What are Birria Tacos?
Birria is a Mexican dish consisting of meat (goat meat, beef, chicken/birria de pollo) that is stewed in a rich broth with chiles and aromatics until fall-apart tender. The stew can be served over rice or with tortillas and accompaniments like lime, onion, etc. Quesabirria tacos are flour tortillas stuffed with the shredded meat and cheese. The tortillas are first dipped in the broth then toasted in a hot pan to allow the cheese to melt. The tacos are served with the broth (or consommé) for dipping.
Ingredients
For the Birria
Onion. Whole garlic bulb. Carrot. Celery. Bay leaves. Guajillo chiles/chillies. These are dried Mexican chillies and can be found at Mexican grocery stores (I often buy mine online). If you can’t find Guajillos, use Ancho chiles or another dried Chile. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be used too but aren’t as authentic. Dried oregano. Ground cumin. Salt and black pepper. Chicken. I used boneless chicken thighs but you can make this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs/pieces or even a whole chicken. This recipe can also be made with beef, just follow my Birria Ramen recipe. Chicken broth/stock. Pinch of sugar.
For the tacos
Flour tortillas. I prefer using flour tortillas but corn tortillas can be used too. Cheese. I used grated mozzarella cheese. Any good melting cheese like Monterey Jack, Gouda, Cheddar, etc will work. Diced white onion. Fresh cilantro/coriander. Fresh jalapeños. Lime wedges.
How to make chicken birria tacos
Combine the chicken with all the vegetables, chiles/chillies and spices in a large Dutch oven or pot and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 30 minutes then pull out the chillies and add to a blender with 2 cups of the broth, blend until smooth then pour back into the pot. Cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour until the meat is tender and can be pulled apart easily. If using a whole chicken, you might need to let it braise for longer. Pull the chicken out and shred with two forks. Pass the broth through a strainer and discard the vegetables. Reserve the broth and add a cup of stock if it’s reduced and thickened too much. To make the tacos, dip the tortillas quickly into the broth then place in a large, nonstick frying pan or cast iron skillet set over low heat. Add the shredded chicken, cheese and finely diced onion then fold over and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the cheese has melted. Remove and serve with the consommé/birria sauce topped with fresh cilantro/coriander and jalapeños.
Can I make this ahead?
The braised chicken can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. The meat can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chicken taco recipes
