Description
This Birria Tacos with Consomé recipe features tender, slow-cooked beef infused with a rich, smoky blend of dried chiles and spices, served in corn tortillas with fresh cilantro and onion. The cooking liquid is strained and served as a warm, flavorful consomé for dipping, making these tacos irresistibly savory and perfect for gatherings or a delicious meal at home.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast (or beef short ribs)
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried pasilla chile, stems and seeds removed (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth (or water)
- 2 bay leaves
For Serving and Garnish
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- Lime wedges (for serving)
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese (optional, for quesabirria tacos)
Consomé
- 2 cups of the birria cooking liquid (strained)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chiles: Toast the guajillo, ancho, and optional pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then soak them in hot water for 15-20 minutes to soften.
- Make the Marinade: Blend the soaked chiles, garlic, quartered onion, ground cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, apple cider vinegar, salt, and black pepper with some soaking water or beef broth until smooth to create a deep, flavorful marinade.
- Marinate the Beef: Coat the beef chuck roast or short ribs thoroughly with the chile marinade, ensuring even coverage. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour for best flavor penetration.
- Cook the Beef: Place the marinated beef into a large pot or slow cooker. Add beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop or set the slow cooker to low, cooking for about 3 hours until the meat is very tender and shreds easily.
- Prepare Consomé: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve to remove solids. Set aside 2 cups for serving the consomé dipping sauce alongside the tacos.
- Shred the Meat: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks, discarding bones if present. Mix the shredded meat with some of the reserved cooking liquid to keep it moist.
- Assemble the Tacos: Heat corn tortillas briefly on a skillet. Fill each with shredded meat and optionally add shredded cheese for quesabirria tacos. Fold and cook on a hot skillet until the tortillas are slightly crispy and the cheese melted.
- Serve: Serve the tacos hot, garnished with chopped cilantro and onions. Accompany with lime wedges and a small bowl of the warm consomé for dipping.
Notes
- Using beef chuck roast provides great flavor and tenderness after slow cooking.
- Adjust the number of chiles according to your heat tolerance; removing seeds reduces spiciness.
- Cheese is optional but adds a wonderful texture for quesabirria style tacos.
- Leftover consomé can be refrigerated and reheated for up to 3 days.
- If desired, you can crisp the tacos in a skillet with a little oil for a crunchier texture.
