Quick Summary: Crispy corn tortillas dipped in rich chile-spiced broth, filled with fall-apart tender shredded beef, melted cheese, and pickled onions. Served with a bowl of the birria broth (consommé) for dipping. This recipe includes the complete birria from scratch, so you have everything you need in one place. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 3.5 hours (mostly hands-off) | Serves: 8 tacos (with leftover meat)
Jump to: Recipe | What are Birria Tacos? | The Birria Consommé | Making the Tacos | Equipment | More Taco Recipes | FAQ
What Makes Birria Tacos Different
Three things set birria quesatacos apart from every other taco:
The meat. Fall-apart tender beef braised for hours in a chile-spiced broth. Shredded, not ground or sliced. The long, slow cooking develops deep flavor and a texture you can’t rush. This recipe is made with beef, but the traditional birria from Jalisco, Mexico is made with goat or lamb.
The tortilla treatment. Corn tortillas are dipped in the birria consommé before frying. The fat in the broth helps them crisp while infusing them with chile flavor. This is the technique that made these tacos famous.
The dipping sauce. The broth, called consommé, is not only used for coating the tortillas before frying, but it also is served alongside the tacos as a dipping sauce.
Fair warning: these are messy. Have paper towels ready. Don’t wear white.
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Start with the Birria Stew
Birria is a traditional Mexican stew from Jalisco, where it’s made with goat or lamb braised in a richly spiced chile broth until meltingly tender. The broth, or consommé, is as important as the meat. It’s deeply flavored from the chiles, aromatics, and rendered fat from the slow-cooked meat.
The meat is always slow cooked in the broth until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender. When served as a stew (the original dish called Birria de Res), the meat is ladled up into bowls along with plenty of its broth, garnished with fresh toppings, and then served with a side of warm corn tortillas.
You can’t make birria quesatacos without first making the consommé. The birria stew takes about 3.5 hours, most of it hands-off braising time. Make it earlier in the day, or the day before (it actually improves overnight).
The Best Meat for Birria
While goat meat or lamb meat is the traditional meat used in birria, beef is more popular in the U.S. The recipe below was made with my preference of beef chuck roast and some short ribs.
Chuck roast provides the shredding meat. It has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender during braising without drying out.
Short ribs add collagen. As they braise, the collagen dissolves into gelatin, giving the consommé body and that silky richness that clings to tortillas. The bones also contribute flavor. Use 3-4 short ribs alongside a 2-3 pound chuck roast.
Other options that work:
- Oxtails (excellent collagen, though expensive now)
- Lamb shoulder or shanks (more traditional, gamier)
- Goat (most traditional, if you can find it)
The key is using meat that benefits from long, slow cooking. Lean cuts won’t work.
For a detailed step-by-step tutorial on making the birria stew check out this post on Birria de Res con consommé.
The Chile Blend
Traditional birria consommé uses a blend of dried chiles: ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. You’d toast them, rehydrate them, and blend them into a paste.
I use my farm’s smoked chile powder blend for convenience, which provides similar depth with less work. A good ancho-based chile powder works well. If you want to use whole dried chiles, toast 3-4 guajillos and 2 anchos, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then blend into the sauce.
Making the Birria (Overview)
The full recipe is in the card below, but here’s the flow:
- Season and sear the meat. Coat chuck and short ribs with the spice blend (oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chile powder, salt). Sear in batches until browned.
- Build the sauce base. Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger. Add tomatoes and simmer until soft. Blend until smooth.
- Braise. Combine meat, sauce, broth, vinegar, honey, and bay leaves. Simmer covered for 3-3.5 hours until the meat is falling apart.
- Rest and skim. Let cool slightly. Skim some fat from the surface (save it for frying tortillas). Shred the meat.
You now have birria: shredded meat and consommé ready for tacos.
Making the Quesatacos
Once you have birria consommé, the tacos come together in about 15 minutes.
Here are the steps lined out with photos. For the details of the recipe itself, see the recipe card below.
Step 5: Crisp both sides. Flip and press, frying the other side until the tortilla is deeply golden and crispy. This takes another 1-2 minutes total.
Serve immediately. Transfer to a plate. Serve with a small bowl of warm consommé for dipping.
Repeat with remaining tortillas. Keep finished tacos warm in a 200°F oven if making a large batch.
Equipment: Comal vs Cast Iron vs Griddle
In the video you will see that I used a comal to fry the tacos. A comal is basically a round, flat, cast iron griddle. A cast iron skillet can also be used but it has sides to give it depth which is less efficient for flipping the tortillas.
A griddle is often long and rectangular and works just like a comal if you can direct the heat source appropriately.
The griddle shown above fits over two of our gas burners, but you can get a stand-alone griddle if you don’t have a stove that fits the griddle
The benefit of cast iron over other types of frying pans is that cast iron retains the heat once heated up. This makes it easier to fry more than one or two tacos because the skillet will remain hot.
Some of the pros and cons of each:
- The smaller comal is easier to handle (cast iron is heavy), and the lack of sides make it easy to slide off the tortillas without breaking them
- Cast iron skillets however come in larger sizes, allowing you to fry more tacos at a time
- A long cast iron griddle is great as it has no sides and has a lot of surface area, but you need to have a heat source underneath it that will cover the length of it. Many stoves just have the smaller round burners.
Whether comal, skillet or griddle, just aim for cast iron so that you can retain the heat while making a batch of tacos.
Tips for Better Birria Tacos
- Make the birria ahead. It improves overnight. The fat solidifies on top for easy skimming, and the flavors deepen. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
- Keep the consommé warm and fatty. You want some fat floating on top for dipping the tortillas. If you’ve refrigerated the birria, warm it and stir some fat back in before dipping tortillas.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Two tacos at a time on a standard comal. The tortillas need consistent contact with the hot surface to crisp properly.
- Use enough cheese. The cheese helps bind everything together and provides the gooey contrast to the crispy tortilla. Don’t skimp.
- Serve the consommé hot. Warm consommé is for dipping. Cold or room temperature consommé is sad consommé.
- The pickled onions matter. Their acidity cuts through the richness of the meat and consommé. Without them, the tacos can feel heavy. Recipe linked in the notes.
What to Serve with Birria Tacos
These birria tacos are good enough to eat dozens on their own. If you wanted to add a side however, you could serve them with homemade tortilla chips or Mexican rice.
I typically serve tacos with fresh lime wedges, a bottle of hot sauce for those who want more heat, a side of pickled onions, and a side of chopped cilantro. That typically covers the bases.
More Mexican Taco Fillings
There are several Mexican dishes that have a similar flavor profile to birria, but without the consommé element.. Here are a few:
FAQ
The braising liquid from cooking birria: a blend of dried chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, and the rendered fat from the meat. It’s intensely flavorful and serves double duty as the tortilla-dipping fat and the table-side dipping sauce.
Traditional Oaxacan cheese is ideal because it melts beautifully and stretches. Any good melting cheese works: Monterey jack, fontina, havarti, or a shredded Mexican queso blend. Avoid pre-shredded cheese with anti-caking agents if possible.
Yes. Flour tortillas won’t crisp the same way when dipped in the consommé and fried. Corn tortillas are essential to the texture.
A few possibilities: the tortillas weren’t coated well enough with consommé, you didn’t let them crisp long enough before folding, or you’re using old/dry tortillas. Fresh or freshly steamed tortillas work best.
Yes, the birria improves if made a day ahead. Store the meat and consommé together, refrigerated. Reheat before making tacos.
Cast iron (comal, skillet, or griddle) retains heat best for frying multiple tacos. A comal has no sides, making flipping easier. A large skillet lets you make more tacos at once.
Moderately. Traditional birria is more about complex chile flavor than raw heat. The blend of dried chiles provides warmth and depth without being fiery. Add more chipotle or chiles de árbol if you want more heat.
The consommé. Regular tacos use plain or lightly oiled tortillas. Birria tacos use tortillas dipped in the fatty, chile-rich braising liquid before frying. The tortilla becomes deeply flavored and crispy. Plus you get to dip the finished taco in more consommé while eating.
Want more Mexican Recipes? Check out this collection of traditional Mexican recipes, from tamales, to moles, to cocktails to sauces.
Birria Quesatacos
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large heavy pot
- thin spatula
Ingredients
For the Birria
- 2½ pounds chuck roast cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- 3-4 bone-in short ribs
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin toasted and ground if possible
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons smoked chile powder ancho-based blend
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves smashed
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
- 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes fire-roasted preferred
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 bay leaves
For the Quesatacos
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 cups melting cheese (Oaxacan, Monterey jack, or Mexican blend
- 4 cups birria broth for dipping tortillas and for individual servings
- ½ cup pickled onions for serving
- ½ cup fresh cilantro for serving
- lime wedges optional: for serving
- hot sauce optional: for serving
Instructions
For the Birria Stew
- Season the meat. Combine oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chile powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add chuck roast pieces and short ribs. Toss until thoroughly coated.2½ pounds chuck roast, 3-4 bone-in short ribs, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 2 teaspoons smoked chile powder, 2-3 teaspoons salt
- Sear the meat. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear the meat until browned on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove and set aside.2 tablespoons oil
- Build the sauce base. In the same pot, sauté onion, garlic, and ginger for 5 minutes until softened. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is very soft.1 large white onion, 6 garlic cloves, 1 inch fresh ginger, 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- Blend the sauce. Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth, or carefully transfer to a regular blender and blend in batches.
- Braise. Return puree to the dutch oven. Add the seared meat, chicken broth, water, vinegar, honey, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer gently for 3 to 3½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is completely tender and falling apart.4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, ¼ cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 3 bay leaves
- Finish the birria. Remove meat from the pot. Shred with two forks, discarding any bones from the short ribs. Skim some fat from the surface of the consommé (reserve for frying tortillas). Return shredded meat to the consommé to keep warm.
For the Questacos
- Heat your pan. Place a cast iron comal or skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
- Dip and fry the tortilla. Using tongs, dip a corn tortilla in the warm consommé, coating both sides. Place on the hot pan8 corn tortillas, 4 cups birria broth
- Add cheese and fillings. Immediately sprinkle cheese over the entire tortilla. On one half, add shredded birria meat, pickled onions, and cilantro.2 cups melting cheese, 1/2 cup pickled onions, 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- .Fold and crisp. When the cheese begins to melt and the bottom is crispy (about 2 minutes), fold the cheese-only half over the filled half. Press gently with a spatula. Flip and press, frying each side until golden and crispy, about 1-2 minutes more
- Serve. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve immediately with small bowls of warm consommé for dipping, lime wedges, and extra pickled onions.lime wedges, hot sauce
Video
Notes
- Make ahead: The birria improves if made 1-2 days ahead. Refrigerate meat and consommé together. The fat will solidify on top for easy skimming. Reheat before making tacos.
- Slow cooker method: Sear meat on stovetop. Combine everything in slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours.
- Instant Pot method: Use sauté function to sear meat in batches. Add remaining birria ingredients. Pressure cook on HIGH for 50 minutes with natural release.
- For pickled onions: See my Easy Pickled Onions recipe. They add essential acidity.
- Leftover birria: Makes excellent filling for tamales, burritos, or quesadillas. Or serve as a stew in bowls with warm tortillas.
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 
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