Mexican birria tacos, Jalisco-style, made with braised beef that's slow-cooked in a fragrant 3-chile sauce with a delicious spice mix. Crispy tacos, and tender, mouth-watering beef team up with melted Mexican cheese in this impressive meal. This recipe takes a little time but it's so worth it!
Ingredients
- guajillo Chili peppers: 6 piece (seeded, dried)
- chili de árbol peppers: 4 piece (seeded, dried)
- ancho Chilis: 2 piece (seeded, dried)
- olive oil: 1 Tbsp (or as needed)
- medium Roma tomatoes: 4 piece
- white vinegar: 2 Tbsp
- garlic: 2 clove
- ground black pepper: 2 tsp
- whole cloves: 4 piece
- pinch ground cinnamon: 1 piece
- pinch ground cumin: 1 piece
- pinch ground thyme: 1 piece
- pinch dried marjoram: 1 piece
- pinch dried oregano: 1 piece
- pinch salt: 1 piece
- beef chuck roast: 4 pound
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- corn tortillas: 18 piece
- white onion: 1 piece (chopped)
- bunch fresh cilantro: 1 piece (chopped)
- queso asadero (white Mexican cheese): 1 cup (shredded, optional)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.
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Start the sauce: Add guajillo, arbol, and ancho chile peppers to the boiling water; boil for 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Remove pot from the heat and allow peppers to soak until cool. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Meanwhile, sear the meat: Rinse beef and pat dry with paper towels. Cut beef into chunks if desired, and season with salt and pepper.
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Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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While the beef is searing, continue the sauce: Line a heavy cast-iron grill pan or griddle with aluminum foil and place over high heat. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer on top. Grill until tomato skin is burned on all sides and begins to peel, 3 to 5 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Place cooled chile peppers into a blender. Add vinegar, garlic, 2 teaspoons black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, marjoram, oregano, and salt in a blender. Pour in the reserved 1/4 cup of chile water and blend until smooth. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Strain chile sauce through a mesh strainer and pour over browned meat in the Dutch oven, turning the roast so it is completely covered with sauce; cover with a lid. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Bake in the preheated oven, basting meat every 45 minutes with sauce, until birria begins to fall apart, 3 to 4 hours. Remove the lid and bake, uncovered, until birria is crispy on top, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with 2 layers of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Remove meat to a cutting board and strain off any fat from the sauce. Shred meat with two forks, then return meat to the pot and stir with the sauce to combine.
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Assemble and heat tacos: Fill each tortilla with birria and top with Mexican cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro. Warm tortillas on a griddle, flipping until both sides are crispy and cheese is melted. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
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Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
