing the beef, consomé, and chile paste ahead of time. Tortillas can be prepared and fried as time permits.
- Picky diners may want to reduce spiciness by adding fewer peppers. Everyone at the table still gets the smoky chipotle and earthy ancho flavors.
- Unused cooking ingredients can be stored separately to make fresh tortillas with reheated beef and consomé.
Ingredients
- •4 dried guajillo peppers
- •4 dried ancho chiles
- •4 chipotle peppers in adobo
- •1 onion (chopped)
- •4 cloves garlic
- •½ cup crushed tomatoes
- •½ cup organic beef stock (for chili paste; can substitute water)
- •1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- •2 bay leaves
- •2 tbsp Mexican oregano
- •1 tsp dried thyme
- •½ tsp cumin
- •½ tsp ground cinnamon
- •½ tsp smoked paprika
- •½ tsp ground allspice
- •3 lb organic chuck roast beef (chopped into medium-large chunks)
- •1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- •1 tsp sea salt
- •1 tsp black pepper
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •½ onion (diced)
- •4 cups organic beef stock (for meat and consomé)
- •2 cups water
- •12 organic corn tortillas
- •Oaxaca cheese (shredded)
- •1 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- •pico de gallo
Instructions
- 1
Remove the stems and seeds from all of the dried ancho and guajillo chiles.
- 2
Add the beef stock to a medium-sized pot and bring it to a boil.
- 3
Add the chiles, then turn off the heat.
- 4
Cover and let the chiles sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
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