How to Make Birria Tacos at Home, Consomé Included

To make birria tacos at home, braise beef in a dried-chile adobo until it falls apart, skim the red fat off the broth, dip corn tortillas in that fat, fry them with the shredded meat and cheese until crisp, and serve them with a cup of the rich broth, the consomé, for dunking. Plan on about four hours, most of it hands-off.

It is one of the great restaurant dishes of the past decade, and it translates to a home kitchen better than most. You need a heavy pot, a blender, a griddle and a lazy Sunday.

This guide covers the story, the chiles and cuts, the braise, the tacos and the food-safety steps that matter when you cook a big batch.

From Jalisco goat stew to crispy tacos

México Desconocido calls birria one of the most representative broths of Jalisco. It was traditionally made with goat or lamb, wrapped in maguey leaves and cooked in an underground oven, much like barbacoa. The flavour comes from dried chiles such as ancho, guajillo, pasilla and cascabel, with spices including cinnamon and oregano. The same source says the name itself means a person or thing of little value, a reflection of how Spanish colonists once looked down on goat meat.

The version most people now know comes from Tijuana. As Texas Monthly explains, taqueros there developed the crispy, cheese-filled beef taco served with consomé for dunking, and beef became the favoured protein in part because goat costs more. Social media did the rest. NBC News reported in 2024 that market research firm Datassential had measured birria’s menu presence growing 412% over four years.

Birria is proof that the cheapest cut in the market, cooked with patience and chiles, can outsell anything on the menu.

Ingredients and the right beef cuts

This recipe serves six to eight, with consomé to spare.

For the braise

• 1.5 kg (about 3 lb) boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks
• 700 g (about 1.5 lb) bone-in short ribs or beef shank
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 bay leaves and 1 small cinnamon stick
• About 2 litres (8 cups) water or low-sodium beef stock

For the adobo

• 6 guajillo chiles and 3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 to 4 chiles de árbol, optional, for heat
• 2 Roma tomatoes, half a white onion and 6 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and dried Mexican oregano, 3 whole cloves
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

To serve

• 24 small corn tortillas
• Oaxaca cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
• Finely chopped white onion, chopped cilantro and lime wedges

Choosing the beef

Cut	What it brings	How to use it
Chuck roast	Plenty of meat, good marbling, shreds well	The main taco filling
Bone-in short rib	Rich fat and flavour	Mix with chuck for juicier meat
Shank or oxtail	Collagen and body for the consomé	Add a piece or two for a silkier broth
Brisket	Beefy, slices or shreds	Works, but can dry out if overcooked

Step by step: the chile adobo and braise

1. Season the meat. Salt the beef generously and leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes while you make the adobo.
2. Toast the chiles. Press them flat on a dry pan over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds a side, until fragrant. Pull them before they blacken, or the sauce turns bitter.
3. Soak. Cover the chiles with hot water for 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
4. Char the aromatics. In the same pan, blister the tomatoes, onion and garlic until spotted.
5. Blend and strain. Blend the chiles, aromatics, spices and vinegar with about 250 ml (1 cup) of stock until smooth, then push the purée through a sieve to remove skins.
6. Sear. Brown the beef in batches in a heavy pot with a little oil. Don’t crowd it.
7. Braise. Return the meat, add the adobo, bay leaves, cinnamon and enough water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook at a bare simmer, or in a 160°C (325°F) oven, for 3 to 4 hours until the beef pulls apart with a fork.

Beef roasts are safe from 145°F (63°C) with a three-minute rest, according to the FoodSafety.gov roasting chart, but a braise needs to go far beyond that for the connective tissue to melt. Cook for texture, not temperature.

Step by step: consomé and crisp tacos

1. Lift out the meat. Shred it with two forks, discarding bones and any gristle. Season with a ladle of broth and salt to taste.
2. Skim the fat. Spoon the brick-red fat from the surface into a shallow bowl. This is your tortilla dip.
3. Finish the consomé. Taste the remaining broth, adjust salt, and keep it hot. Thin with water if it tastes too strong.
4. Dip and griddle. Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-high. Dip a tortilla in the red fat and lay it down.
5. Fill. Add cheese, then meat, to one half. Fold it over.
6. Crisp. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, pressing gently, until the tortilla is crisp and the cheese has melted.
7. Serve. Pour consomé into cups, top with onion and cilantro, and serve with the tacos and lime.

The dunk is the point. A good birria taco should be crisp enough to survive a dip in the consomé and still crunch on the next bite.

Food safety for a big pot of birria

Birria makes a lot of broth, and big pots are where home cooks get into trouble. The USDA’s leftovers guidance spells out the essentials.

• Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking.
• Cool it fast. Divide large amounts into shallow containers; a big pot of soup takes a long time to cool, which lets bacteria multiply.
• Use within 3 to 4 days, or freeze for 3 to 4 months.
• Reheat the meat to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer.
• Bring the consomé to a rolling boil when reheating, as the USDA advises for soups, sauces and gravies.

Leftover meat makes excellent quesadillas, tortas and even ramen bowls. For more ideas, see our taco recipes and our guide to cooking with dried chiles, or browse the full food and recipes section.

FAQ

Can I make birria in a pressure cooker?

Yes. Pressure cookers are now common for birria. Follow your appliance’s guidance for beef stew cuts and check that the meat shreds easily before you stop.

Is birria supposed to be spicy?

Guajillo and ancho chiles are more earthy than hot. The chiles de árbol set the heat, so add more or leave them out.

What cheese is best for quesabirria?

Oaxaca cheese melts and stretches well. Low-moisture mozzarella is a good substitute.

Can I use goat or lamb instead of beef?

Yes, and that is closer to the Jalisco tradition. Goat and lamb braise in a similar time, so check tenderness from about three hours.

Plan your birria weekend

Make the braise on a Saturday, chill it overnight, and lift the solid fat off the top the next day for the cleanest consomé and the easiest taco dipping. Then fry to order on Sunday. And if you’d rather taste a professional version first, look up a local taquería in our restaurant directory.

Featured photo: Birria tacos, birria consomme by T.Tseng, BY 2.0.