Slow cooked beef birria tacos with dipping broth
Falling apart beef in a chilli and spice sauce, folded into crisp corn tacos and dipped in the rich broth.
- Time3 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £3.00 a head
- Oven160°C (140°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Soak the chillies in boiling water for 15 minutes until soft. Drain, keeping a mug of the water.
15 min - 2
Blitz the chillies with the tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and a splash of soaking water until smooth.
- 3
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot and brown the beef in batches for 8 minutes. Add the sauce, bay leaves and water.
8 min - 4
Cover and cook gently for 2 hours 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef shreds easily. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) if you prefer to cook it there.
150 min - 5
Lift out the beef, shred it, and skim the red fat from the broth into a small bowl. Keep the broth hot in the pot.
- 6
Brush each tortilla with the red fat, fill half with beef, fold, and fry in a pan with the remaining oil for 2 minutes each side until crisp.
4 min - 7
Serve with the diced onion, coriander and lime, and mugs of hot broth for dipping.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.