You won’t believe the flavor packed into these chicken birria tacos! I make this easy recipe with juicy chicken breasts simmered with a rich blender sauce of smoky Mexican chilies, tomatoes, and spices. That gets tucked into a cheesy tortilla, then pan-fried until crispy. It’s the best!
These chicken birria tacos are your classic chicken tacos, kicked up a notch. It takes a bit of time to get the chicken birria fall-apart tender, but it’s SO worth it. If you love authentic Mexican recipes, try my weeknight versions of chicken mole and chicken tinga, next!
Today, we’re putting an easy spin on authentic Mexican birria recipes. Even made at home, these chicken birria tacos are exploding with flavor. I slow cook chicken in a combination of broth and smoky chile sauce until it’s crazy tender. I swear this chicken looked at the fork and fell apart. All that juicy chicken birria ended up in a cheesy corn tortilla soaked in leftover sauce and pan-fried.
If you’ve never had birria tacos before, you’re in for it. These are hands-down the best chicken tacos you’ll ever taste! I have a 12-year-old who can eat four in one sitting, pausing only for spicy hisses between bites—and she loves every second of it!
Why We Love This Chicken Birria Recipe
- Skip the food truck lineup. Birria tacos are one of my favorite things to order from restaurants and food truck menus, and I’m so excited to share this approachable homemade version.
- Easy to make. Making birria from scratch takes a bit of time, but it’s very straightforward (and more than worth the effort, I promise). Most of it is simmering the chicken and sauce on the stove. I’ll walk you through it, step-by-step.
- Bold, authentic flavor. The chicken in this recipe gets slow-cooked in broth until it’s tender and juicy, then shredded and simmered again in the spicy, flavorful sauce. Afterward, we stuff the shredded chicken into corn tortillas that are fried until golden and crispy. It’s so good, I’m drooling!
- Versatile. Why stop at tacos? Chicken birria stores and freezes like a dream. I’m always finding ways to use leftovers in more easy meal ideas, from nachos to tostadas and quesadillas.
What Is Birria?
Birria is a type of Mexican meat stew that’s simmered with chiles and spices to give it a rich, red color and loads of spicy, smoky flavor. To make a birria taco, the meat gets stuffed into a folded tortilla with cheese and fried until it’s crispy. Delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Most of the ingredients in this recipe are easy enough to find in major grocery stores. Or, pay a visit to your local Mexican supermarket. I’ve included some recipe notes here, and you’ll find the printable ingredients list with the full instructions in the recipe card after the post.
For the Chicken Birria
- Olive Oil – This can be extra virgin olive oil or your preferred cooking oil, like vegetable oil or avocado oil, for sautéeing.
- Tomatoes – Choose ripe, juicy tomatoes for the best flavor. Any variety will do.
- Onion and Garlic – You’ll need one white or yellow onion, chopped, and a handful of whole garlic cloves (I use 10 cloves, but you can adapt the number to taste).
- Spices – You’ll need whole allspice berries, black peppercorns, and half a cinnamon stick, plus ground cumin and dried oregano.
- Chiles – I use a combination of seeded dried ancho chiles and guajillo chiles. You can use all of one type or the other if needed. Feel free to adapt the amount of chili in this recipe to taste.
- Vinegar – I add a splash of white vinegar. You can substitute white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar if needed.
- Chicken Breast – The best cut for this recipe is bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. You could also use skin-on chicken thighs if you prefer. You’ll boil the chicken with water and bay leaves.
For the Tacos
- Corn Tortillas – I don’t recommend flour tortillas as they’re flimsier than corn tortillas and won’t hold up as nicely when they’re dipped in the consommé.
- Oil – Choose a vegetable oil with a high smoke point, like canola oil, for pan-frying.
- Shredded Cheese – Mexican cheeses like Chihuahua, Oaxaca, and Manchego cheese are best, here. If you can’t get your hands on those, good substitutes are Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or cheddar.
How to Make Chicken Birria Tacos
Ready to make some delicious, authentic Mexican-style chicken tacos? Here’s a quick overview of how to prepare the chicken birria and assemble everything in a sauce-smothered corn tortilla.
- First, simmer the sauce ingredients. Add chopped tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves to a large pot with your whole spices, chiles, olive oil, and a splash of vinegar. Let that simmer for 5-10 minutes, then place a lid on the pot and cook for another 20 minutes until the veggies have softened.
- Blend and strain the sauce. Transfer the tomato mixture (spices and all) to your blender or food processor. Sprinkle in cumin and oregano, then salt, and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Afterward, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
- Cook the chicken. Next, you’ll boil and then simmer the chicken breasts in water with bay leaves for 1-1 ½ hours, enough to cook through and create a stock.
- Add the sauce. Afterward, pour the prepared sauce into the pot with the chicken and stock. Give everything a good stir, and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the chicken in the sauce for another hour, until the sauce thickens.
- Shred the chicken. Now, remove the chicken from the pot and shred it. Save the cooking liquid leftover in the pot (consommé), as we are going to use it. Combine the shredded chicken with 2-3 cups of consommé and toss to coat.
Assemble the Tacos
With your shredded chicken and corn tortillas ready to go, it’s time to fry up these birria tacos. It’s super easy to do:
- Coat the tortillas. Heat the corn tortillas on a warm (not hot) griddle to soften them up. Then, dip each tortilla into your pot of consommé. Transfer the dipped tortillas to a plate.
- Fill the tortillas. Add a few spoonfuls of shredded chicken to one-half of each corn tortilla. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese, then fold the tortilla over like a quesadilla.
- Fry. Place the taco into the pan with hot oil and fry for 2-4 minutes per side, until golden.
- Serve. Once all your chicken birria tacos are fried and crispy, it’s time to dig in. Serve the tacos with additional consomé for dipping, or pour the sauce right over top.
Recipe Tips
- Give the chicken enough time to cook. Low and slow cooking is the secret to tender, fall-apart chicken. If you wanted to, I’d even suggest cooking the chicken overnight in the crock pot (follow the cooking directions for my slow cooker chicken breast). If you’re in a hurry, however, check out my tutorial on how to boil chicken for a shorter version.
- Rest the chicken before shredding. Let the chicken breasts rest and cool off for a few minutes before you shred them. This way, the juices redistribute, and the chicken stays tender.
- Dip and fry the tortillas. Frying the corn tortillas after dipping them in the consommé adds tons of flavor and the best crispy texture. Don’t skip this step!
Serving Suggestions
These chicken birria tacos are delicious as is, with a squeeze of lime to brighten the flavors, and a bowl of leftover consommé for dipping. Or, you can get creative. Serve your cheesy chicken tacos with one or more of your favorite taco toppings. I love mine garnished with mango guacamole or salsa and sour cream, with a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro. To round out the meal, pair these tacos with fiesta rice or elote and a cozy Mexican coffee for dessert!
Storing and Reheating Chicken Birria
- Fridge. I don’t recommend storing the assembled tacos for later since the tortillas get a little soggy. However, let the chicken birria cool, and then transfer it to an airtight container to keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. To reheat the birria, pop it in the microwave or warm it in a saucepan on the stovetop until it’s hot through. Use leftovers to make tacos, or use chicken birria as the filling for enchiladas and quesadillas.
- Freezer. Store the cooled chicken birria inside an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw the birria in the fridge before reheating and serving.
More Mexican Dinner Recipes
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Cook the veggies. Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, allspice, black peppercorns, cinnamon, chile ancho, chile guajillo, and white vinegar. Let them cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then place the lid on the pot and cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will help cook and soften all the veggies in the pot evenly and not just those at the bottom of the pot.
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Blend and strain the sauce. Add all of the cooked veggies and spices into a blender. Add the ground cumin and dried oregano. Process until you get a smooth mixture. Season with salt to taste and blend again. Strain the sauce and set it aside.
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Cook the chicken. Rinse the large pot in which you cooked the veggies. You can also use a separate pot. Place the chicken inside. Cover it with water and add the bay leaves. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Next, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the chicken simmer for 1-1.5 hours or until cooked through. Occasionally remove the scum and foam that forms on top of the broth.
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Pour in the sauce. Add the sauce to the chicken broth and stir well. Season with salt to taste. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Let it simmer for another hour or until reduced and slightly thickened. Remove it from the heat and set it aside. Remove the bay leaves.
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Shred the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool down slightly. Discard the chicken skin. Use two forks to carefully shred the chicken. Set it aside.
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Save the cooking liquid (consommé). We are going to use the extra liquid from cooking the chicken to coat the chicken and tortillas, and also for dipping later on.
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Mix the chicken. Add the chicken to a large bowl and pour in 2-3 cups of consommé (the broth with sauce.) Mix to combine. Set it aside.
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Coat the tortillas. Heat the tortillas in a warm griddle or comal over low heat until bendy and pliable. Dip them in the pot of consommé (until completely coated) and then set them on a plate.
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Make the tacos. Add the vegetable oil to a large pan. Fill half of each tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of the prepared shredded chicken. Sprinkle with cheese so that the tacos have a nice amount of melty cheese in them after they are cooked. Fold the tacos in half, like quesadillas. Fry them over medium heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until golden and crispy.
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Serve. Place the chicken birria tacos on serving plates. Place a small bowl of consommé on the side for dipping, or pour the consommé right over them. Enjoy.
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4177IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
