Birria tacos have become an incredibly popular food trend in recent years. Originally from Mexico, birria tacos are made by dipping corn or flour tortillas into a flavorful, red chile-based birria stew before filling them with meat, cheese, onions, cilantro, and other taco fillings. The dipped tortilla soaks up the rich, spicy broth creating a juicy, meaty, and supremely savory taco experience. While the tacos have many devoted fans, some people who are new to birria tacos may have questions about the proper way to eat them. Here is a helpful guide to eating birria tacos and maximizing your enjoyment of this delicious Mexican street food.
What is birria?
Birria is a meat stew that originated in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It is made by slowly simmering meat, traditionally goat, in a chile-based sauce until very tender. The key ingredients in birria are dried chiles, such as guajillo and ancho chiles, spices like cumin and oregano, tomatoes, garlic, onions, and meat. This results in a rich, spicy, and deeply savory broth. Birria can be eaten alone with corn tortillas for dipping, but has also become popularly paired with tacos by dipping hard corn or flour tortillas in the broth before filling them. The tortillas soak up the wonderful flavors of the birria sauce resulting in an extra juicy and flavor-packed taco.
What meats are traditionally used in birria?
The most traditional meat used for birria is goat, as birria originated as a peasant dish in Jalisco where goat was abundant. However, beef and lamb are also very common meats used today. Chicken, pork, and even vegetarian birria can also sometimes be found. Choose your favorite meat or try birria with different meats to see which you like best!
What ingredients are in birria tacos?
In addition to the birria meat and broth, traditional birria tacos contain:
- Corn or flour tortillas – The tortilla is dipped in the broth before filling
- Meat – Shredded beef, goat, lamb, chicken, pork, etc.
- Onions – Thinly sliced raw white or red onions
- Cilantro – Fresh chopped cilantro adds flavor and color
- Cheese – Oaxaca cheese or queso fresco is traditional
- Salsa – A Mexico salsa like salsa roja pairs nicely
- Limes – Squeezed lime juice brightens up the tacos
Feel free to customize your tacos with any extras you enjoy such as guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, or hot sauce.
How do you dip the tortillas for birria tacos?
Dipping the tortillas in the birria broth before filling them is what really makes birria tacos stand out. Here is how to properly dip the tortillas:
- Heat the birria broth over medium heat until very warm.
- One at a time, dip a dry tortilla into the broth, making sure both sides are coated.
- Leave the tortilla in the broth for 5-10 seconds on each side so it can soak up the flavor.
- Using tongs, remove the dipped tortilla and place on a plate.
- Continue dipping more tortillas until you have enough for your tacos.
The tortilla should be pliable and have soaked up some of the broth, but not be overly saturated or falling apart. Dipping them gives them wonderful extra flavor.
How do you fill birria tacos?
Once your tortillas are dipped, it’s time for the fun part – filling them! Assemble your tacos with your favorite ingredients. Here are some tips for perfect fillings:
- Add the shredded birria meat first while it’s still hot.
- Top with cheese so it can melt from the meat’s heat.
- Add onions, cilantro, salsa, lime, etc. as desired.
- Don’t overfill the tacos or they may fall apart.
- Feel free to double up smaller tortillas for extra sturdiness.
- If the initial dipping broth cooled the tortilla, give it a quick re-dip in the broth for extra flavor and heat.
What is the best way to eat birria tacos?
Birria tacos are messy finger food at heart. Follow these tips for the proper birria taco eating experience:
- Hold the taco by the bottom to avoid the top dripping everywhere.
- Take a big bite while hot – the flavors combine best when warm.
- Let any fallen fillings be soaked up by the tortilla.
- Keep plenty of napkins on hand.
- Don’t be afraid to get a little messy – it’s part of the fun!
- Lick your fingers to get every last bit of flavor.
What should you drink with birria tacos?
Birria tacos pack some heat, so you’ll want something refreshing to drink alongside them. Here are some great birria taco drink pairings:
- Mexican Coke or Sprite – The sparkling sweetness balances the spicy tacos.
- Horchata – The creamy rice milk drink perfectly counteracts the heat.
- Beer – Mexican lagers like Tecate, Modelo, or Pacifico taste great with birria.
- Margaritas – A classic margarita with lime cuts the richness.
- Agua Fresca – Cooling watermelon or strawberry agua fresca is ideal.
- Mexican hot chocolate – Surprisingly, a creamy cup also complements the tacos.
Where can you find the best birria tacos?
Birria tacos have spread far beyond Mexico, with delicious versions available all over. Here are some top spots to savor incredible birria tacos:
| Location | Restaurant |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | Burritos La Palma |
| San Diego, CA | Tuetano Taqueria |
| Phoenix, AZ | Tacos Chiwas |
| Dallas, TX | Revolver Taco Lounge |
| Chicago, IL | Birrieria Zaragoza |
| Miami, FL | Tacos El Tucan |
How can you make birria tacos at home?
While going out for birria tacos is special, you can also make fabulous homemade versions with this recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, plus 1 tsp adobo
- 1 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded cheese, onions, cilantro, lime wedges, for serving
Instructions:
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast chiles until fragrant, about 5 minutes per side.
- Add chiles to a blender along with 1 cup of water, chipotle chile, adobo, onion, garlic, and spices. Blend until smooth.
- Add mixture to a pot along with beef chuck roast. Add enough water to just cover meat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours until meat is very tender.
- Remove meat from broth. Shred meat with two forks then return to broth.
- Heat broth over medium heat. Dip tortillas into broth until coated then fill with meat, cheese, onions, cilantro, salsa, and lime juice.
- Serve immediately with extra broth for dipping!
What are some birria taco recipe variations?
One of the great things about birria tacos is how customizable they are. Try out these fun recipe twists:
- Pork birria – Use juicy carnitas instead of beef.
- Chicken birria – Shredded rotisserie chicken makes quick birria.
- Veggie birria – Load up tacos with beans, potatoes, mushrooms, etc.
- Birria ramen – Top ramen noodles with birria, a runny egg, cilantro and lime.
- Birria pizza – Spread birria sauce on pizza dough, add cheese, meat and onions.
- Birria fries – Dip french fries into birria broth and birria meat.
Conclusion
Birria tacos are a truly amazing Mexican street food experience that is worth seeking out. With fluffy dipped tortillas soaked in savory, spicy birria broth and filled with juicy, meltingly tender meat, onions, cilantro, and cheese, they make for an unforgettably flavorful taco. Follow this guide to get the most out of eating birria tacos, from proper dipping technique to perfect pairings. Though typically found at taquerias, birria tacos can also be made at home for a fun cooking project. Whether enjoying them on the streets of Mexico or DIY-style, birria tacos are a spicy joy that taco lovers need to have in their lives.