Birria Tacos
Rich. Smoky. Spicy—with a delicious kick.
These are not your abuela’s birria tacos—but she’d want seconds. Succulent beef is slow-braised in a deeply flavored broth infused with dried chiles, warm spices, and a daring spoonful of Twisted Thai Chili Crisp—a fiery blend of Thai chilis, garlic, and shallots. The chili crisp adds a zesty, fragrant heat and a punch of umami that lingers just right.
Once the beef is fall-apart tender, it’s shredded and tucked into corn tortillas dipped in the rich birria consommé, then pan-fried until perfectly crispy and golden. Serve them hot, dunked in the spicy-sweet broth—and prepare to fall in love.
Ingredients
3-4 lbs chuck roast or combination of chuck roast and short ribs
4-5 bay leaves
2 tbs Corriander seed
1 cinnamon stick
1 head of garlic
1 large onion
3 tbs Twisted Thai crisp or Oh My Garlic crisp
6 oz chili paste (See our video)
32 oz beef broth
3 oz tomato paste
10-20 corn tortillias
16 oz Oaxaca cheese or another melty cheese
16 oz cotija cheese
1 small onion diced
1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the meat into large 2-3 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
- Either cold smoke the meat for 90 minutes or pan sear it in the pot you will cook it in.
- In a large pot, that is oven safe, add the meat and all of your ingredients including a large pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 3-4 hours.
- Once the meat is for tender, pull it out of the oven. Let stand for about 20 minutes.
- You can use a spoon to dip out the oil and fat that has risen to the top. The oil can be separated before or after you strain the consume. Strain the liquids from the solids . Once strained you can dip out the separated oil from the broth if you haven't done so already. Keep the oil in a bowl large enough to dip tortillas in.
- Pick out the meat from the other ingredients and shred it. Use heat safe gloves. You can discard the rest or you can blend it and add it back to the consume. I suggest pulling out the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves before blending.
- Add the consume to a sauce pan on the stove over medium heat. Whisk in the tomato paste. You will want this to reduce down by about 1/3. That will help intensify the flavors and make it slightly thicker to coat the tacos better. You will want to taste the consume to see if it needs more salt.
- While the consume is cooking prepare to cook the tacos. It's easiest to use a flat top skillet such as a Blackstone. You can also use a cast iron skillet on your stove top.
- Once your flat top is up to medium high heat, dip a tortilla in the oil you set aside earlier. Place the tortilla flat on the flat top. Once you place a few down, start adding meat to the center of the tortilla in a line. Then top it with the Oaxaca cheese. Now fold it in half like a taco using your tongs and a flipper.
- Once your tacos are done, pour some consume in a small bowl. Add in some cilantro and onion to the consume. Now dip your taco into the consume, take a bite, and enjoy!