This Authentic Mexican Birria Taco Recipe starts with beef chuck roast simmered low and slow in a rich chile sauce made from guajillo and ancho chiles, garlic, and warm spices, then shredded and tucked into tortillas that get fried crispy in the reserved fat.

The meat comes out deeply flavored and falling apart tender, and the tacos get dipped straight into the cooking broth before every bite.

I make this for weekend cooking projects, birthdays, or anytime I want something worth the extra time in the kitchen.

It’s not the quickest recipe on the site, the chiles need soaking and the beef needs hours to break down, but almost none of that time is hands-on.

If you’re into slow-cooked beef dishes, these are worth trying too:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Most of this list is dried chiles and pantry spices (the birria flavor comes from blending and simmering them together, not from anything hard to find). Guajillo gives the sauce its color and mild fruitiness, ancho adds depth, and chile de arbol is only there if you want more heat.

Ingredients

3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 dried chile de arbol (optional, for heat)
1 white onion, halved (plus extra diced, for garnish)
6 cloves garlic
2 Roma tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
12 corn tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol chiles for about 1 minute per side, pressing them down lightly.
You’ll know they’re ready when they puff slightly and smell toasted, not burnt.
Watch them closely. Chiles go from toasted to bitter in seconds if you walk away.
Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water.
Let them soak for 15 to 20 minutes, until they’re fully softened and pliable.
Drain the chiles and add them to a blender with the onion half, garlic, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, and about 1 cup of the beef broth.
Blend until completely smooth. This is your birria sauce base, and it should look thick and deep red when it’s done.
Season the beef chunks generously with salt on all sides.
Sear them in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, working in batches, until browned on at least two sides, about 3 minutes per side.
Don’t crowd the pot here, or the beef steams instead of browning.
Strain the blended chile sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot with the beef, pressing on the solids to get all the liquid out.
Discard what’s left in the strainer.
Add the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and apple cider vinegar to the pot.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.
Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, checking occasionally and adding a splash of water if the liquid runs low.
The beef is done when it shreds apart easily with two forks.
This is the one part of the recipe that takes real patience, but the low, slow cook is what makes the meat fall apart the way it should.
Remove the beef and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat.
Skim some of the orange fat from the top of the broth (the consome) into a shallow bowl for dipping the tortillas.
Dip each tortilla into the reserved fat, then fill with shredded beef and fold in half.
Cook the folded tacos on a hot griddle or skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crispy and golden.
Serve the tacos hot with the warm consome for dipping, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Toast the chiles before soaking them. This step wakes up their flavor and keeps the sauce from tasting flat or dusty.
Strain the sauce before adding it to the beef. Skipping this leaves bits of chile skin in the sauce that never fully break down.
Don’t rush the simmer. The beef needs the full 2 1/2 to 3 hours to break down properly, checking early just tempts you to pull it out too soon.
Save the consome. It’s the whole point of birria tacos, don’t pour it out with the fat.
Store shredded beef and consome separately in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keeping them apart stops the meat from getting soggy before you’re ready to fry the tacos.
This freezes really well. Freeze the beef and broth together in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat before assembling tacos.
No dried chiles on hand? A few tablespoons of good quality chili powder works in a pinch, though the flavor won’t be quite as deep.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving Serve these hot, straight off the griddle, with small bowls of warm consome on the side for dipping. Top with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime right before eating. A little hot sauce on the side never hurts either.

Storing Store the shredded beef and the broth separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat the beef gently in some of the broth before frying tacos again. Both freeze well for up to 3 months if you want to make a big batch ahead.

Customizing Add more chile de arbol if you want the sauce spicier, or leave it out completely for a milder version. Swap chuck roast for short ribs or oxtail for an even richer broth. If you’d rather skip frying, you can also just serve the shredded beef and consome as a dip with soft tortillas on the side.