Beef Birria Tacos with Au Jus

Get ready to dip into pure comfort with these beef birria tacos with au jus. Served alongside their rich, savory consommé, this dish is the ultimate indulgent taco experience.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Chili de arbol: These small but mighty chilies add a bright, sharp heat that cuts through the rich, fatty meat and creates the signature red color in the consommé.
• Guajillo chilies: The backbone of birria's flavor profile, these mild, fruity chilies contribute a deep, sweet smokiness.
• Pasilla chilies: Add depth and mild heat with their distinctive raisin-like sweetness and subtle chocolate notes.
• Brisket: The star protein that becomes incredibly tender and flavorful when slow-braised. Its high fat content and tough connective tissue break down during cooking, creating succulent, shreddable meat.

Substitutions and variations

• Serving: You can use the braised brisket to create birria quesadillas instead of tacos.
• Protein: Try this recipe with another protein such as chicken, goat, or chuck roast, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Beef Birria Tacos with Au Jus

Total Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Beef birria

• 4 chilies de arbol
• 3 dried Guajillo chilies
• 2 dried Pasilla chilies
• 3 pounds brisket
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cinnamon stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock

Remaining ingredients

• 1 medium onion chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 16 corn tortillas
• 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the dried chili de arbol, guajillo, and pasilla chilies in a heat safe bowl and add enough boiling water to cover the chilies. Place another bowl on top to keep the chilies submerged. Let sit for 30 minutes. Drain the water and discard the stems and seeds. Set aside.
• Season the brisket generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the brisket and sear on all sides until seared. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, add the chopped onion and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Add back the brisket along with the rehydrated chilies, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and continue cooking the brisket in the oven for 2 ½ hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
• Remove the brisket from the pot and shred the meat using two forks. Strain the braising liquid, discarding the ingredients but keeping the liquid. Ladle ½ cup of the braising liquid over the shredded beef, tossing to coat.
• Combine chopped onion and cilantro in a medium bowl. Season with lime juice and salt. Set aside.
• Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Carefully dip the tortilla in the top part of the braising liquid where the fat resides. Place the tortilla in the pan and cook for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Flip over and top with shredded brisket and shredded cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold over to create a taco and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove taco and repeat with remaining ingredients.
• Serve with warm au jus for dipping and onion cilantro topping.

Notes

You can braise the brisket ahead of time and assemble the tacos right before serving.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Rehydrate chilies

When I tried my first birria taco, I was intrigued by the au jus. It was my first time seeing tacos served with a dipping sauce. Judging by the slightly red color of the broth, I assumed that there were chilies in the broth. So I decided to add dried guajillo, pasilla, and chili de arbol to the broth.

Since the chilies are dried, we want to rehydrate them in hot water for 30 minutes. Keep a bowl on top of the chilies to keep them submerged. Once they're soft, remove the stems and seeds.

Step 2: Prepare brisket

While the chilies are softening, prepare the brisket. Season the brisket generously with salt and pepper, then sear it until browned. Take your time searing the meat since the caramelization helps incorporate more flavor.

Set aside the brisket and saute the onion until softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste, and spices, stirring to combine. Then, add back the brisket to the pot along with the rehydrated chilies and remaining ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil, then continue braising the meat in the oven.

Brisket is a tough, lean meat, so it needs to cook slowly on low heat. This way, the muscles will break down, and the hunk of meat will turn deliciously tender. It's a glorious thing.

If you don't have a Dutch oven, use any heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid. A large roasting pan covered tightly with foil will also work.

Step 3: Putting it all together

About 2 ½ hours to 3 hours later, the brisket should be ready. If the meat separates easily, it's good to go. Remove the brisket from the broth and shred it. Strain the broth, discarding the chilies and aromatics.

Now that the main component of the tacos is done, it's time to make the quesatacos. Dip the tortillas in the top part of the braising liquid where the fat sits.

Then, lay them on a nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Let one side brown, then flip the tortillas over.

Lay the shredded brisket on one half of each tortilla, followed by shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla in half and continue cooking the tortilla until it turns golden brown and crispy. Flip the tortilla over and crisp up the other side.

Top the birria tacos with the onion and cilantro salsa and dip them into the au jus.

Let me tell you guys, these beef birria tacos with au jus were next level. The smell alone was intoxicating, but once I tried one...I was incredibly pleased with the results. I might even say, these are better than the ones I tried at the restaurant!

For more fantastic braised beef dishes, check out these balsamic blood orange braised short ribs, balsamic pomegranate braised pot roast, and short rib enchiladas roja.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The birria actually tastes better the next day. Store the shredded meat and broth separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best results, reheat the shredded meat with a little broth in a pan, then assemble fresh tacos. You can also reheat assembled tacos in a dry skillet over medium heat.

Frequently asked questions

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