Birria Tacos

If you're looking for a spicy consomé packed, taco juice dripping Birria Taco Recipeyou've found the right one…

We don't sacrifice flavor for time but we do like it when you get a reliable of both worlds, unlike a lot of longer recipes, our barrio tacos use the pressure cooker method, saving the consomé flavor whilst also saving at least an hour of cook time!

Can You Pressure Cook Birria Tacos?

Traditionally, to get the most flavor out of the consomé, slow cooking is the preferred method, but using a slow cooker can mean upto 9 hours of waiting, you could also use a one pot method and watch the stove for about 3 hours.

At first we were a bit hesitant to use the pressure cooker, after all there is a lot of debate about slow cooker vs pressure cooker, some say pressure cookers have the potential to “boil off flavors” but in our experience, if you're not careful with a slow cooker the same thing is possible, the difference here is you've got 8 hours using a slow cooker to potentially boil off flavor VS just over an hour with the pressure cooker.

If you've been following us for a while you'll know we love a good slow cooker meal like our Barbacoa Short Rib Tacosbut after testing both methods, we didn't notice any difference in flavor, and for the amount of time saved… good!

What You'll Need

We use a lot of the traditional Birria Taco ingredients with a few differences for the sake of actually being able to find the ingredients! But if you want to go the extra mile we have noted below some of the harder to find ingredients.

• Brisket or Flank Steak: Tender, juicy, and good for shredding. Brisket gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture, but flank works great too, especially when thinly sliced.
• Dried Chiles (Guajillo, Pasilla, Ancho, Chipotle): our recipe is mildly spicy but don't be afraid to adjust the level of chilies using our guide. – For spicier, add Chipotle (and a bit of Guajillo).– For milder, reduce Chipotle, increase Ancho or Pasilla.– For tangier, add more Guajillo.– For a richer/darker consomé, add more Pasilla or Ancho.
• Toasted Spices: Cumin, cloves, cinnamon. The spices blend well with the chili when sat in the pressure cooker
• Mozzarella Cheese: Not traditional, if you're can find it, traditionally Oaxacan cheese (quesillo) is mainly used. But mozzarella will still give you that cheesy pull apart.
• Tortillas: White Corn tortillas (6 inch) are good here, when you're deciding which brand to go for, just double check the packet says “white corn” this will directly affect how golden crispy they get once fried.

Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements.

On the stove

1. Prep your ingredients. Start by slicing your onions into thin strips, quartering the tomatoes, and crushing an entire head of garlic. Clean the chiles by removing the seeds and veins (it's a little messy, but essential for a smooth sauce). Set it all aside and you'll be glad you did once the kitchen starts to smell good.

1. Toast the spices. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, for about 5 minutes. This step help unlock the full potential of the scents, kind of like “activating” them. Just don't walk away or they'll burn fast!

1. Sear the beef. Clean your meat (trim away any extra fat), and give it a good sear in a bit of oil until browned on the outside. Tip: If your meat's been in the fridge, let it come to room temp first, it cooks more evenly and tastes better that way.

1. Build the flavor base. In the same oil, sauté the garlic until fragrant. Add the onions and cook until translucent, then stir in the tomatoes. Let them break down completely before adding the toasted spices and cleaned chiles. Let everything simmer together for about 10 minutes.

1. Blend & strain. Transfer the mix to a blender and blitz until completely smooth. Strain the sauce using a fine mesh sieve to catch any remaining solids, then season with salt to taste. It should be rich, red, and smell good.

1. Pressure cook to perfection. Add the sauce to your pressure cooker along with the seared beef and water. Seal and cook over medium-high heat for about 72 minutes. When it's done, release the steam slowly and carefully… it's hot!

1. Shred and sauce the meat. Once cool enough to handle, shred the beef finely. Add it to a pan with a couple of ladles of the sauce and fry it gently over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens around the meat.

1. Fry the tortillas. Dip your tortillas into the reserved sauce, then lay them on a hot non-stick pan. Sprinkle a handful mozzarella cheese directly on the pan, and place the tortilla right over it. Fry for 1 minute, flip, and cook another minute until everything is golden and crispy.

1. Assemble and serve. Fill the tortillas with your juicy meat, chopped onions, and fresh cilantro. Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping because that's half the fun.

1. Serve and enjoy. Plate your tacos while they're still warm, pour yourself something cold, and enjoy every juicy, cheesy bite. Don't forget to dip into that rich consommé, it's where all the magic is!

If you're looking for a few sides to go with your Birria Tacostry a slice of Super Moist Cornbread if you're looking for something dense (and to soak up some of that Birria Consomé) or pair it with Avocado Tomato Corn Salad Corn On The Cob With Garlic Butter or Guacamole as a much lighter alternative!

FAQ's

Totally. A slow cooker or even stovetop will do the trick, just give it a little more time (about 3 to 4 hours on the stove or 6–8 hours in the slow cooker) until the meat is fall-apart tender.

It's not overly spicy, however spice is always subject to your taste buds. If you're sensitive to heat, i'd suggest to reduce or skip the chipotle. Want it hotter? Add more!

Make sure your pan is hot and non-stick, and don't skip the cheese-under-the-tortilla trick, it creates a golden, lacy crust that holds everything together and tastes good.

Mozzarella is melty, but if you want more bite, try mixing in or substituting some Oaxaca or Monterey Jack for extra flavor. Oaxaca being the traditional route.

Birria Taco Video

What you need

• 2.2 lbs taco meat brisket and flank steak could both be good options!
• 1/4 cup onion cut into thin strips.
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese
• 8 medium tomatoes quartered.
• 1 whole head garlic one crushed whole head.
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp whole cloves use 3/4 teaspoon of ground cloves for every 1 teaspoon of whole clove
• 2 stick cinnamon stick
• 1 1/3 cups cooking oil grape seed oil and avocado oil are healthier choices.
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2.3 oz guajillo chiles
• 1.4 oz pasilla chiles
• 1½ tbsp chipotle chile
• 1.1 oz ancho chiles
• a pinch black pepper
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 cup water
• 1 tbsp beef bouillon powder (stock powder)
• 10 6 inch corn tortilla

Method

1. Slice onions, quarter tomatoes, crush garlic. Clean chiles by removing seeds and veins.
2. In a dry pan, toast cumin, cloves, oregano, and cinnamon over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
3. Sear meat in oil until browned. If using refrigerated meat, let it come to room temperature first.
4. In the same oil, sauté garlic until golden brown, then add onions. Cook until they become translucent, then add tomatoes, chiles and spices. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Blend the mix until smooth, then strain for a silky sauce. Add salt to taste.
6. Place meat and sauce in pressure cooker, add water mixed with stock powder. Cook on medium-high for 72 minutes. Release steam carefully
7. Remove, shred, and return to a pan with two scoops of sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste, fry over medium-high until coated.
8. Sprinkle cheese in a non-stick pan, dip the tortillas in sauce, and place them over the cheese. Cook for 1 minute on each side.
9. Fill with meat, fresh onion, cilantro, and a side of dipping sauce.