Description
This Viral Chicken Birria Tacos from Scratch recipe offers a flavorful and authentic Mexican experience with tender, juicy chicken simmered in a rich, aromatic chile sauce. Perfectly crispy tacos are achieved by dipping tortillas in the birria broth and grilling with melted cheese, served with fresh cilantro, onion, and lime wedges for an irresistible meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Broth
- 2 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Chile Sauce
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 small onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Tacos
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced white onion
- Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Toast and Soften Chiles: Heat a dry skillet over medium heat and toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles for 1 to 2 minutes per side until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water, soaking for 15 minutes until softened.
- Prepare Chile Sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles, quartered onion, garlic cloves, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until smooth to create a vibrant, flavorful sauce.
- Season and Sear Chicken: Generously season the bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the chicken on all sides until lightly browned, locking in flavor and juices.
- Simmer Chicken in Sauce: Pour the blended chile sauce over the seared chicken, then add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook on low heat for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred Chicken and Soak: Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and shred the meat, discarding bones if any. Return the shredded chicken to the pot to soak in the rich birria sauce, absorbing even more flavor.
- Prepare Tacos: Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the birria broth to saturate it, then place it on the hot skillet. Add a portion of shredded chicken and a sprinkle of cheese to one side of the tortilla, fold it over, and cook until the tortilla is crispy and golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Serve the tacos hot, topped with chopped fresh cilantro and diced white onion. Offer lime wedges on the side and extra birria broth for dipping to enjoy an authentic Mexican flavor explosion.
Notes
- For enhanced flavor, prepare the birria filling a day in advance to allow the spices to meld.
- To add extra heat, incorporate a dried chile de arbol into the sauce during blending.
- These tacos are best served immediately while the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melty.
