Chicken Birria Tacos
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Consomé
- 3 lbs boneless chicken thighs
- 1 onion halved
- 3 Roma tomatoes halved
- 8 garlic cloves
- 10 guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 5 ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 2 chiles de árbol stemmed, optional for extra heat
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
For Taco Assembly
- corn tortillas
- shredded Oaxaca cheese
- diced white onion
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Deseed and devein guajillo and ancho chiles. Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the halved onion, Roma tomatoes, and garlic cloves, and sear for 3–5 minutes until lightly charred (charring breaks down raw sulfur compounds into sweet, savory molecules). Add the guajillo, ancho, and optional chiles de árbol, and fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in enough hot water to submerge everything, cover, and remove from heat to soak for 10–15 minutes until softened.
- Transfer the softened chiles, charred veggies, and garlic to a high-speed blender. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of the chile soaking water. Blend on high until velvety smooth. Straining through a fine-mesh sieve is optional if you prefer a silky consomé.
- Heat a little oil in your main pot over medium-high heat. Add the boneless chicken thighs and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to brown. Pour the blended sauce over the chicken, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, cover, lower the heat, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender.
- Move the cooked chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks. Throw away the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Let the pot sit for 3 minutes so the red oil rises to the top, then gently skim off the oil into a shallow bowl. Keep the broth warm on low heat. Dip a corn tortilla in the reserved red oil, place it on the skillet, and add Oaxaca cheese and shredded chicken. Fold into a taco and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy.
- Pour hot consomé into small bowls and top with cilantro and diced onions. Garnish your crispy tacos with more onion and cilantro, serve hot, and enjoy dipping!
Nutrition
Serving: 2tacos, 1/2 cup consomeCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 32gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4g
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