You received’t consider the flavour packed into these hen birria tacos! I make this straightforward recipe with juicy hen breasts simmered with a wealthy blender sauce of smoky Mexican chilies, tomatoes, and spices. That will get tucked right into a tacky tortilla, then pan-fried till crispy. It’s the very best!
These hen birria tacos are your traditional hen tacos, kicked up a notch. It takes a little bit of time to get the hen birria fall-apart tender, nevertheless it’s SO value it. If you happen to love genuine Mexican recipes, strive my weeknight variations of hen mole and hen tinga, subsequent!
At this time, we’re placing a straightforward spin on genuine Mexican birria recipes. Even made at residence, these hen birria tacos are exploding with taste. I gradual prepare dinner hen in a mixture of broth and smoky chile sauce till it’s loopy tender. I swear this hen regarded on the fork and fell aside. All that juicy hen birria ended up in a tacky corn tortilla soaked in leftover sauce and pan-fried.
If you happen to’ve by no means had birria tacos earlier than, you’re in for it. These are hands-down the very best hen tacos you’ll ever style! I’ve a 12-year-old who can eat 4 in a single sitting, pausing just for spicy hisses between bites—and she or he loves each second of it!
Why We Love This Hen Birria Recipe
- Skip the meals truck lineup. Birria tacos are one in all my favourite issues to order from eating places and meals truck menus, and I’m so excited to share this approachable do-it-yourself model.
- Straightforward to make. Making birria from scratch takes a little bit of time, nevertheless it’s very simple (and greater than well worth the effort, I promise). Most of it’s simmering the hen and sauce on the range. I’ll stroll you thru it, step-by-step.
- Daring, genuine taste. The hen on this recipe will get slow-cooked in broth till it’s tender and juicy, then shredded and simmered once more within the spicy, flavorful sauce. Afterward, we stuff the shredded hen into corn tortillas which are fried till golden and crispy. It’s so good, I’m drooling!
- Versatile. Why cease at tacos? Hen birria shops and freezes like a dream. I’m at all times discovering methods to make use of leftovers in simpler meal concepts, from nachos to tostadas and quesadillas.
What Is Birria?
Birria is a kind of Mexican meat stew that’s simmered with chiles and spices to offer it a wealthy, pink coloration and a great deal of spicy, smoky taste. To make a birria taco, the meat will get stuffed right into a folded tortilla with cheese and fried till it’s crispy. Scrumptious!
Components You’ll Want
A lot of the components on this recipe are straightforward sufficient to seek out in main grocery shops. Or, pay a go to to your native Mexican grocery store. I’ve included some recipe notes right here, and you’ll discover the printable components record with the total directions within the recipe card after the submit.
For the Hen Birria
- Olive Oil – This may be further virgin olive oil or your most popular cooking oil, like vegetable oil or avocado oil, for sautéeing.
- Tomatoes – Select ripe, juicy tomatoes for the very best taste. Any selection will do.
- Onion and Garlic – You’ll want one white or yellow onion, chopped, and a handful of complete garlic cloves (I take advantage of 10 cloves, however you possibly can adapt the quantity to style).
- Spices – You’ll want complete allspice berries, black peppercorns, and half a cinnamon stick, plus floor cumin and dried oregano.
- Chiles – I take advantage of a mixture of seeded dried ancho chiles and guajillo chiles. You should use all of 1 kind or the opposite if wanted. Be at liberty to adapt the quantity of chili on this recipe to style.
- Vinegar – I add a splash of white vinegar. You may substitute white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or pink wine vinegar if wanted.
- Hen Breast – The perfect lower for this recipe is bone-in, skin-on hen breasts. You might additionally use skin-on hen thighs in case you want. You’ll boil the hen with water and bay leaves.
For the Tacos
- Corn Tortillas – I don’t suggest flour tortillas as they’re flimsier than corn tortillas and received’t maintain up as properly once they’re dipped within the consommé.
- Oil – Select a vegetable oil with a excessive smoke level, like canola oil, for pan-frying.
- Shredded Cheese – Mexican cheeses like Chihuahua, Oaxaca, and Manchego cheese are finest, right here. If you happen to can’t get your arms on these, good substitutes are Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or cheddar.
Tips on how to Make Hen Birria Tacos
Able to make some scrumptious, genuine Mexican-style hen tacos? Right here’s a fast overview of the right way to put together the hen birria and assemble every thing in a sauce-smothered corn tortilla.
- First, simmer the sauce components. Add chopped tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves to a big pot along with your complete spices, chiles, olive oil, and a splash of vinegar. Let that simmer for 5-10 minutes, then place a lid on the pot and prepare dinner for one more 20 minutes till the veggies have softened.
- Mix and pressure the sauce. Switch the tomato combination (spices and all) to your blender or meals processor. Sprinkle in cumin and oregano, then salt, and pulse till the combination is easy. Afterward, pressure the sauce by a high-quality mesh sieve.
- Cook dinner the hen. Subsequent, you’ll boil after which simmer the hen breasts in water with bay leaves for 1-1 ½ hours, sufficient to prepare dinner by and create a inventory.
- Add the sauce. Afterward, pour the ready sauce into the pot with the hen and inventory. Give every thing a very good stir, and convey it to a simmer over medium warmth. Cook dinner the hen within the sauce for one more hour, till the sauce thickens.
- Shred the hen. Now, take away the hen from the pot and shred it. Save the cooking liquid leftover within the pot (consommé), as we’re going to use it. Mix the shredded hen with 2-3 cups of consommé and toss to coat.
Assemble the Tacos
Together with your shredded hen and corn tortillas able to go, it’s time to fry up these birria tacos. It’s tremendous straightforward to do:
- Coat the tortillas. Warmth the corn tortillas on a heat (not scorching) griddle to melt them up. Then, dip every tortilla into your pot of consommé. Switch the dipped tortillas to a plate.
- Fill the tortillas. Add just a few spoonfuls of shredded hen to one-half of every corn tortilla. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese, then fold the tortilla over like a quesadilla.
- Fry. Place the taco into the pan with scorching oil and fry for 2-4 minutes per aspect, till golden.
- Serve. As soon as all of your hen birria tacos are fried and crispy, it’s time to dig in. Serve the tacos with further consomé for dipping, or pour the sauce proper over high.
Recipe Ideas
- Give the hen sufficient time to prepare dinner. Low and gradual cooking is the key to tender, fall-apart hen. If you happen to needed to, I’d even counsel cooking the hen in a single day within the crock pot (comply with the cooking instructions for my gradual cooker hen breast). If you happen to’re in a rush, nevertheless, try my tutorial on the right way to boil hen for a shorter model.
- Relaxation the hen earlier than shredding. Let the hen breasts relaxation and funky off for a couple of minutes earlier than you shred them. This manner, the juices redistribute, and the hen stays tender.
- Dip and fry the tortillas. Frying the corn tortillas after dipping them within the consommé provides tons of taste and the very best crispy texture. Don’t skip this step!
Serving Options
These hen birria tacos are scrumptious as is, with a squeeze of lime to brighten the flavors, and a bowl of leftover consommé for dipping. Or, you will get artistic. Serve your tacky hen tacos with a number of of your favourite taco toppings. I really like mine garnished with mango guacamole or salsa and bitter cream, with a sprinkling of recent chopped cilantro. To spherical out the meal, pair these tacos with fiesta rice or elote and a comfortable Mexican espresso for dessert!
Storing and Reheating Hen Birria
- Fridge. I don’t suggest storing the assembled tacos for later for the reason that tortillas get a little bit soggy. Nevertheless, let the hen birria cool, after which switch it to an hermetic container to maintain within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
- Reheat. To reheat the birria, pop it within the microwave or heat it in a saucepan on the stovetop till it’s scorching by. Use leftovers to make tacos, or use hen birria because the filling for enchiladas and quesadillas.
- Freezer. Retailer the cooled hen birria inside an hermetic container or freezer bag and freeze it for as much as 3 months. Thaw the birria within the fridge earlier than reheating and serving.
Extra Mexican Dinner Recipes
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Cook dinner the veggies. Add the oil to a big pot over medium warmth. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, allspice, black peppercorns, cinnamon, chile ancho, chile guajillo, and white vinegar. Allow them to prepare dinner for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Then place the lid on the pot and prepare dinner for one more 15-20 minutes, stirring often. This may assist prepare dinner and soften all of the veggies within the pot evenly and never simply these on the backside of the pot.
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Mix and pressure the sauce. Add all the cooked veggies and spices right into a blender. Add the bottom cumin and dried oregano. Course of till you get a easy combination. Season with salt to style and mix once more. Pressure the sauce and set it apart.
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Cook dinner the hen. Rinse the big pot during which you cooked the veggies. You can even use a separate pot. Place the hen inside. Cowl it with water and add the bay leaves. Deliver it to a boil over excessive warmth. Subsequent, cut back the warmth to medium-low and let the hen simmer for 1-1.5 hours or till cooked by. Sometimes take away the scum and foam that types on high of the broth.
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Pour within the sauce. Add the sauce to the hen broth and stir nicely. Season with salt to style. Deliver it to a boil after which cut back the warmth to medium. Let it simmer for one more hour or till lowered and barely thickened. Take away it from the warmth and set it apart. Take away the bay leaves.
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Shred the hen. Take away the hen from the pot and let it settle down barely. Discard the hen pores and skin. Use two forks to fastidiously shred the hen. Set it apart.
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Save the cooking liquid (consommé). We’re going to use the additional liquid from cooking the hen to coat the hen and tortillas, and in addition for dipping afterward.
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Combine the hen. Add the hen to a big bowl and pour in 2-3 cups of consommé (the broth with sauce.) Combine to mix. Set it apart.
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Coat the tortillas. Warmth the tortillas in a heat griddle or comal over low warmth till flexible and pliable. Dip them within the pot of consommé (till utterly coated) after which set them on a plate.
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Make the tacos. Add the vegetable oil to a big pan. Fill half of every tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of the ready shredded hen. Sprinkle with cheese in order that the tacos have a pleasant quantity of melty cheese in them after they’re cooked. Fold the tacos in half, like quesadillas. Fry them over medium warmth for 2-4 minutes on both sides or till golden and crispy.
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Serve. Place the hen birria tacos on serving plates. Place a small bowl of consommé on the aspect for dipping, or pour the consommé proper over them. Get pleasure from.
Energy: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 35g | Fats: 14g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 4g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4177IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could differ in keeping with the components and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
