Saucy Birria Tacos Recipe

Tacos are a favorite dining option no matter the night of the week. Stuff them with chicken, ground beef, shrimp, or more, and load up your toppings of choice for a tasty dinner that's easy to customize. Food Republic recipe developer Julianne De Witt takes it up a notch with this saucy birria tacos recipe that's sure to satisfy. The preparation is traditionally from the Mexican state of Jalisco and commonly calls for goat meat. De Witt sticks with beef here, but there's nothing basic about this delicious concoction. 

She describes the dish as, "Beef, slow-braised in a savory, mildly spicy stew then shredded and added to a tortilla and fried until crispy — it's a flavor explosion, a little messy and fun to eat!" Plus, the braising liquid is served alongside as a dipping sauce for the ultimate treat. What's not to love? The cooking time is fairly lengthy, however, the prep work is straightforward and doesn't call for any fancy tricks, so just make a point to plan ahead. It's well worth the added anticipation for taco night once you bite into the tender, saucy meat.

For the meat marinade, get dried guajillo chiles, then trim off the ends and de-seed them. De Witt explains, "You can find them in the Mexican foods section of your grocery store. They add a mild and somewhat fruity flavoring to the broth." Next, you'll need peeled whole garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, apple cider vinegar, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and crushed tomatoes. The canned chipotle peppers add "heat, a little sweetness, and depth," according to De Witt.

The stew calls for both beef chuck roast and beef short ribs (bone-in), because "the bones and fattier meat in the short ribs add richness to the broth," De Witt explains. Meanwhile, "Chuck roast, when braised in the sauce, is so tender and melts in your mouth," making them a winning duo. Next, get kosher salt, olive oil, a yellow onion (diced), a carton of beef stock, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. To assemble the tacos, get white corn tortillas, and prep a white onion (diced), cilantro (minced), and a jalapeño (thinly sliced). 

Once the guajillo peppers are trimmed and de-seeded, add them to a medium-sized bowl with boiling water to cover them. Set them aside to soften for about 10 minutes. Set up your blender and add the soaked peppers, garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, apple cider vinegar, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and crushed tomatoes. Blend the contents on high speed until the mixture is smooth and uniform.

Get a large container with a lid and add in the chuck roast and short ribs. Season the meat with kosher salt and pour the marinade from the blender over the top. Toss the meat to coat, then seal the container and transfer it to the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight if possible.

Once the meat is sufficiently marinated, preheat the oven to 300 F. Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven on medium heat, then toss in the diced onion and saute for 2 minutes. Next, add the marinated meat with the excess marinade, beef stock, cinnamon sticks, and bay leaves. Stir the contents of the pot to distribute everything evenly, then raise the heat to bring it to a boil. 

Place the lid on top and transfer the vessel to the oven for 3 hours, or until the meat is tender. Take the pot out of the oven and carefully remove the pieces of meat from the broth, discarding the bones. Use two forks to shred the meat and transfer it to a bowl. Pour 1 cup of the broth from the pot over the shredded meat, and save the rest of it to use for dipping.

Get a non-stick skillet and place it on the burner over medium heat. First, dip a tortilla into the broth then lay it in the skillet. Add shredded meat to one half of the tortilla, then fold the other half over, frying the taco for 1 minute. Flip and fry it for another minute until the two sides are golden and lightly browned. If you're a fan of cheese, De Witt describes, "the quesabirria taco option for those who would like cheese on their tacos. Add shredded Oaxaca (or mozzarella) cheese to the meat before folding over the tortilla." 

One by one, transfer the cooked tacos to a plate as they are ready. Top them with chopped cilantro, onions, and jalapeños, and serve more broth to dip. De Witt recommends serving these delicious tacos "with a side of rice and beans, Mexican street corn, even a simple salad with tomato and avocado salad." Any leftover meat will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container and up to 3 months in the freezer.