🌮 Easy Chicken Birria Tacos With Crispy Cheese

🕐 Time

• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 45–60 minutes
• Total: About 1 hour 15 minutes
• Servings: 4–6 people

🛒 Ingredients

For the chicken birria

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) boneless chicken thighs — chicken breast also works
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 1–2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper

For the tacos

• 12–16 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges
• Cooking oil, if needed

For dipping

• The reserved birria consommé from the chicken

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👩‍🍳 Step 1: Prepare the dried chilies

Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and ancho chilies.

Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water.

Let them soak for about 10–15 minutes, until softened.

Tip: Removing the seeds makes the sauce milder. If you like more heat, leave some seeds in or add a dried chile de árbol.

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🍅 Step 2: Make the birria sauce

While the chilies are soaking, heat a little oil in a pan.

Add:

• Chopped onion
• Garlic
• Tomatoes

Cook for about 5–7 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and the onion becomes translucent.

Drain the softened chilies and add them to a blender along with:

• Cooked onion and garlic
• Tomatoes
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cinnamon
• Smoked paprika
• Apple cider vinegar
• About 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and black pepper

Blend until completely smooth.

If the sauce is too thick, add a little more chicken stock.

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🍗 Step 3: Cook the chicken

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper.

Place the chicken into the hot pot and sear for about 2–3 minutes per side.

You don’t need to cook it through yet — you’re just developing flavor.

Pour the blended birria sauce over the chicken.

Add the remaining chicken stock and 2 bay leaves.

Stir everything together.

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🔥 Step 4: Simmer until tender

Bring everything to a gentle boil.

Then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for approximately 35–45 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and easy to shred.

Stir occasionally.

The chicken should become so tender that it practically falls apart when you press it with a fork.

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🍖 Step 5: Shred the chicken

Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate or cutting board.

Using two forks, shred the chicken into small pieces.

Return the shredded chicken to the sauce and mix well.

Taste the consommé and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a splash of vinegar if needed.

⭐ Important:

Don’t throw away the sauce!

That flavorful red broth is your birria consommé, and you’ll use it both for the tacos and for dipping.

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🌮 Step 6: Prepare the tortillas

This is the secret to getting those beautiful red, crispy birria tacos.

Take a corn tortilla and lightly dip one side into the oily surface of the birria broth.

Don’t completely soak the tortilla — just coat it lightly.

Place the tortilla onto a hot skillet or griddle over medium heat, with the coated side down.

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🧀 Step 7: Add the cheese

Immediately sprinkle a generous layer of shredded cheese over half of the tortilla.

Let the cheese melt for about 30–60 seconds.

Then add a good amount of shredded chicken on top.

Add a little chopped onion and cilantro if desired.

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🌮 Step 8: Fold and crisp

Fold the tortilla in half over the chicken.

Press gently with a spatula.

Cook for about 1–2 minutes per side, until:

• The tortilla is golden brown
• The cheese is melted
• The edges are crispy
• The filling is hot

For extra crispy cheese, sprinkle a little cheese directly onto the skillet around the outside edge of the taco.

Let it melt and crisp against the tortilla.

Then flip the taco so the cheese becomes golden and crunchy.

🔥 This gives you those crispy cheesy edges!

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🍋 Step 9: Serve

Place the tacos on a plate.

Serve immediately with small bowls of hot birria consommé.

Top the tacos with:

• Finely chopped white onion
• Fresh cilantro
• A squeeze of lime

Then dip the crispy taco directly into the consommé and enjoy.

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🌶️ Easy toppings

You can customize your tacos with:

• Diced white onion
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime juice
• Sliced jalapeños
• Pickled onions
• Avocado
• Salsa verde
• Salsa roja
• Extra melted cheese

🌟 Best tip for amazing birria tacos

Don’t make the tortillas too wet. A light coating of the flavorful red broth is enough. If you soak them heavily, they can become difficult to crisp.

Also, chicken thighs are usually better than chicken breast for this recipe because they stay juicy and tender during simmering.

🍽️ Quick serving idea

Serve 3–4 crispy chicken birria tacos per person with a small bowl of consommé, lime wedges, onion, cilantro, and your favorite salsa.