These flavorful Mexican Birria Tacos (Tacos de Birria or Quesatacos) are the perfect combination of sweet, sour, savory, slightly spicy, and a hint of smoky goodness! With this flavor-packed goat stew, you can serve it up as-is or make the crispiest, cheesiest tacos you’ll ever taste!
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Transform Your Taco Night
Birria is a classic Mexican stew, renowned for its rich blend of stew meat and a vibrant sauce teeming with chiles, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a variety of herbs and spices. This stew is not only delectable on its own but reaches new heights of flavor when transformed into tacos. Imagine it stuffed into tortillas with melting cheese, then fried to a perfect golden crisp!
While preparing this stew might seem daunting, my clear and easy-to-follow instructions simplify the process. And don't worry if goat meat isn't to your liking; I've got a range of alternative meat options for you to try.
For those busy days, consider using an Instant Pot or Crock Pot to whip up this delightful dish without compromising on taste. And if you're a fan of Mexican soups and stews, you'll definitely want to check out my albondigas soup recipe next!
Creating this dish is a true labor of love and a surefire way to bring joy to your family's mealtime. The beauty of these birria tacos lies in their versatility – everyone can customize their tacos with their favorite garnishes and toppings.
But the real highlight? Dipping the tacos into the sumptuous sauce, also known as consommé, that's a byproduct of the stew. It's an experience that might just change the way you think about tacos forever!
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- It’s packed full of flavor! With over 16 herbs, spices, and aromatics, this delectable birria has a bold flavor in every bite.
- It’s unexpected! The goat in this recipe adds an incredible richness and savory flavor to the stew and tacos. The slow simmer makes the meat fall apart tender and delicious.
- It’s versatile! Birria can be eaten like a stew or made into regular birria tacos, fried quesatacos, or quesabirria tacos that will blow you away! Whatever way you decide to serve it – it will be incredible!
🥘 Ingredients
Rich and bold Birria is a fantastic, succulent goat stew that’ll become your new favorite! This recipe calls for a few traditional Mexican ingredients, like ancho and guajillo chiles – check your local Mexican grocery or the Mexican section of the grocery store to find them!
Meat & Seasoning
- Goat Meat: 3 pounds (substitute with beef, pork, or veal if preferred)
- Salt: 1 tablespoon (or to taste)
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper: ½ tablespoon
- Ground Cumin: 1 teaspoon
Birria Stew
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) - 2 tablespoons
- Dried Ancho Chiles - 4 chiles
- Dried Guajillo Chiles - 4 chiles
- Dried Chipotle Pepper - 1 pepper (or substitute with one 7-ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- Onion - 1 large, chopped (white or yellow)
- Fresh Tomatoes - 4 medium, diced (or substitute with 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
- Garlic - 4 tablespoons minced
- Dried Oregano - 1 teaspoon
- Dried Marjoram - 1 teaspoon
- Ground Ginger - ½ teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon - ½ teaspoon
- Whole Cloves - 3-4 cloves
- Apple Cider Vinegar - ½ cup
- Beef Broth - 6 cups (or chicken stock)
Birria Tacos (Tacos de Birria)
- Corn Tortillas - 14 tortillas (preferably white corn)
- Quesadilla Cheese - 2 cups (or substitute with Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Queso Oaxaca)
- Queso Fresco - Optional, for garnish
- Cilantro - Chopped, optional for garnish
- White Onion - Chopped for topping
- Lime - 1-2 whole, for extra flavor (optional)
🔪 How To Make Birria
This incredible birria stew is world-famous – and for a good reason! This dish is a true labor of love, but you won’t regret it! There are options to make this dish in the oven (dutch oven perhaps), Instant Pot, or slow cooker, so you can make it any way you like!
Season the Meat & Soften the Peppers
- Season the meat. Cube the 3 pounds of goat meat (or substituted meat) if not already done. Then, place in a medium-sized mixing bowl and season with 1 tablespoon of salt, ½ tablespoon of ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prep the chiles. Tear the 4 dried ancho chiles, 4 dried guajillo chiles, and 1 dried chipotle pepper by hand (or cut open with scissors) and remove the seeds. Start 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
- Toast the chiles. Cook the dried chiles in the oil, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. While heating the chiles, place a small saucepan filled with enough water to cover the chiles on another burner and bring to a boil.
- Soften the chiles. Save the oil in the stock pot, transfer the chiles to the saucepan once the water is boiling, and bring them to a low boil for 10 minutes or until softened. Don’t drain the water!
Make the Sauce
- Prep the veggies. Chop 1 large onion, then dice 4 ripe red tomatoes (if not using canned), and mince or crush enough garlic to make 4 tablespoons (about 12 cloves) or use pre-minced.
- Sauté the onions, tomatoes, and spices. Bring the stock pot with chile oil back to medium-high heat and sauté the chopped onion and diced fresh tomatoes or 1 cup of canned tomatoes until they soften and darken. Add in a 7-ounce can of chipotle peppers (if not using dried), 4 tablespoons of minced or crushed garlic, 8-10 whole peppercorns, 3-4 cloves, 3 whole bay leaves, 1 whole cinnamon stick, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano (use Mexican oregano if you can), 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
- Simmer veggies and seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium or lower and continue cooking the onion, tomatoes, and seasoning at a simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Blend sauce. Add the chiles and water they were boiled into a blender, add the cooked tomatoes and onions with seasoning (remove the bay leaves), and ½ a cup of apple cider vinegar and 2 cups of the beef broth. You want to add enough to blend the mixture without filling your blender to the max line. Blend until smooth.
- Strain mixture. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Your mixture may be pretty thick still, but that’s OK! If needed, use some of the beef broth to get the last bits of sauce out the blender.
- Marinate the meat. Transfer the sauce into the bowl with the seasoned meat and toss to coat. Cover with cling film and marinate for 8-12 hours or overnight for best results when using the stove-top or oven cooking methods. If using an Instant Pot/pressure cooker or Crock Pot/slow cooker, the marinating step can be skipped!
Stove-top Method
- Cook on the stove-top. Place the marinated meat into a large stockpot with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Cook at medium heat with the lid, stirring occasionally, for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Once the meat is fall-of-the-bone tender, it’s ready to be served as a stew or shredded for making tacos.
Dutch Oven Baked
- Bake in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Place the marinated meat into a large Dutch oven with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Then, cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender and easily shredded.
Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- If using an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, add the meat and marinade to the inner pot of your pressure cooker, plus any remaining broth and additional water needed to cover the meat completely. Set the manual cook time on high for 45 minutes. Allow the cooking time to elapse, then let the pressure vent (NPR - natural pressure release) for 5 minutes before doing a quick release to finish venting the remaining steam and pressure.
Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
- If using a crock pot or slow cooker, place the marinated meat into the slow cooker with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Heat on low for 8-10 hours or until the meat is tender and easy to shred.
Serve as a Stew
- When tender, serve the birria as a stew. You can either leave the meat as is or remove the chunks and shred the meat before returning to the stew. Top with chopped white onion and cilantro, a lime wedge or two, and warmed corn tortillas for scooping.
Serve as Birria Tacos (or as Quesatacos)
- When tender, remove the chunks of meat and shred. Mix back into the stew.
- Serve as tacos with the birria filling, topped with chopped onion and cilantro, salsa, and a wedge of lime.
- To serve as quesatacos, separate shredded meat from the sauce. Dip the corn tortillas in the broth (consommé) and then fry in a large skillet, comal, or cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Fill the tacos with some shredded meat and shredded quesadilla cheese (about 2 tablespoons) on one side and fold in half. Cook the tacos for 30 second to a minute on the first side, and an additional 30 seconds on the other side. Remove from pan and keep warm in oven (***see recipe notes). Repeat until all the tacos are cooked.
- Serve the quesatacos with more of the broth (consommé) for dipping, topped with queso fresco, chopped onion and cilantro, and a wedge of lime on the side.
This bold and flavor-packed birria is a great dinner on its own or served as tacos, but if you want the best side dish, try my tasty refried black beans and my restaurant-style Mexican rice or my fresh and fluffy Instant Pot cilantro lime rice!
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Choosing the Right Meat: Traditionally, Birria is prepared with goat, lamb, or mutton. For an authentic experience, opt for stew meat already cut into chunks. Goat shoulder or lamb ribs are also excellent choices for their rich flavor and tender texture once cooked.
- Alternative Meat Options: If goat, lamb, or mutton isn't to your liking, don't worry! Beef, pork, or veal make great substitutes. Use cubed chuck roast, oxtails, or short ribs for a succulent result.
- Handling Foam During Cooking: When cooking Birria, especially with bone-in meat, you may notice foam forming on the surface. This is normal and simply impurities from the meat. Skim it off with a spoon and discard to ensure a clear, flavorful broth.
- Serving Quesatacos: If you're making quesatacos, keeping them warm and crispy is key. Preheat your oven to a low temperature, between 200°F (93°C) and 250°F (121°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light oil or cooking spray coating to prevent sticking. Place the tacos on the baking sheet in the oven as you finish each batch. This keeps them warm and maintains their delightful crispiness until you're ready to serve.
- Preventing Sogginess: To avoid soggy tacos, especially when serving quesatacos, ensure that the tortillas are not overly soaked in the broth. Dip them just enough to coat, then fry to achieve the perfect balance of moist and crispy.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
This stew will taste even more delicious the next day! Store cooled stew in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If you have leftover birria quesatacos (though I’m not sure you’ll have any!), you can also store those in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezing
The stew also freezes very well! Store the cooled birria in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I would not recommend freezing birria tacos.
Reheating
To reheat leftover stew, the stove is the best! Bring to a boil in a pot and then lower the heat and let it simmer gently until it’s bubbling or reached a temperature of 165° F (73° C).
If you’re reheating leftover tacos de birria, place them on a lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F (176°C) for 10 minutes until crispy or when they’ve reached a temperature of 165°F (73°C).
If defrosting frozen birria stew, it’s best to take it out the night before and let it defrost in your refrigerator overnight for a safe thaw.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Birria likely isn’t going to overwhelm you, but it does have spice! You can add as many or as few chipotle peppers as you want, according to your spice preference.
Dip your delicious tacos de birria directly in the consommé and enjoy! The broth is so incredibly delicious; you just may drink the leftovers!
I’ve listed several options on how to make the birria stew, and you can choose according to your preference and how much time you have! Use the more traditional stovetop or oven methods if you have time, or make the birria stew in the slow cooker or instant pot if you’re running short on time!
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📖 Recipe Card
Birria Tacos (Tacos de Birria, Quesabirria, or Quesatacos)
Ingredients
Meat & Seasoning
- 3 lbs goat meat (or stew meat, see notes below)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Birria (Mexican Goat Stew)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 4 dried ancho chiles
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried chipotle pepper (or 7 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 1 large onion (white or yellow, chopped)
- 4 red tomatoes (diced, or use 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes)
- 4 tablespoon garlic (finely mined or crushed)
- 8-10 whole peppercorns
- 3-4 whole cloves
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano (Mexican oregano is best)
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 cups beef broth (or chicken stock)
- water (enough to cover the chiles and meat)
Tacos de Birria
- 14 corn tortillas (I prefer white corn tortillas)
- 2 cups quesadilla cheese (or monterey jack, pepper jack, or other great melting cheese)
- queso fresco (optional garnish)
- fresh cilantro (optional garnish, chopped)
- white onion (optional garnish, chopped)
- 1-2 whole limes (optional garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Season the Meat & Soften the Peppers
- Cube the goat meat (or mix of meats) if not already done, place in a medium-sized mixing bowl, then season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Tear the chiles by hand (or cut open with scissors) and remove the seeds. Start the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Cook the dried chiles in the oil, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat. (while heating the chiles) Place a small saucepan with water (enough for the chiles) on another burner and bring it to a boil.
- Transfer the chiles (save the oil in the stock pot) into the saucepan once the water is boiling and let them cook at a low boil for about 10 minutes or until softened.
Make the Sauce
- Bring the stock pot with the oil back to medium-high heat and saute the onion and tomatoes until they begin to darken from a light orange color. Add in the canned chipotle peppers (if not using dried), minced or crushed garlic, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, salt, thyme, oregano, marjoram, ground cumin, and ground ginger.
- Reduce the heat to medium (or lower for a simmer) and continue cooking the onion, tomatoes, and seasoning at a simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- To a blender, add the chiles *with water that they were boiled and softened in*, the cooked tomatoes (remove the bay leaves) and onion with seasoning, plus apple cider vinegar, and about 2 cups of beef broth - enough to blend the mixture, without filling your blender to the max line!
- Blend until smooth. Your mixture may be pretty thick still, but that's OK! Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl. *Use some of your beef broth to get the last bits of sauce out of the blender.
- Next - you can either transfer the sauce into the bowl with the seasoned meat and cover it with cling film to marinate overnight. OR you can move on to cooking the birria. I prefer to marinate the meat between 8-12 hours for best results when cooking on the stove top or in the oven (using a Dutch oven). If using an Instant Pot/Pressure cooker or Crock Pot/slow cooker, the marinating step can be skipped.
Stovetop Method
- Place the marinated meat into a large stockpot with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Cook at medium heat with the lid on, stirring occasionally, for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Once the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender it is ready to serve as a stew or shred for making tacos.
Dutch Oven Baked
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the marinated meat into a large Dutch oven with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Cook for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender and easily shredded.
Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- Add the meat and marinade sauce to the inner pot of your pressure cooker, plus any remaining broth and additional water needed to cover the meat completely. Set the manual cook time on high for 45 minutes. Allow the cook time to elapse, then let the pressure vent (NPR) for 5 minutes before doing a quick release to finish venting the remaining steam and pressure.
Crock Pot or Slow Cooker
- Place the marinated meat into your crockpot or slow cooker with any remaining beef broth, plus additional water if needed to cover the meat completely. Heat on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat is tender and easy to shred.
Serve as a Stew
- Serve as a stew (leaving the meat chunks as-is, or remove the chunks and shred the meat then return to the stew). Top with chopped onion, cilantro, a lime wedge or two on the side, and corn tortillas for scooping.
Serve as Birria Tacos (or as Quesatacos)
- Serve as tacos with the birria meat filling, topped with chopped onion and cilantro, salsa, and a wedge of lime.
- To serve as quesatacos, separate the shredded meat from the sauce. Dip the corn tortillas into the broth then fry in a large skillet, comal, or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Fill the tacos with shredded meat and shredded cheese on one side and fold in half. Cook the tacos for 30 seconds to a minute on the first side, then flip and cook an additional 30 seconds to a minute on the second side. Remove from the pan and repeat until all of your tacos are cooked for serving.
- Serve the tacos with more of the broth, topped with queso fresco, chopped onion and cilantro, and a wedge of lime on the side.
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