Birria Tacos

Name: Birria Tacos
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5kg beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks; 500g beef short ribs; 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed; 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed; 2 chipotles in adobo sauce; 1 large white onion, quartered; 8 cloves garlic; 2 roma tomatoes, quartered; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper; 2 bay leaves; 1 litre beef stock; 2 tablespoons neutral oil; Salt to taste; 24 small corn tortillas (15cm); 300g Oaxacan cheese or Monterey Jack, shredded; 1 white onion, finely diced; Large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped; 3 limes, cut into wedges; Salsa roja (optional)

October 16, 2026|HALO

Birria Tacos

HALO

Servings

6 people

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

4 hours

Cuisine

Mexican

Ingredients

The Braise

1.5kg beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
500g beef short ribs
6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 large white onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic
2 roma tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 litre beef stock
2 tablespoons neutral oil
Salt to taste

The Tacos

24 small corn tortillas (15cm)
300g Oaxacan cheese or Monterey Jack, shredded
1 white onion, finely diced
Large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
3 limes, cut into wedges
Salsa roja (optional)

Directions

Toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened. Do not let them burn — burned chiles turn bitter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
Drain the rehydrated chiles and add to a blender with the chipotles in adobo, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, and 200ml of the beef stock. Blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve for a cleaner sauce.
Season the beef chunks and short ribs generously with salt. Heat oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides — do not crowd the pot. The sear is where the consommé gets its depth. Set seared meat aside.
Return all the beef to the pot. Add the quartered onion. Pour the blended chile sauce over the top. Add the remaining beef stock and bay leaves — the liquid should just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and cook for 3.5–4 hours until the beef is completely tender and falling apart. Alternatively, cook covered in a 160°C (320°F) oven for the same time.
Remove the beef from the braising liquid. Skim the red fat that has risen to the surface of the consommé and reserve it in a small bowl — this is what you dip the tortillas in. Season the consommé generously with salt until it tastes deeply savory. Shred the beef by hand, discarding any large pieces of fat or bone.
When ready to make tacos, heat the Elite Griddle to medium-high. Working in batches, dip each corn tortilla briefly into the reserved red fat — a half-second dip on each side is enough to coat and stain it red.
Lay the dipped tortilla flat on the griddle. Add a generous pinch of shredded cheese directly onto the tortilla. Allow the cheese to begin melting — about 30 seconds.
Add a generous spoonful of shredded birria beef onto one half of the tortilla only. Scatter a pinch of diced onion and cilantro over the beef.
Fold the cheese half over the beef half. Press gently with a spatula. Cook for another 30–45 seconds until crispy, the cheese has fully melted, and the taco has developed color on the contact side. Flip once for 20 seconds to crisp the other side.
Serve immediately with a small bowl of hot consommé alongside for dipping, fresh cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges.