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Authentic Birria Tacos Recipe with Consomé (Step-by-Step)

This authentic Mexican recipe features tender, slow-braised beef in a rich, smoky chile broth. The meat is crisped on a griddle, folded into a tortilla with cheese, and dipped into the savory consomé for the ultimate flavor explosion.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 450
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast cut into large chunks
  • 4 dried Guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried Ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
  • 4 dried Arbol chiles optional, for heat
  • 1 medium white onion roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 Roma tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 whole black peppercorns
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 8 cups beef broth or water
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • For the Tacos:
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
  • 1 white onion finely diced (for garnish)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish)
  • Lime wedges for serving

Method
 

  1. Prep Chiles: Toast dried chiles on a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 15 minutes until soft.
  2. Make Adobo Sauce: In a blender, combine softened chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, oregano, cumin, cloves, peppercorns, and 1 cup beef broth. Blend until completely smooth.
  3. Sear Meat: Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and sear on all sides until deeply browned.
  4. Combine: Pour the blended sauce over the seared meat. Add the remaining beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Slow Cook: Cover and cook in the oven at 325°F for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
  6. Shred Meat: Remove meat from the pot and shred it with two forks. Skim excess fat from the top of the broth and reserve it for frying.
  7. Assemble Tacos: Heat a griddle (comal) over medium heat. Dip a tortilla into the top layer of the broth fat.
  8. Fry: Place the wet tortilla on the griddle, sprinkle with cheese, add shredded meat, and fold it in half. Cook until golden and crispy on both sides.
  9. Serve: Place the consomé in small bowls for dipping. Serve tacos with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Notes

  • Use the red oil that rises to the top of the broth to fry the tortillas—it gives them an incredible color and flavor.
  • If you don’t have Oaxaca cheese, mozzarella is a fantastic substitute for perfect stretchy cheese pulls.
  • For extra heat, leave the seeds in the Arbol chiles or add a splash of hot sauce to your consomé.
  • You can make the broth and meat 2 days in advance; the flavors only get better as they sit.

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