Birria Taco Recipe: How to Make Mexican Birria Tacos

For the marinade:

• 3 dried guajillo chiles
• 3 dried ancho chiles
• 3 dried chiles de árbol
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried Mexican marjoram
• 2 whole cloves, briefly toasted and ground
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, briefly toasted and ground (or ¼ teaspoon ground cumin)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• Kosher salt, to taste

For the birria:

• 3–4 pounds bone-in goat meat (or substitute other stew meat such as lamb shoulder, lamb ribs, oxtails, short ribs, or beef chuck roast)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick

To assemble:

• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and stems
• Lime wedges, for serving

1. 1

   Prepare the chiles. Cut the dried chiles open to remove the seeds, then briefly toast the chiles in a dry skillet.

2. 2

   Cover chiles with hot water and soak until rehydrated, about 10–30 minutes.

3. 3

   Using a fine-mesh strainer, drain the chiles.

4. 4

   Make the marinade. In a food processor or blender, combine the rehydrated chiles with diced onion, garlic, vinegar, tomatoes, and ground spices. Puree the mixture until smooth, adding a little water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. 5

   Transfer the meat to a cast-iron Dutch oven and add bay leaves and a cinnamon stick.

6. 6

   Rub the chile sauce all over the meat and cover the Dutch oven with a lid or aluminum foil.

7. 7

   Refrigerate the sauce for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

8. 8

   Remove the solidified excess fat on the sauce of the sauce and set it aside.

9. 9

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

10. 10

    Transfer the covered Dutch oven to the oven and braise until meat is falling off-the-bone tender, about 4 hours.

11. 11

    Remove the meat from the braising liquid and when it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bones and set it aside.

12. 12

    Reduce the braising liquid to a thick sauce.

13. 13

    Using a hot griddle, fry the shredded meat until crispy.

14. 14

    Heat the tortillas on the stovetop in the excess fat and dip them into the sauce.

15. 15

    Fill the sauced tortillas with crispy goat meat and garnish with cilantro and lime.

16. 16

    Serve any extra sauce in a small bowl for dipping.

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