Beef Birria Tacos with Consommé

The dried chiles turn fragrant in seconds, and the broth they steep in becomes the beginning of a deep red sauce. I learned not to rush that first toast: too…

By Ava
•
November 10, 2026
•
Reading time: 10 min

Save to Pinterest



Print

Tip: save now, make later.

The dried chiles turn fragrant in seconds, and the broth they steep in becomes the beginning of a deep red sauce. I learned not to rush that first toast: too much time in the Dutch oven and the chiles taste scorched instead of warm and earthy. These beef birria tacos with consommé take time to braise, but the hands-on work is straightforward, and the pot gives you both tender shredded beef and broth for dipping.

I brown the beef in batches before it goes into the sauce, then let the oven do the slow work until a fork slides in easily. The chile blend goes right into the pot with its soaking liquid, so none of that flavor gets poured down the drain. At the table, the corn tortillas pick up the red fat in the skillet and turn crisp around melted Oaxaca cheese, with a bowl of consommé close by for every bite.

Why the Chile Soaking Water Belongs in the Sauce

After the dried chiles soften, their soaking water is full of the flavor they’ve released. I blend the chiles with all of that liquid, along with the browned tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and spices. Draining it first would discard part of the chile base and leave you with less depth in the pot.

That’s also why this sauce is blended before the beef goes back in. A smooth mixture coats the chunks evenly as they braise, then turns into the consommé you serve alongside the tacos. The vinegar gives the chile-and-beef richness a little lift, while the cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves round out the sauce without making it taste like a sweet spice blend.

Keep the chile mixture smooth rather than leaving large pieces behind. The finished broth should be easy to ladle into small bowls, and the shredded beef gets some of it stirred through so the filling stays moist inside the crisp tortilla.

The Chiles, Beef, and Cheese That Shape Every Bite

• Dried guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles — The guajillos and anchos make up the broad, earthy base, while the árbol chiles bring a sharper kick. Look for chiles that still bend rather than crumble to dust. The most useful adjustment is simply to leave out the árbol chiles for a milder pot; the sauce will lose some heat but keep its rounded chile flavor.
• Beef chuck roast — Chuck has enough connective tissue and marbling to become tender through a long braise, while still shredding into substantial strands. Cut it into evenly sized chunks so they cook at a similar pace. Boneless beef short ribs can stand in for chuck in the same weight, but they’ll make a richer, fattier broth.
• Tomatoes, yellow onion, and garlic — Browning these before blending builds a savory base that raw vegetables wouldn’t provide. Choose ripe tomatoes, but there’s no need to seek out a specialty variety; their job is to soften and brown in spots before they’re blended.
• Apple cider vinegar and the ground spices — The vinegar brings needed brightness to the rich beef, and the measured warmth of cumin, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, and cloves makes the sauce distinct. Mexican oregano has a different character from Mediterranean oregano, so use it when you can; if you only have regular dried oregano, it works, though the herbal note will be a little different.
• Oaxaca cheese — Oaxaca melts smoothly and stretches inside the folded tacos. If it’s unavailable, shredded low-moisture mozzarella is the closest practical stand-in; it melts well but has a milder, less distinctive flavor. Shred either cheese yourself for an even melt.
• Corn tortillas — Their corn flavor suits the chile-rich beef, and the small size makes each taco easy to crisp in a skillet. Use tortillas that are fresh and flexible rather than dry or cracked, since brittle ones are harder to fold around the filling.

From Toasted Chiles to Crisp, Dippable Tacos

Toast and Soften the Chiles

Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, then toast the stemmed and seeded guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles for 20 to 30 seconds per side. They’re ready when fragrant; if they darken quickly or smell burnt, they’ve gone too far. Transfer them to a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and leave them to soak for 20 minutes. That gives the dried skins time to soften for blending.

Brown the Beef and Vegetables

Pat the beef dry and season it all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown the beef in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side and transfer it to a plate. Crowding the pot makes the beef steam instead of brown, so give the chunks room and work in batches. Add the halved tomatoes and quartered yellow onion; cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and browned in spots, then add the garlic for the last minute.

Blend the Sauce and Braise Until Tender

Turn off the heat, then add the soaked chiles with all their soaking liquid, the browned tomatoes and onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves. Blend everything in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Return the beef to the Dutch oven, add the beef broth and bay leaves, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and bake at 325°F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until a fork slides into the beef easily and the meat is fork-tender.

Shred the Beef and Fry the Tacos

Transfer the beef to a cutting board and discard the bay leaves. Skim the red fat from the broth into a small bowl, shred the beef, and stir 1 cup of broth into the shredded meat. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat; dip a tortilla in the reserved fat, set it in the skillet, and top half with about 1/4 cup beef and 1 ounce shredded Oaxaca cheese. Fold it over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese has melted, then repeat with the remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.

Two Easy Ways to Adapt Your Birria Tacos

Questions That Come Up When Making Birria Tacos

Beef Birria Tacos with Consommé

Beef birria tacos with consommé feature chile-braised, fork-tender beef folded with Oaxaca cheese into crisp corn tortillas. Dip each taco in the rich broth and finish with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Soaking time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 1450

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the birria

• 4 guajillo chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
• 2 ancho chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
• 2 árbol chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
• 2 cups water boiling
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2-inch chunks
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tomatoes medium, halved
• 1 yellow onion medium, quartered
• 5 cloves garlic peeled
• 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano dried
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 carton (32 ounces) beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

For the tacos

• 12 corn tortillas 6-inch
• 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese shredded
• 0.5 cup white onion finely chopped
• 0.5 cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Equipment

• 1 6-quart Dutch oven
• 1 immersion blender
• 1 12-inch skillet

Method

 

Make the birria

1. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat and toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until fragrant.
2. Transfer the toasted chiles to a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over them, and soak for 20 minutes.
3. Pat the beef dry and season it all over with the salt and pepper.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
5. Transfer the browned beef to a plate.
6. Add the tomatoes and yellow onion to the Dutch oven and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until softened and browned in spots.
7. Add the garlic for the last minute of cooking.
8. Turn off the heat and add the soaked chiles with all their soaking liquid, the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and cloves.
9. Blend in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth.
10. Return the beef to the pot and add the beef broth and bay leaves.
11. Bring to a simmer, cover, and bake at 325°F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender.
12. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and discard the bay leaves.
13. Skim the red fat from the broth into a small bowl.
14. Shred the beef and stir 1 cup of broth into the shredded meat.

Assemble the tacos

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
2. Dip a tortilla in the reserved fat, lay it in the skillet, and top half with about 1/4 cup shredded beef and 1 ounce cheese.
3. Fold the tortilla over and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crisp and the cheese is melted.
4. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, beef, and cheese.
5. Serve the tacos topped with the white onion and cilantro, with the remaining broth in bowls for dipping and the lime wedges alongside.

Notes

For the crispiest tacos, brown the beef in batches without crowding the Dutch oven. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days; the birria and broth freeze well for up to 3 months. For a dairy-free swap, use a dairy-free melting cheese in place of Oaxaca cheese.