Birria and Dipping Sauce (Printable Version)
Soft beef-filled tacos with gooey cheese and flavorful broth for dipping. A true taste of Mexico.
# Ingredients:
→ Beef prep
01 -
2-3 lbs of beef chuck roast (boneless)
02 -
2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
03 -
2 tbsp of olive oil
04 -
2 tsp salt
→ For the broth
05 -
4 minced garlic cloves
06 -
Two large yellow onions, chopped up
07 -
1 tbsp dried cumin powder
08 -
1 tbsp oregano (dried)
09 -
1/2 tsp thyme (dry)
10 -
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
11 -
1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
12 -
Two whole bay leaves
13 -
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
14 -
2 dried ancho peppers (remove seeds and stems)
15 -
8 oz canned tomato sauce
16 -
4-5 cups beef broth or stock
→ Taco building
17 -
18 small tortillas made of corn (6-inch)
18 -
20 oz shredded Oaxaca cheese
19 -
Cooking spray to coat pans
# Steps:
01 -
Chop the garlic and dice both onions. Split dried peppers into 2-3 parts each, making sure to remove seeds and stems.
02 -
Rub meat with pepper and salt all over. Heat a skillet with oil on high. Sear the beef for about 2 minutes per side, letting it brown nicely.
03 -
Add a cup of beef stock to hot skillet and scrape loose browned bits from the pan. Carefully transfer meat and liquid into your slow cooker.
04 -
Put the onion, garlic, tomato sauce, cilantro, chiles, cinnamon, thyme, cumin, oregano, paprika, and bay leaves into the slow cooker pot. Pour the rest of the broth in to cover the beef.
05 -
Cover and set your slow cooker on low. Let the beef stay in there for 8-10 hours until it shreds with zero effort.
06 -
Take the cooked beef out of the pot and pull it apart using two forks. Toss any strings used for tying. Put shredded meat into a separate bowl.
07 -
Fish out bay leaves from the broth. Blend the cooked onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes until smooth, adding liquid as needed. Stir that purée back into the remaining broth.
08 -
Drizzle half a cup of the blended broth over the shredded meat and gently mix together. Keep rest of broth warm for serving.
09 -
Heat your oven to 300°F. Spray a skillet with oil and warm it over medium heat. Dip each tortilla lightly into at least some broth, place onto the hot pan, sprinkle cheese over the whole surface, and put shredded meat on one half. Fold the tortilla in half, covering the filling.
10 -
Put finished tacos onto a baking tray in the oven to keep warm. Serve alongside bowls of broth for dunking.
# Notes:
01 -
Beef chuck roast works great here, but you can go with top-round, tri-tip, or rump.
02 -
Got no ancho chilies? Swap with chipotle (from adobo) or guajillo peppers, but go easy—they bring heat!
03 -
Oaxaca cheese feels traditional, but you can use cheddar, jack, or mozzarella instead.
04 -
No slow cooker? Cook in a Dutch oven at 400°F for 3 hours for the same tender result.
05 -
Serve alongside radishes, corn, fresh cilantro, or diced onions for extra toppings.