Birria tacos have taken the world by storm over the last few years. I’ve seen more videos on TikTok featuring birria bombs than I can count. I’ve never tried the birria bombs, but I have experimented with some homemade recipes. Here’s my chicken birria tacos recipe.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Thighs
- Dried Chilies
- Tomatoes
- Jalapenos
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Cinnamin
- Cloves
- Lemon Juice
- Corn Tortillas
- Shredded Cheese (your preference)
Prepping The Chicken For Birria Tacos
Start by heating a large pot on medium-high heat. I like to grease my pan with lard, but you can opt for olive oil if you prefer a healthier option. Generously season the chicken thighs with garlic and onion powder, salt, and pepper. Once the pan has come to temperature, place the chicken in skin side down.
Brown the chicken about 3-4 minutes on each side. Next, add enough water to completely cover the chicken. Cut the onion and tomato into quarters and place them in the broth. Add the dried chilis, a teaspoon of cumin, 2-3 bay leaves, and a teaspoon of oregano. You can optionally add 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes for additional flavor. If you don’t use bouillon, you might want to add salt to your taste.
Bring the broth to a simmer and then lower the heat. Let cook for approximately 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the broth and set aside to cool. The chicken will need to be shredded once it’s cool enough.
Birria Dipping Sauce
Take the cooked tomatoes, onions, and chilis from the chicken broth and add them to a food processor. Pour about half a cup of chicken broth from the pan into the processor as well. To this mixture, add a teaspoon of diced jalapenos and garlic. Sprinkle in a half teaspoon of cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Last but not least, squeeze in some lime juice and then pulse until everything is combined.
After you have finished processing the ingredients, strain the contents into a new pan. Add another half cup of broth to the sauce and simmer on a medium-low heat. This should take around 15-20 minutes.
Make sure to taste the sauce as it simmers. You can adjust the heat with hot sauce or red pepper. Adjust with salt as needed as well. If its a little too salty or spicy, try and balance it out with a little sugar.
Assembling Chicken Birria Tacos
When the sauce has thickened up to your liking, you can begin to assemble your tacos. Get a skillet warming on medium-high heat. Dip corn tortillas into the birria sauce and then into the hot skillet. I like to use 2 tortillas for each taco as they have a tendency to fall apart. This isn’t as big a problem with homemade tortillas.
Sprinkle shredded cheese onto the tortilla once it’s in the pan. In a mixing bowl, toss your shredded chicken with some of the birria sauce. Add the chicken to the tortillas and then fold over into tacos. Sear the taco on each side until firm, but not burnt.
Plate your tacos, pour some sauce into a dipping cup, and enjoy! I like to top mine with a little fresh cilantro. If the heat gets to you, try a little sour cream to cool things down. This recipe with also work with beef or pork. A chuck roast or pork shoulder tastes amazing with this sauce.
