Birria Tacos with Crispy Corn Tortillas and Oaxaca Cheese
By Mason Brooks
Serve these birria tacos for a dinner that calls for plenty of dipping. Tender shredded chuck roast, spicy chile paste, and melted Oaxaca cheese are tucked into corn tortillas, quickly dipped in consomé, and fried until crisp outside with a soft, saucy center.
The chile paste starts with dried guajillo and ancho chiles, chipotles in adobo, tomatoes, beef stock, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, and warm spices. Chuck roast is seared with onion and seasonings, then braised in beef stock and water until it pulls apart easily. The cooking liquid becomes the rich consomé for dipping.
The beef is ready when forks separate it into tender shreds without resistance, and the tacos are on track when the tortillas turn golden and crisp in the pan. The usual trouble is soaking tortillas too long in the consomé, which makes them soft before they can fry. A quick dip gives them color and flavor without weighing them down.
Serve the tacos right away with their consomé, chopped cilantro, and pico de gallo. Keep leftover beef, broth, tortillas, and cheese in separate containers so the tortillas do not lose their crisp texture before the next meal.
Why you'll love this recipe
- These tacos feed a table of twelve, making them useful for family dinner, game-day sharing, or a relaxed taco night with plenty to pass around.
- Tender chuck roast suits hearty eaters because it braises until fork-shreddable, then gets paired with melted Oaxaca cheese inside each crisp tortilla.
- Corn tortillas give the tacos a sturdy base for the juicy filling, while also keeping the recipe aligned with the article’s gluten-free option.
- Make-ahead components help busy cooks because the beef, consomé, and chile paste can be prepared separately before tortillas are assembled and fried.
- Picky eaters can adjust the heat by reducing the chiles, while everyone else still gets the smoky chipotle and earthy ancho flavor profile.
- Leftover ingredients stay more useful when stored separately, since reheated tortillas can be assembled after the beef and consomé are warmed.
Ingredients
- •4 dried guajillo peppers
- •4 dried ancho chiles
- •4 chipotle peppers in adobo
- •1 onion (chopped)
- •4 cloves garlic
- •0.5 cup crushed tomatoes
- •0.5 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
- •0.5 tsp cumin
- •0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- •0.5 tsp smoked paprika
- •0.5 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
- •0.5 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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