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Birria tacos with consomé for dipping, crispy red tacos on white tiles

Birria Tacos & Consomé — Crispy, Cheesy, and Worth the Wait

Birria tacos with rich consomé for dipping — slow-braised beef, crispy cheese-filled tortillas, and a deep, chilli-based broth.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Rest 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the birria beef:
  • 1.5 kg beef chuck cut into large chunks
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 dried guajillo chillies stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried ancho chillies stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried chipotle chillies in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1 can (400 g) chopped tomatoes
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
For the tacos:
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 300 g Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella grated
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • Fresh coriander chopped
  • Lime wedges to serve

Equipment

  • Large heavy pot or Dutch oven with a lid
  • Blender
  • Fine strainer
  • Large skillet or griddle
  • Tongs
  • Ladle
  • two forks for shredding

Method
 

  1. Toast and soak the chillies: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the dried chillies for 30 seconds a side, just until fragrant. Put them in a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
  2. Make the chilli sauce: Blend the soaked chillies with the onion, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, adobo sauce, vinegar, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon, with a splash of the soaking liquid, until smooth. Strain it through a fine strainer, pressing well.
  3. Braise the beef low and slow: Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef chunks in batches, seasoning as you go. Pour in the strained sauce and beef stock, add the bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce to low, and cook for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
  4. Shred and skim: Lift the beef out, shred it with two forks, and set it aside. Skim the red fat from the top of the broth into a small bowl. Season the remaining broth, which is now your consomé, with salt to taste, and keep it hot. Stir a ladle of consomé through the shredded beef so it stays juicy.
  5. Dip the tortillas in fat: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip a tortilla quickly into the skimmed red fat, coating both sides lightly, and lay it in the skillet. A quick dip is enough.
  6. Fill and fry: Spoon shredded beef over half the tortilla, add a good handful of cheese, plus a little diced onion and coriander. Fold it in half and fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side, pressing gently, until crisp and the cheese is melted.
  7. Serve with hot consomé: Serve the tacos straight away, crisp and hot, with small bowls of hot consomé for dipping, plus lime wedges, extra onion, and coriander on the side.

Notes

Estimated nutrition per serving: about 620 kcal, 38 g protein, 32 g fat, 42 g carbohydrate. Calories and macros are estimates only and will vary with your beef, cheese, and tortillas.