Craving tacos? These smoky birria taco are guaranteed to satisfy your craving! This dish features smoked chuck roast and short ribs slow-braised in a delicious liquid made of chilis and fragrant spices. The meat is then shredded and transformed into mouthwatering tacos!

These smoked birria tacos are absolutely crave-worthy! Our recipe includes shallots, which brighten the overall dish. Don’t stop at tacos! Use the meat mixture to make pizza, burritos, ramen, or tasty grilled beef and cheese sandwiches! The possibilities are limitless.

About Birria

Birria originated in Jalisco, Mexico, and typically includes beef, goat, or lamb seasoned with dried chilis, spices, broth, and sometimes vinegar. This meat stew is used to make tacos and served with a spicy, savory consommé for dipping.

How long does it take to make smoked birria tacos?

Plan on 5 hours of cooking time for the meat and 30 minutes to make several tacos. The meat starts off on the grill or smoker, then is slow-braised in the oven to create a tender texture that shreds easily.

Ingredients

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• 2 pounds beef short ribs (roughly 5-6)
• Salt and black pepper
• Beef broth ( you can also use beef stock vegetable broth for these smoked birria tacos)
• Dried chilis: guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilis
• 1 medium yellow or white onion
• 1 medium tomato
• 3 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Onion powder
• Cinnamon
• Corn tortillas
• Colby jack cheese
• Vegetable oil
• Cilantro
• Limes

How to Make Smoked Birria Tacos

• Heat the grill: Prepare your smoker or pellet grill for 225 degrees F. Use cherry or pecan wood for this recipe.
• Chuck roast: Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place it in the smoker, close the lid, and cook for an hour.
• Short ribs: After an hour, it’s time to add the short ribs. Season with salt and pepper, and place on the smoker with the chuck roast. Close the lid and cook both for an hour.

Making the braising liquid

• Prep the chilis and tomato: Trim off stems from the dried chilis and remove the seeds. During the last 20 minutes of cooking, place the chilis and tomato into a heat-safe bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the chuck roast and short ribs from the smoker and place them in a large Dutch oven. You can cut the chuck roast into four equal sections if preferred. Set aside.
• Cook the veg: Heat oil in a skillet, and cook chopped onions over medium-low heat for 3 minutes until they take on a shiny appearance. Add one chopped shallot and garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute.
• Blend the veg: Drain the chilis and add them to a blender. Cut the tomato in half and add it to the blender along with the onion-shallot mixture, beef broth, salt, pepper, and spices. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Braising the beef and assembling birria tacos

• Braise the beef: Pour the braising liquid over the meat, place the lid on the Dutch oven, and place it into the oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning the meat halfway through and adding more broth or water as needed.
• Tenderness: Test the meat for tenderness. It should shred easily. If not, place it back into the oven for 30 more minutes.
• Rest it: Remove the pot from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board, but leave the sauce (consommé) in the pot.
• Shred the meat and place it into a bowl.
• Assemble taco ingredients: Next, it’s time to make your birria tacos. Gather your shredded cheese, chopped remaining shallot (or onion if preferred), and corn tortillas. This process goes quickly, so it’s best to have all the taco components in place.
• Heat a large skillet or griddle pan on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add some oil and spread it around evenly.
• Make the tacos: Dip a corn tortilla in the consommé, place on your skillet, and top with cheese, shredded beef, and chopped shallot (or onion). Cook as you would a quesadilla. Fold it in half with a spatula. Wipe the skillet clean every 2-3 tacos to avoid burning. Add more oil as needed.
• Serve on a platter topped with chopped cilantro and remaining chopped shallots, lime wedges, and warmed consommé on the side. Plan on 3 tacos per person.
• Leftovers: Store leftover fixings and meat in separate airtight containers in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Wood: Use moderately smoke-flavored woods like cherry or pecan for this recipe. Remember that the braising process happens in your oven after the chuck roast and short ribs have had a few hours in the smoker.
• Grease: If you have excess grease after braising, pour the consommé into a fat separator and drain off the fat. Return it to the pot and keep warm.
• Ingredients: Have your birria taco ingredients nearby when it comes time to make them. Doing this will streamline the process and make it easier.
• Use chicken: If you don’t eat red meat, substitute with 4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook them in your smoker for 1 hour and transfer to a Dutch oven, and braise in your oven with consommé for 2 hours, or until tender. Use vegetable or chicken broth instead of beef broth.
• Thin out the consommé as needed. Some folks like it thick, and some like it more broth-like.
• Want it smokier? Add 1 chili in adobo, plus 1-2 tablespoons of adobo sauce.

More recipes to try

Pair these delectable smoked beef birria tacos with a few of these dishes for the perfect taco Tuesday extravaganza!

• Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
• Sinaloa Chicken
• Smoked Charro Beans
• Cinco de Mayo Recipes
• Blackstone Chorizo Breakfast Tacos

Print

Birria Tacos

Smoked Birria Tacos are super delicious and flavorful. The dish features smoked beef chuck roast and short ribs seasoned simply, then slow-smoked, and finished off in the oven with fantastic braising liquid made of chilis and spices.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American BBQ, Mexican

Keyword birria tacos, smoked birria tacos

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 6 hours hours

Servings 5

Calories 451kcal

Ingredients

• 1 beef chuck roast 3 pounds
• 5 beef short ribs 2 pound
• salt and black pepper
• For consomme:
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 3 dried guajillo chilis
• 3 dried ancho chilis
• 3 dried arbol chilis
• 1 Medium tomato
• 1 medium yellow or white onion chopped
• 3 medium shallots chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of cinnamon
• For tacos:
• Corn tortillas about 12-15
• Shredded colby jack pepper jack, or Monterey jack cheese
• Vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 3-4 limes quartered

Instructions

• Prepare your smoker or pellet grill for 225 degrees F. Use cherry or pecan wood for this recipe.
• Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Place it in the smoker, close the lid, and cook for an hour.
• After an hour, it's time to add the short ribs. Season with salt and pepper, and place on the smoker with the chuck roast. Close the lid and cook both for an hour.
• While the meat is on the smoker, trim off stems from the dried chilis and remove the seeds. Place the chilis and the tomato in a heat-safe bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Remove the chuck roast and short ribs from the smoker and place them in a large Dutch oven. You can cut the chuck roast into four equal sections if preferred. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet, and cook chopped onions over medium-low heat for 3 minutes until they take on a shiny appearance. Add one chopped shallot and garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute.
• Drain the chilis and add them to a blender. Cut the tomato in half and add it to the blender along with the onion-shallot mixture, beef broth, salt, pepper, and spices. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking.
• Pour the braising liquid over the meat, place the lid on the Dutch oven, and place it into the oven. Cook for 3 hours, turning the meat halfway through and add more broth or water as needed.
• Test the meat for tenderness. It should shred easily. If not, place it back into the oven for 30 more minutes.
• Remove the pot from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the meat to a cutting board, but leave the sauce (consommé) in the pot.
• Shred the meat and place it into a bowl.
• Next, it's time to make your birria tacos. Gather your shredded cheese, chopped remaining shallot (or onion if preferred), and corn tortillas. This process goes quickly, so it's best to have all the taco components in place.
• Heat a large skillet or griddle pan on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add some oil and spread it around evenly.
• Dip a corn tortilla in the consommé, transfer to a hot skillet, and top with cheese, shredded beef, and chopped shallot (or onion). Cook as you would a quesadilla. Fold it in half with a spatula. Wipe the skillet clean every 2-3 tacos to avoid burning. Add more oil as needed.
• Serve on a platter topped with chopped cilantro and remaining chopped shallots, lime wedges, and warmed consommé on the side. Plan on 3 tacos per person.
• Store leftover fixings and meat in separate airtight containers in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat meat in microwave or stove top in a pot.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1092mg | Potassium: 1310mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6565IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 6mg

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