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Tacos de birria de res

From WikiTacos, the taco encyclopedia · Taco type
Also known as: Birria tijuanense, Birria estilo Tijuana, Tacos dorados de birria, Red tacos

Birria de res is the beef version of birria associated with Tijuana, Baja California, in which chile-marinated beef is stewed in a soupy broth and served in tortillas fried in the stew's red fat, with a cup of consomé for dipping. It is the direct ancestor of the quesabirria taco.

Contents
  1. History
  2. Preparation
  3. Serving
  4. Recipe
  5. Where to try it
  6. Reviews
  7. See also
  8. References

History

Birria is originally a goat or lamb dish from Jalisco. The beef version is usually traced to a cook named Guadalupe Zárate in the 1950s. Accounts in the American press say Zárate first sold goat birria and switched to beef because it gave a better yield and profit; the Austin Chronicle places his stand in Tijuana, while the Post and Courier of South Carolina ties the story to Coatzingo, a town in Puebla. One version of the legend holds that he was advised to add more liquid so the meat would not scorch, producing the soupy style now known as Tijuana birria.

From Tijuana, beef birria and its cheesy offshoot crossed into California. By the early to mid-2010s, food trucks in the United States were selling the stewed meat in fried tacos with consomé on the side, and social media turned the dish into a national trend.

Preparation

Beef is coated in a paste of dried chiles such as guajillo, ancho and cascabel blended with garlic and spices, often left to marinate for hours, and then cooked slowly for four to five hours in its liquid before being shredded. The fat that rises to the surface of the stew is bright red from the chiles. Taqueros dip corn tortillas in this fat or in the consomé and crisp them on the griddle, then fill them with meat, giving the tacos their characteristic orange-red color. Each cook guards a slightly different chile mix. Shops in the United States have developed their own methods. Austin restaurants described by the Austin Chronicle braise beef in guajillo-based or guajillo, ancho and cascabel pastes for four to eight hours, and some marinate the meat for half a day before cooking.

Serving

Tacos de birria de res are folded and griddled until slightly crisp, topped with onion and cilantro, and served with lime, a hot salsa made from chile de árbol, and a cup of the cooking broth, the consomé, for dipping or sipping. Adding melted cheese turns them into quesabirria.

Recipe

Makes About 20 tacos · Time: Marinate 4 hours or overnight; 4 hours cooking

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
  • 750 g bone-in beef shank or short ribs
  • 8 guajillo chiles and 3 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 3 chiles de árbol
  • 1 white onion, halved
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 plum tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground clove, 1 small cinnamon stick
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 20 corn tortillas
  • Chopped onion and cilantro, limes

Steps

  1. Simmer the chiles, half the onion, garlic and tomatoes in water for 10 minutes. Blend with the vinegar, spices, oregano, salt and 1 cup of the cooking water until smooth.
  2. Coat the beef with half of the sauce and marinate for at least 4 hours.
  3. Place the beef in a large pot with the rest of the sauce, the remaining onion, bay leaves and enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until very tender.
  4. Remove the meat and shred it, discarding bones. Taste the broth (consomé) and adjust the salt.
  5. Skim some of the red fat from the top of the broth. Dip each tortilla in it and lay it on a hot griddle.
  6. Add meat to one half, fold and cook until crisp on both sides.
  7. Serve with onion, cilantro, lime and cups of hot consomé for dipping.

Where to try it

Reviews

Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.

See also

References

  1. "Austin's Latest Taco Craze Comes From Tijuana via Instagram". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  2. "Columbia slow to embrace trendy tacos de birria, but they're not impossible to find". The Post and Courier (Free Times). Retrieved 2026-10-10.
  3. "Birria". Larousse Cocina. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
Categories: Baja California cuisine Beef tacos Stewed meat tacos Taco types Tijuana cuisine