Description
Prepare to indulge in the ultimate Super Crispy Birria Tacos, featuring tender, flavorful braised beef and perfectly crisped tortillas. This recipe guides you through creating a rich consomé and assembling tacos that are an absolute delight.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 1 lb beef short ribs
- 1 lb oxtail (optional, but highly recommended)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the Consomé & Chili Sauce:
- 6–8 dried Ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 6–8 dried Guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 3–5 dried Árbol chilies, stemmed (adjust to heat preference)
- 1 large white onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 whole cloves
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (optional)
- 6–8 cups beef broth, or as needed
- For Assembling Tacos:
- 24 small corn tortillas
- 1.5 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese or Monterey Jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- White onion, finely diced, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Pat beef chuck, short ribs, and oxtail dry. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear meat in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Remove stems and seeds from Ancho, Guajillo, and Árbol chilies. Toast chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and rehydrate for 20-30 minutes.
- In the same pot used for searing, sauté chopped onion, garlic, and tomatoes until softened. Add cumin, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, and ginger, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Drain rehydrated chilies (reserve soaking liquid). Add chilies, sautéed aromatics, apple cider vinegar, and 1-2 cups of reserved chili soaking liquid to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more liquid if needed.
- Return seared meat to the Dutch oven. Pour chili purée over the meat. Add enough beef broth to mostly cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 3-4 hours, or until meat is fork-tender.
- Remove meat from the pot and shred it using two forks. Strain the consomé through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Skim fat from the surface of the consomé; reserve it.
- Heat a large skillet or comal over medium heat. Dip one side of a corn tortilla into the reserved birria fat. Place fat-dipped side down on the hot skillet.
- Immediately sprinkle cheese over the tortilla, then add shredded birria meat. Cook until cheese melts and tortilla crisps (1-2 minutes).
- Fold the tortilla over to create a taco. Cook for another 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Serve Super Crispy Birria Tacos hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, diced white onion, and lime wedges. Serve with warm consomé for dipping.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 4-5 hours