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Birria tacos are a culinary delight that originated in Mexico and has taken food lovers by storm. At the heart of these tantalizing tacos is tender, slow-cooked meat — traditionally goat or beef — that has been marinated in a rich, flavorful blend of spices and chilies. What truly sets these birria tacos apart is the cooking process, which involves simmering chuck roast for hours in a crockpot until it becomes incredibly tender and infused with the complex flavors of the marinade. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth sensation that is both comforting and indulgent.
If that wasn’t enough, the meat along with a ton of cheese gets stuffed in soft corn tortillas and baked until golden brown and crisp on both sides. The marinade that the meat slow cooked in is the perfect condiment and acts as an au jus to the crispy tacos. Traditionally birria tacos are served with onions, cilantro and lime.
The perfect side dish to these tacos is my creamed corn. It’s similar to elote and includes jalapeno. It’s the perfect sweet and salty compliment to the savory beef tacos.
Tips for the Best Birria Tacos
- Use a food processor to blend the canned chipotles in adobo sauce, canned green chilis and beef broth. The smooth sauce makes a big difference in infusing the meat with all the flavor.
- Plan ahead and cook on low for 9 hours. This ensures the meat absolutely falls apart and is easy to separate from the fat.
- Be sure to skim the fat off the top of the sauce once you remove the chuck roast from the crockpot.
- Do not use the tortilla brand “Banderita.” Their shells split and are very hard to work with. I use Mission soft white corn tortillas
- Use an extra large sheet pan to bake the tacos on.
- The tacos will produce grease on the sheet pan when you cook them. This is caused by the residual fat in the sauce and meat. Just sop up with paper towels.
Birria Tacos
Equipment
- 1 crockpot
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- salt & pepper to season chuck roast
- avocado oil (or any oil)
- 7 oz can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 4 oz can green chiles
- 14 oz can beef broth
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- pinch ground cloves
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix
- 15 soft white corn tortillas
- 12 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat a pan over high heat.
- Season chuck roast with salt and pepper on both sides then either spray down or rub down with oil on both sides.
- Sear for 2 minutes on both sides on high heat until deeply golden brown.
- Add the roast to a crockpot set on low.
- Combine garlic powder, cumin, ancho chili powder, oregano, kosher salt, ground cloves, onion soup mix and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Pour over the chuck roast.
- To a food processor add canned chipotles in adobo sauce, green chiles and beef broth. Process until smooth.
- Pour mixture into the crockpot on top and on the sides of the chuck roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.
- Remove the chuck roast and separate the fat from the meat. Shred the meat with two forks.
- Skim the fat off the top of the rendered sauce in the crockpot.
- Ladle 1 1/2- 2 cups of the sauce on the shredded beef and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 400 convection or 425 if you don't have convection.
- Microwave tortillas for one minute.
- Spray tortillas with oil spray on both sides.
- Fill the top half of each tortilla with a good amount of the beef followed by a big pinch of shredded cheese. It's okay if the cheese falls out some.
- Fold over and arrange on an extra large sheet pan.
- Bake for 9 minutes. Remove and sop up any excess oil with a paper towel.
- Flip each taco over and bake another 9-10 minutes.
- Sop up any excess oil with a paper towel.
- Serve with a side of the juice the beef cooked in and a lime wedge.
