If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve likely seen the cheese-pulled, broth-dipped appeal of beef birria tacos. Originally a traditional Mexican stew, birria has found new life as a taco filling, served alongside its rich cooking broth, known as consommé, for dipping. It’s genuinely worth the hype.
Here’s how to make it properly at home, from the slow-cooked filling to that all-important dipping broth.
What Makes Birria Tacos So Popular?
- Deep, rich flavour, built from a properly spiced, slow-cooked braise.
- The dipping experience, where crispy tacos are dunked into warm consommé before each bite.
- A satisfying, hands-on way to eat, perfect for a casual gathering with friends.
- Great use of slow-cooking cuts, transforming a hardworking piece of beef into something genuinely special.
Ingredients for Beef Birria Tacos (Serves 6)
For the Birria
- 1.5kg chuck or gravy beef, cut into large chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chillies, soaked in hot water
- 2 dried ancho chillies, soaked in hot water
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Salt, to taste
- 1.5 litres beef stock
For the Tacos
- Small corn tortillas
- Shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
- Fresh coriander, chopped
- Diced onion
- Lime wedges
Step-by-Step Beef Birria Method
Step 1: Blend the Sauce
Blend the soaked chillies, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, and oregano with a splash of the soaking liquid until smooth.
Step 2: Sear the Beef
Heat a large pot over high heat and sear the beef chunks on all sides until well browned, working in batches if necessary.
Step 3: Combine and Simmer
Return all the beef to the pot, pour in the blended sauce along with the beef stock, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 3–3.5 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Step 4: Shred the Beef
Remove the beef from the pot and shred using two forks. Skim any excess fat from the surface of the remaining broth, which becomes your consommé for dipping.
Step 5: Assemble the Tacos
Dip each tortilla briefly into the surface fat of the consommé, then fry in a hot pan for about a minute per side, along with a generous handful of cheese and shredded beef, folding to melt.
Step 6: Serve with Consommé
Serve the crispy tacos alongside small bowls of warm consommé for dipping, along with fresh coriander, diced onion, and lime wedges.
Tips for the Best Birria Tacos
- Don’t skip searing the beef, since this step builds essential depth of flavour before the long simmer.
- Use a mix of chillies, balancing mild ancho with the slightly more robust guajillo for a well-rounded flavour.
- Skim the fat carefully, since this becomes the flavourful layer used to fry your tortillas.
- Serve immediately after frying, while the tacos are still crispy and the cheese is properly melted.
Why Grass-Fed Beef Suits Birria So Well
Because birria relies on long, slow cooking to break down tougher cuts into tender, shreddable meat, quality really shines through in the final result. Our beef comes from grass-fed and finished cattle raised on Western Australian pastures, free from hormones and antibiotics, delivering genuinely rich flavour throughout hours of slow cooking.
For the right cut, check out our guide on chuck vs gravy beef vs osso bucco, or browse our full Beef range.
Final Thoughts
Beef birria tacos live up to the hype, combining deeply spiced, slow-cooked beef with the genuinely fun ritual of dipping crispy tacos into rich consommé. It takes a few hours of patience, but the result is well worth it for your next gathering with friends.
Shop our Grass-Fed Beef range today and try the taco everyone’s talking about.