Description
This Birria Tacos recipe offers a rich and flavorful Mexican dish featuring tender beef shank and sirloin slow-cooked in a smoky, spicy marinade made with dried guajillo and chipotle peppers. The meat is shredded and served in tortillas dipped in the savory stew broth, then crisped in a skillet to create deliciously crispy and juicy tacos perfect for gatherings or cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meats
- 1.5 lb beef shank
- 1 lb sirloin or other roast/steak
Marinade
- 3 dried guajillo peppers
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
Stew
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole cloves
- About 1 quart sodium-free chicken stock to cover
Tacos
- 12-16 4-inch corn or flour tortillas
- 1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup Mexican cheese blend, grated (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Peppers and Meat: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Soak the dried guajillo peppers for 15 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, cube the sirloin and season both sirloin and beef shank well with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Make Marinade: Add chipotle peppers in adobo, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, garlic, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin into a blender. Remove soaked guajillo peppers from water, trim stems and discard seeds, then add to blender. Blend everything into a smooth paste.
- Marinate Meat: Coat the cubed sirloin and beef shank thoroughly with the blended marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight for deeper flavor.
- Sauté Onions: Using an Instant Pot on saute high mode or a skillet over medium heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the chopped onion until golden and translucent, about 6-8 minutes.
- Cook Meat: Add marinated meats, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves to the pot with sautéed onions. Cover with chicken stock to submerge the ingredients. If using Instant Pot, set to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes. For slow cooker or stovetop, cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until meat is tender.
- Finish Meat: After cooking, allow a natural pressure release if using Instant Pot. Remove meats from the pot, shred the meat and discard bones. Reserve some cooking liquid (stew) for dipping tortillas.
- Prepare Tacos: Warm the tortillas, then dip each tortilla briefly into the stew broth. Fill with shredded beef and optional toppings like chopped onion, cilantro, and grated Mexican cheese.
- Fry Tacos: Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the assembled tacos until the tortillas are crisp and golden on both sides. Serve immediately, ideally with a margarita or cold Mexican beer.
Notes
- Use dried guajillo peppers for authentic flavor; if unavailable, substitute with dried ancho or pasilla peppers.
- Removing seeds from guajillo peppers reduces bitterness and excessive heat.
- Marinating the meat overnight enhances the depth of flavor but at least 2 hours is sufficient.
- Chicken stock can be substituted with beef broth for a richer stew.
- Optional toppings like onion, cilantro, and cheese add freshness and texture to the tacos.
- This recipe can be adapted to the slow cooker or stovetop if an Instant Pot is not available.
- Dip tortillas in the consommé before frying for crispy and flavorful tacos known as ‘Quesabirria.’
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 3 tacos)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
