The GüdDish Birria Tacos

We studied 38 recipes from around the world and combined the supreme 7. Then we built the BEST!

Birria Tacos. The GüdDish.

Serves 6 · 30–40 min prep · 210–225 min total · 3 steps

Ingredients

Ingredients for Birria Tacos
  • 3 lb beef chuck, cut in chunks
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 white onion
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 limes
  • 2 tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

What the best recipes taught us

  • Simmer the beef until it shreds. If you pull it too soon, the meat will be tough.
  • Dip the tortillas in the fat before they hit the skillet. If you skip the dip, they will not crisp the same way.

Method

  1. 1
    Guajillo chiles toasting
    6dried guajillo chiles
    6garlic cloves
    1white onion
    2tbsapple cider vinegar
    1tspground cumin
    1tspdried oregano
    1/2tspground cinnamon

    Stem and seed the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry pan until they darken a little, 30 seconds per side. Transfer the chiles to a bowl and cover them with hot water for 15 minutes.

    Drain the chiles. Blend them with the garlic, onion, vinegar, cumin, oregano, and cinnamon until smooth. Add a splash of the soaking water if the blender stalls.

  2. 2
    Beef simmering in blended chiles
    3lbsbeef chuck, cut in chunks
    2bay leaves
    2tspkosher salt

    Salt the beef. In a heavy pot, cover it with the blended chiles and enough water to almost cover. Add the bay leaves.

    Simmer covered until the meat shreds, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Skim fat from the consommé and keep the fat.

    Shred the meat. Salt the consommé to taste.

  3. 3
    Tortilla crisping in fat
    12corn tortillas
    1/2cfresh cilantro
    2limes

    Dip each corn tortilla in the consommé fat. Lay it on a hot skillet until spotted. Fill with shredded meat. Fold and crisp both sides.

    Serve with consommé for dipping, cilantro, and lime.