Birria Tacos Recipe (Quesa Tacos)
Published April 23, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This traditional Birria Tacos Recipe combines slow-braised lamb and beef with chilis and spices, then filled into crispy tacos for the ultimate Mexican dish. Once you try it, it will quickly become your favorite taco.
We love to make and serve tacos in the most traditional way possible. If you love making the real deal, check out my Baja Fish Tacos or Chicken Tinga.
Birria Tacos
Birria tacos come from birria consomé, a zesty shredded meat stew in Jalisco, Mexico. The meat is then cooked inside corn tortillas dipped in the stew liquid, seared in a hot pan with shredded Oaxaca cheese, and often garnished with diced yellow or white onions and chopped cilantro.
These flavorful tacos will have slight nuances in flavor depending on which Mexican restaurant or street cart you get them from, but rest assured—they are all delicious. This traditional breakfast or lunch taco is classically made with goat, but nowadays, it is most often made with beef or lamb meat. I used a combination of beef and lamb in my birra taco recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Birria Consomé – You will need the cooked meat that is shredded or chopped from birria consomé, as well as the consomé for serving.
- Tortillas — Corn tortillas are the traditional tortillas. However, you could use flour tortillas if available.
- Cheese – I used shredded Oaxaca cheese. You could also use chihuahua, panel, queso fresco, or cotija cheese.
- Onions – A yellow, white, sweet, or red onion can be used.
- Cilantro – Fresh cilantro is traditionally used as a garnish.
- Citrus – You can use lemon or limes.
Is It the Same as Barbacoa?
Barbacoa is a cooking method, and birria is the final product of that cooking method. Classically, barbacoa is the process where meat is marinated or not and cooked wrapped in banana leaves in a dug hole that has a fire in it. The meat would cook for several hours or until very tender.
Birria is made by placing that meat cooked using that specific method, which is then served in a flavorful broth, which is where you get birria consomé from.
This can be a challenging cooking method, so nowadays, birria is often cooked in a pot on the stove. However, if you do get a chance to make it the Barbacoa way, then I highly recommend it.
How to Make Birria Tacos
Brown the seasoned meat in a large pot and set aside.
Next, caramelize onions in the pot for about 20 minutes and then stew with the garlic, tomatoes, chiles, and spices until the chiles are soft and tender.
Blend the chile mixture until very smooth. Then, place it back in the pot along with water or beef stock, salt and pepper, and the meat, and cook for 2 hours over medium heat or until very tender.
Remove the beef and roughly chop or shred using forks.
Strain the remaining liquid and return it to the pot.
Lightly dip a corn tortilla in the liquid and place it in a hot cast-iron skillet.
Immediately add on cheese, chopped meat, and optional onions and cilantro.
Fold the taco cover in the pan and sear until it is shut.
Serve the tacos with a bowl of meatless consomé liquid seasoned with freshly squeezed lemon juice, onions, and cilantro.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: The tacos are meant to be eaten immediately, but you can make them up to 30 minutes ahead and keep them warm, covered in foil at the lowest temperature in the oven.
How to Store: It is best to store the cooked meat separately from the tortilla shells. Store the meat covered for up to 6 days in liquid or consomé. This will freeze very well covered for up to 6 months in its liquid, or consomé. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place the desired amount of meat in its liquid, or consomé, in a medium-size pot and heat over low heat until hot.
chef notes + tips
- There should be enough fat on the top of the consomé when you dip the tortilla to brown it while cooking in the pan. If not, add a little oil or butter to the pan first.
- You may need to use two corn tortilla shells so they don’t rip from the liquid.
More Beef Recipes
Video
Birria Tacos Recipe (Quesa Tacos)
Ingredients
- ¼ recipe of birria consomé
- 20 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onions
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 2 lemons
Instructions
- Prepare the birria consomé but do not add the chopped meat back to the strained liquid in the pot.
- Making 1 taco at a time, lightly dip two corn tortillas into the top part of the consomé liquid and place on top of each other in a cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
- Immediately, evenly sprinkle some of the cheese on top of the corn tortilla, followed by evenly adding some of the chopped meat to the one-half side of the taco on top of the cheese.
- At this point, you can also add diced onions and cilantro, but that part is optional.
- Cook for a minute or two and then fold the taco over to help form it. Cook for about one more minute.
- Repeat the process until all of the meat has been used.
- Serve each taco with a small bowl of the consomé liquid that has been garnished with lemon juice, diced onions, and cilantro.
Never had these Birria tacos until I watched chef Billy. I’m now making them regularly and absolutely love this recipe. So dang delicious!
Fantastic!
Delicious. The nutritional facts didn’t indicate a serving size. Surely one taco isn’t 300+ calories. What is the serving size
Hi Chef, what kind of meat you used to make the birria
All of that info is in the post. Lamb and Beef.
These are super great Tacos. I make them once a week for sure and sometimes twice a week. We love them here at my house. They are delicious and so easy to make…
So good!!
Chef, all your recipes are amazing. Thank you for another wonderful meal!!
The only thing I did not find was the cheese. Not easy to find but I will look harder next time. It needed a bit more heat but it is very tasty. You have a conflict in your recipe the on for the consume says to add the meat back to the strained liquid and your taco recipe says keep them separate. OOPS…. It will work just fine and I can always add heat with jalapenos or hot sauce and you can have whatever heat you like. I am going to be making a few more of your recipes while on vacation because I have a captive audience and they will eat whatever I make for them or at least try and I will always have them covered so nobody goes hungry. Feed my extended family of 14 in a tourist trap town. Your sauces will be a hit I know. Too bad my garden has not produced yet but when I get back it will be even better. So far dinners are Burger/Dogs Night, Italian Feast Night, Taco Night, Steak Night and Appetizer Night is the last night to get rid of all the leftovers.
These bad boys!!!!!!! You’ll want to marry Billy! That’s how amazing these are! Be prepared to mess your shirt or wear a bib!! Major juiciness. Major satisfaction!
so good!!
This is the only way I will make birria tacos now they were simply amazing. I invited my son, grandsons and all my nephews over for a taco feast and absolutely nothing was left they all loved them and I couldn’t keep up with them eating them. Chef Billy Parisi did an absolute amazing job on this recipe. It was worth the work
many thanks!
I didn’t get to add bay leaf and oregano but it was still a hit!!!
Perfect!
My daughter made these for my birthday dinner! They were dang delicious! Video and recipes were easy to follow step by step! Some of the best tacos I have ever had! She made a lot and we shared some with friends who loved them too! Thank you Chef Billy!
Excellent! My pleasure!
Chef Billy…. do you mean ‘Queso Tacos’ = Cheese tacos .. never ‘quesa’! please!!!
Tacos de queso y birria, sería lo mejor.
no. these are specifically known as quesa tacos
I’m FAR from being a classically trained chef but have the honor & pleasure to have been taught in not just my mother’s kitchen but many close friends along the way. You are qbsolutely CORRECT -It is called “Quesabirria” and is known throughout multiple regions of Mexico. While the meat being used changes (as well as the variation of peppers) the name remains the same 😉
LOVE the work and passion you exhibit in truly getting to know the culture you are representing. Food is definitely an expression (and extention) of each culture’s “love language” and a testament to it’s history.
Im glad you tried this, thank you!
Everytime I make them . My family goes crazy .
Second to non birria recipe
Thank you for that!
This recipe was easy to follow. Each step is clearly explained and it’s Delicious and my family’s favorite.
Awesome recipe with true Mexican flavor. Great for burritos/chimichangas too!
Going to make these ASAP! Billy, you didn’t list “meat” in the taco ingredients. Might be confusing for anyone that didn’t watch the video. Thank you for another beautiful recipe!
Click on birria Recipe and that’s where the meat comes from.
Hi Billy.
Just made these. They are wonderful.
Can you tell me how many Tacos the 296 kcal stands for?
Best regards Joachim
1
I ate this and only this for 3 whole days! One of the best dishes I’ve ever had!
These were the best tacos I’ve ever had!
Chef Parisi! This looks and sounds amazing, my only question is what cut of beef would be best for this? I’m assuming maybe brisket or flank? Could anything else be used?
Love you and your recipes!
Alicia
https://www.billyparisi.com/homemade-beef-birria-consome-recipe/