The Best Birria Tacos Recipe And The Appliances You Need To Make This TikTok Sensation!

What Is So Special About Birria Tacos?

Birria is a meat dish that originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco – and this easy TikTok recipe packs it into a (glorious!) taco form.

In what would otherwise be a stuff-and-serve taco situation, birria taco tortillas are dipped in cooking juices (reserved from slow-cooking the birria beef) before they are fried. Leftover cooking juices are then served alongside the tacos as a dip. They’re best beefed up with slow-cooked chuck steak and loaded with cheese and onion.

How Do You Make Birria Tacos?

A few easy steps is all it takes! First, perfect the pull-apart beef filling, then lightly dip your tortilla in the freshly made stew juices before frying and assembling in the frypan to create that crispy finish.

How To Cook Birria Taco Beef

The best beef birria tacos start with the right cooking appliances. And even your barbecue can get in on the act! Not just for searing the perfect steak, your outdoor grill can slow-cook too, and will add a smoky flavour to your birria beef. First, grill your beef for approximately two minutes on each side. Then, add to a dutch oven with your marinating ingredients and simmer for four hours at a low heat on the barbecue’s hot plate.

Alternatively, you can use your oven or switch on your slow cooker for a weekday dinner that’s cooked to perfection.

“A slow cooker’s power and heat comes from its base, creating an all-round, low, consistent heat that’s best at tenderising tough meat and bringing out flavours,” says Tracey Ellis, The Good Guys Buyer – Portable Appliances.

Looking for a new slow cooker recipe? Birria tacos are it! In the morning, sear your beef in a pan on the cooktop (4-5 mins), then transfer to your slow cooker with all the seasonings.  After 7-8 hours on your slow cooker’s low setting, it’ll be juicy, tender and ready to load into your taco shells.

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Russell Hobbs 7L Matte Black Slow Cooker
Breville The Smart Temp 6L Slow Cooker

The Secret To Perfect Birria Tacos

Just before serving, birria taco tortillas are fried in a shallow pan on a cooktop. It’s this essential final step that delivers that all-important crisp shell. Lie each tortilla flat (with the dipped side down), load up the fillings, then fold and fry until you get a crunchy exterior.

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Westinghouse 60cm Gas Cooktop – Stainless Steel
Haier 60cm Induction Cooktop
Smeg 80cm Linea Integrated Induction Cooktop

Birria Tacos Recipe

Are you ready for a taco taste sensation? Then fire up the Weber barbecue and create your own birria tacos with this winning recipe from Weber and Weber Grill Master Laura Romeo.

Prep time: 30 mins

Barbecue time: 5 hours

Serves 7-8

Ingredients

• 1.8 kg beef chuck, cut into chunky cubes
• 600g beef rib meat, cut into chunky cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 1.2L salt-reduced beef stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml water
• 14-16 tortillas (corn or flour)
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 2 white onions, finely chopped
• 3 limes, cut into wedges, to serve

For the spice rub:

• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tbsp chopped chipotle chillies
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Method

1. To make the spice rub, combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add the meat, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until required. If time permits, refrigerate the meat overnight.
2. Prepare the barbecue for direct and indirect cooking over medium-high heat (200°C-260°C). Preheat the barbecue with a dutch oven dish (no lid) over direct heat.
3. Once the barbecue has preheated, brush the cooking grills clean, grill the beef over direct medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side or until just browned on the outside. Remove from the heat and set aside. Keep the dutch oven dish over direct heat.
4. Add the olive oil and onion to the dish and sauté over direct heat for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the seared beef back to the pan, along with the tinned tomatoes, stock, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and water. Add the lid to the dutch oven, bring to a simmer over direct heat.
5. Once the dish has come to a simmer, move the dutch oven to indirect heat and reduce the temperature to medium heat (180°C-200°C), continue to cook the beef for 4 hours or until the meat is falling apart. You may need to stir the beef every hour and add a little more stock or water if the liquid is drying out.
6. Once the meat is falling apart, carefully remove the dutch oven from the barbecue using heat proof gloves. Separate the meat from the juices, using tongs and a sieve over a bowl. Set juice aside and shred the beef. Once the meat juice has settled, the fat will rise to the top. Pour or skim the fat off and put onto a plate or shallow dish. Preheat the lid of the dutch oven over direct medium heat (180°C-230°C).
7. Dip one side of a tortilla into the reserved fat. Place onto the preheated dutch oven lid (fat side down), sprinkle cheese over tortilla, add meat, coriander and onion to one half. Cook the tortilla over direct medium heat for 3 minutes or until golden, remove from the barbecue and fold in half. Continue with the remaining tortillas and meat.
8. To serve, pour the reserved meat juice into a small dish. Squeeze lime over the tortillas, dip into the reserved meat juice and enjoy!

Ready to try TikTok’s favourite tacos? For perfect results, you’ll need the perfect appliances. See us in-store and online for the latest and greatest cooktops, ovens and slow cookers.