Go Back

Short-Rib Birria Tacos

Short-rib birria tacos with slow-cooked tender meat and a smoky red chile consomé for dipping. Crispy tortillas are dipped twice for golden-brown edges, then filled with shredded short rib and served with warm consomé.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
rest 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Short ribs and broth
  • 3 lb bone-in short ribs
  • 6 cup beef broth
Chiles and aromatics
  • 6 guajillo chiles
  • 3 ancho chiles
  • 1 white onion
  • 6 garlic
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Spices
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
For serving
  • corn tortillas Quantity for serving (enough for tacos).
  • onion
  • cilantro
  • lime

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 fine sieve
  • 1 dry skillet

Method
 

Simmer the short ribs
  1. Place bone-in short ribs in a large Dutch oven, cover with beef broth, and simmer for 2.5 hours until very tender with falling-apart meat.
  2. Remove the meat from the pot and reserve the broth in the Dutch oven for the chile consomé.
  3. Let the short rib meat rest for 15 minutes so it’s easier to shred, steaming hot.
  4. Shred the cooled short rib meat and discard bones, leaving strands ready for filling.
Make the chile paste and consomé
  1. Toast guajillo chiles and ancho chiles in a dry skillet for 1 minute until fragrant, then transfer to hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
  2. Blend the softened chiles with garlic, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, and white onion into a smooth paste.
  3. Strain the chile paste through a fine sieve into the reserved beef broth, add bay leaf, and simmer for 20 minutes until the consomé looks deep red and aromatic.
Dip and assemble the tacos
  1. Warm corn tortillas, then dip them in consomé just to lightly coat both sides so they turn flexible and start taking on red color.
  2. Fill the tortillas with shredded short rib, dip again if desired, and watch for golden-brown edges forming from the coating.
  3. Top each taco with onion, cilantro, and serve with warm consomé on the side, finishing with lime.

Notes

For best flavor, keep the consomé at a gentle simmer while assembling so the tortillas dip quickly and get crisped along the edges. Refrigerate leftover birria and consomé in separate containers for up to 4 days; reheat until steaming. Freezing is yes for the meat and consomé (up to 3 months), but for best tortilla texture assemble fresh. Dietary swap: use gluten-free tortillas if needed while keeping the chile and broth ingredients unchanged.