Description
Chicken Birria Tacos are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring juicy, braised chicken thighs cooked in a rich adobo sauce made from toasted spices, dried chilies, tomatoes, and herbs. Served on crispy corn tortillas with melted Oaxaca cheese and fresh pico de gallo or a simple cilantro-onion-lime topping, these tacos are perfect for a comforting meal with a delicious dipping consomé on the side.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Spices for Adobo Sauce
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns (or 1 teaspoon ground pepper)
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or 1 teaspoon ground cumin)
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (or 1 teaspoon ground coriander)
- 6 whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
- 1/2 cinnamon stick, smashed/broken (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Adobo Sauce/Consomé
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 chili de arbol, stem and seeds removed
- 4 vine-ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (or Roma tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 bay leaves
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
Tacos
- 12-14 corn tortillas (e.g., La Tortilla Factory)
- 12 ounces Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella, separated into strings
- 1 recipe pico de gallo OR:
- 1/2 white onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Toast Whole Spices and Chilies: Dry toast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick in a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium heat until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove to a bowl. Then toast the guajillo, ancho, and chili de arbol peppers for a couple of minutes per side until fragrant. Remove to a plate.
- Sear the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Season the chicken thighs evenly with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in the empty pot over medium-high heat and sear the chicken, working in batches if necessary, until deeply browned on both sides. Remove chicken to a plate and leave drippings in the pot.
- Make the Sauce: If the drippings seem dry, add a small drizzle of oil and heat over medium-high. Sauté chopped onion until softened, then add minced garlic for 1 minute. Add the toasted spices and chilies back to the pot, followed by tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, oregano, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, bay leaves, and chicken broth. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers are very soft.
- Blend or Strain Sauce: Transfer the mixture carefully to a high-powered blender and purée until smooth, leaving a corner open covered with a towel for steam to escape. Alternatively, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids, reserving them to add back later if desired.
- Braise and Shred the Chicken: Return the seared chicken to the pot and coat thoroughly with the chili sauce. Cover, bring to a simmer, then transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the chicken shreds easily and reaches 175°F internally (165°F if using chicken breasts). Remove chicken with tongs, let cool slightly, discard bones, and shred chicken. Reserve most sauce in pot for dipping.
- Prepare Toppings: Make pico de gallo or mix chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- Assemble the Tacos: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla lightly into the top of the sauce, place in skillet, and press down with spatula to prevent bubbling. Cook 1-2 minutes until golden on bottom, flip, cover with shredded cheese, cover skillet, cook until cheese mostly melts. Uncover, sprinkle shredded chicken on half the cheese, cook until tortilla bottom chars lightly. Fold tortilla over to form taco and remove to plate.
- Serve: Serve tacos hot with pico de gallo or cilantro-onion topping and a bowl of warm consomé for dipping.
Notes
- Dried chilies such as guajillo, ancho, and arbol can be found in Mexican markets, many grocery stores, or online.
- Bone-in chicken thighs yield the juiciest, richest flavor, but boneless thighs or chicken breasts (adjust cooking time) can be used.
- Use freshly made or high-quality corn tortillas to prevent cracking; warming tortillas wrapped in a damp towel can help if using less pliable store-bought ones.
- Oaxaca cheese melts beautifully; if unavailable, freshly grated mozzarella is a good substitute.
- To keep tacos warm, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 250°F oven until ready.
- Alternative cooking methods: Instant Pot (13-15 mins high pressure), slow cooker (2-4 hrs high or 6-7 hrs low), or stovetop simmer (45-60 mins).
- Spices can be toasted and stored up to 1 year; sauce can refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze 3 months; chicken can be prepped and stored 2 days refrigerated.
- For reheating, air fryer at 400°F for 4-6 minutes restores crispiness best; stovetop or oven methods also work well; microwave heats but lacks crispiness.
- Store leftovers in a single layer with parchment between layers in airtight containers up to 5 days; freeze individually wrapped in foil for longer storage.
