Homemade Birria Tacos Recipe (Quesa Tacos) + Beef Birria Consomé

beef chuck

🥗Healthier: lean beef

💰Cheaper: pork shoulder

Pork shoulder is often less expensive and still flavorful.

dried guajillo chiles

🥗Healthier: fresh bell peppers

💰Cheaper: canned tomatoes

Canned tomatoes provide a similar base flavor at a lower cost.

beef broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with bouillon

Vegetable broth can reduce calories and cost.

corn tortillas

🥗Healthier: whole wheat tortillas

💰Cheaper: flour tortillas

Whole wheat offers more fiber, while flour is often cheaper.

Season both the beef and lamb well on all sides with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the oil to a very large pot or rondeau over high heat and once it begins to smoke, add in the meat and lamb and sear until well browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes per side.

Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.

Place in the onions and cook over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes or until caramelized.

Add the garlic and sauté with the onions for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, chiles, allspice berries, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaves, cumin seeds, oregano, and thyme and stew on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes to soften up the peppers and cook the tomatoes.

Deglaze with 2 cups of water and continue to cook on medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced by ½ or about 15 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree at high speed until smooth.

Pour the mixture back into the pot along with water or beef stock. Season this mixture well with salt and pepper.

Place the seared meat back into the pot, cover, and cook on medium-medium-high for about 2 hours, or until the meat is easily shredded.

Remove the meat, discard any bones, and roughly chop on a cutting board. Keep aside.

Strain the remaining liquid through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois and return the strained liquid back to the pot along with the chopped meat.

Making 1 taco at a time, lightly dip two corn tortillas into the top part of the consomé liquid and place them on top of each other in a cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

Evenly sprinkle some of the cheese onto the top of the corn tortilla, followed by adding some of the chopped meat to one-half side of the taco on top of the cheese.

Optionally add diced onions and cilantro.

Cook for a minute or two and then fold the taco over to help form it. Cook for about one more minute.

Repeat the process until all of the meat has been used.

Serve each taco with a small bowl of the consomé liquid garnished with lemon juice, diced onions, and cilantro.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: