Name: Beef Birria Tacos with Melted Cheese
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks; 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried chiles de árbol; 1 white onion, quartered, plus more finely diced to finish; 6 cloves garlic; 2 plum tomatoes, halved; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 3 bay leaves; 4 cups beef broth; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; To taste salt; 12 corn tortillas; 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese; To finish diced onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Beef Birria Tacos with Melted Cheese

Chuck braised in a blended guajillo-ancho broth until it shreds, then folded into cheese-crisped tortillas and dipped in its own broth.

Serves

Prep

30 min

Cook

3 hr 30 min

Written

August 3, 2026

Ingredients

3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks

6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

2 dried chiles de árbol

1 white onion, quartered, plus more finely diced to finish

6 cloves garlic

2 plum tomatoes, halved

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

3 bay leaves

4 cups beef broth

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

To taste salt

12 corn tortillas

2 cups shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese

To finish diced onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges

Method

Toast the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing flat, until fragrant and pliable, about 30 seconds per side.

Cover the toasted chiles with boiling water and let them soak until softened, about 15 minutes.

Season the chuck heavily with salt and sear it in a Dutch oven over high heat until deeply browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total, then set it aside.

In the same pot, char the onion quarters, garlic, and tomatoes over high heat until spotted black in places, about 5 minutes.

Drain the chiles and blend them with the charred vegetables, cinnamon stick, oregano, cumin, and 2 cups of the beef broth until smooth.

Strain the blended sauce back into the Dutch oven, pressing hard on the solids, then stir in the remaining broth and the vinegar.

Return the beef to the pot, tuck in the bay leaves, cover, and braise in a 325°F oven until the meat shreds apart with no resistance, about 3 hours.

Skim the fat pooling on the surface into a small bowl and set it aside for the tortillas.

Shred the meat with two forks directly in the sauce, discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, and taste the broth for salt.

Dip each tortilla in the reserved fat, lay it on a hot griddle, and top with cheese and a small pile of the shredded beef.

Fold the tortilla over once the cheese starts to melt and cook until both sides are crisp and deep golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Serve the tacos hot with small cups of the strained broth for dipping, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and lime.

Notes

The chiles are doing more work here than the beef — guajillo for color and fruit, ancho for a raisiny depth, árbol if you want the broth to bite back. Don’t skip straining the sauce; the chile skins left in would turn the broth gritty instead of silky.

Dipping the tortilla in the rendered fat before it hits the griddle is what makes this quesabirria instead of just tacos — that’s where the crisp, deep-red edge comes from. The broth isn’t a garnish either; it’s meant for dunking each bite, so keep it hot at the table.