Birria Stew and Tacos are traditionally made with goat or beef. The meat is marinated and slow-cooked in an adobo sauce consisting of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, herbs, and spices. For tacos, this richly seasoned meat is ready to go, while for stew, water is added and slow-cooked to develop a deep, savory consommé.
Birria tacos are a staple in taquerias and birrerias, though fewer places serve the stew. At home, skipping the stew means missing out on an easy and delicious option. Both dishes start with the same base, with the only difference being the addition of water to create the broth. Enjoy the stew first, then repurpose the leftovers into incredible tacos—same flavorful meat, same garnishes, and no extra effort.
Making Birria Stew
Make the chili sauce with toasted ancho and guajillo chilies, scorched onion, garlic and tomatoes. Blend it together with a plethora of herbs and spices to create the deep flavors of birria.
Prep the chuck roast by slicing it into large bite size chunks, then place them and the short ribs into the slow cooker.
Cover the meat with chili sauce and add 3 cups more water. Fold together and cook for 5-6 hours on high heat until the meat is fork tender. When ready, shred the short rib, discard the bones, taste and adjust the salt and pepper if necessary, then cook 30 minutes more.
Serve in bowls garnished with diced onion, cilantro and lime wedge.
Making Birria Tacos
Store the leftover stew by separating the meat and shredding any remaining chunks. Tightly cover the meat and the reserved consomme in bowls. Refrigerate until ready to make tacos.
Warm the consommé in a pot and re-heat the meat via microwave or over low heat on the stove. Dip a corn tortilla in the consommé and place it in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Flip the tortilla and fill with birria meat using tongs. Cover with shredded quesadilla cheese and fold the tortilla over the fillings.
If making more than two or three, place them on a baking sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Plate and garnish with diced onion and chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, hot sauce and salsa. Print
Birria Stew and Tacos
Beef and short rib in a richly flavored consomme, easily repurposed into fantastic tacos
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 300
- Total Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
Birria Stew
- 5 lbs. beef short ribs
- 5 lbs. beef chuck roast – cut into large cubes
- 3 cups water – omit if only making tacos
- 3 Ancho chili peppers
- 8 Guajillo chili peppers
- 3 roma tomatoes – roasted and blistered
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground Mexican cinnamon
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp marjoram
- 1/2 medium-size yellow onion – sliced
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- Black pepper – to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup chopped cilantro – garnish
- 1 cup white onion – diced
- Lime wedges
Birria Tacos
- Reserved birria stew meat and consomme
- Corn tortillas
- Quesadilla cheese – grated
- 1/2 white onion – diced
- Cilantro – chopped
- Hot sauce and salsa
Instructions
Birria Stew
- Trim all fat you can from the chuck roast and short ribs. Cube the chuck roast into large bite-sized pieces, then place it and the short ribs with bone in the slow cooker pot
- Make your chili sauce: De-stem, devein and de-seed the ancho and guajillo peppers. Toast for 1 minute over medium heat. Do Not Burn the peppers, because it will make the dish taste bitter. Soak the peppers in a bowl with hot water for 20 minutes
- Roast and lightly blister the tomatoes, scorch the onion slices and the garlic cloves. Transfer them to your blender. Then, toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns 30 seconds
- Finally, place the soaked peppers, dried herbs cinnamon, vinegar and the rest of the spices in the blender with one cup of water and process until you have a smooth sauce
- Pour the sauce over the meat, add three more cups of water, stir and make sure all the meat is covered in sauce
- Slow cook on high for 5-6 hours, stirring gently each hour until the meat is tender enough to shred. Shred the short rib, stir it back in. Taste and make a final adjustment of the salt and pepper. Let it cook for 30 more minutes
- Serve in bowls garnished with diced onion, chopped cilantro, a wedge of lime and shredded quesadilla cheese (optional)
- For leftovers and birria tacos strain out the meat, cover and refrigerate. Pour the consommé and into a separate bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use
Birria Tacos
- Warm the consommé and re-heat the neat. Use a large non-stick skillet to make the tacos
- Heat the skillet over low medium heat. Dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the consommé and place it in the skillet to heat for 5-10 seconds then flip it.
- Use tongs to place meat in the center of the taco, cover with grated cheese, then use spatulas to fold the taco closed and transfer to a plate or taco holder. Repeat the process for additional tacos. Keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve
- Serve with diced onion, lime wedges and hot sauce