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Chicken Birria Tacos Recipe Easy
The chicken birria tacos recipe is easy to make. Make the best Chicken birria tacos recipe easy with juicy, tender, slow-cooked chicken and a richly flavored broth made with chilies, tomatoes, and vinegar. This authentic, flavorful recipe can be served as a soup or stew, or made into Chicken birria tacos recipe easy with consomme for dipping.
Indulge your taste buds with the signature house-made adobo sauce to dip your fried tacos for extra flavor.
Are chicken birria tacos a thing?
Crunchy Bear Tacos
Is birria goat meat?
What do you serve with birria?
In case you’re wondering, yes, these are the delicious-looking, authentically crispy tacos you’ve seen all over the internet. The word birria means “braised meat”. The most commonly used meat is goat, and many die-hard connoisseurs will insist that you cannot eat birria unless it is made with goat.
If you visit Mexico, you’ll find birria served in a stew-like bowl or in tacos like here. If looking for chicken, you want “birria de pollo”. It’s not as popular as beef, but is popular in many kitchens because chicken costs less and doesn’t take long to cook.
Using chicken makes everything easier and faster. Since it is less expensive, you can enjoy it more often Chicken birria tacos recipe easy on a Round Charcuterie Board
How do you make Birria Tacos Crunchy?
After working with it several times, I found that the temperature of the frying oil should be high enough so that it will fry the tortillas instead of soaking them. If you’re getting soft tortillas, try turning up the heat to fry them faster. Be careful to protect yourself from the hot oil, but you must use a high temperature so that the grease does not have a chance to soak into the tortilla. Make sure you use the fat instead of trying to fry it alone in the chili sauce.
Keep vegetable oil or lard on hand so you can add fat to the pan if needed. Garnish with chiles. Use a spoon or whisk to strain the liquid from the red chile.
Should you use an Instant Pot?
Although I love using the Instant Pot, I know not everyone has one. This makes for tender, juicy chicken. But if you want, you can cook this Chicken birria tacos recipe easy in the oven, crockpot, or on the stovetop too. If you need some Instant Pot variety before doing this, check out my other Instant Pot recipes. If you want to use a stovetop or slow cooker (crockpot), I’ve provided instructions for that as well.
Materials
Because authentic red chile sauce is made from scratch, it contains several ingredients. Once you’ve got the sauce ready, though, you just braise the chicken thighs and assemble your tacos.
Ingredients for Chicken birria tacos recipe easy on a countertop
While more traditional birria is made with goat or lamb, or more recently, beef, I decided to change the rules a bit. I am using less expensive chicken, which also has the advantage of taking less time to cook.
Birria is traditionally made by marinating goat meat in a combination of chilies, spices, tomatoes, and vinegar. In Mexico, it’s called birria de chivo, which translates to goat birria. My original Chicken birria tacos recipe easy on the blog was made with beef instead of goat meat, as it is easier to find and buy in the US.
And let me tell you, it is just as delicious as beef birria, and you should definitely try both!
Chicken Birria Taco is definitely my favorite chicken taco! Dipped in the delicious birria broth, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever eaten!
Chicken Birria is easy to make in the oven or slow cooker. It is delicious in tacos, quesadillas, chilaquiles, or served as a soup or stew.
Why would you like it?
It has layers of flavor! Seriously, this is one of the tastiest dishes I’ve ever made.
The meat is fall-apart tender. The slow-braised meat adds flavor and makes the chicken so juicy and tender, it practically melts in your mouth!
You’ll feel like you’ve traveled to Mexico. Don’t be afraid to use dried chilies. This is what gives this dish its authentic flavor that will take your taste buds on a trip straight to Jalisco! Chicken birria tacos recipe easy ingredients on a white wooden board
Chicken birria tacos recipe easy materials
For exact ingredient measurements, go to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you want to make a delicious Mexican dinner, this Chicken birria tacos recipe easy is what you need. With delicious shredded chicken and a crispy cheesy shell, they’re hard to resist and so easy!
Is there any cheese in the Quesa birria Tacos?
It’s easy. Quesabirria means tacos made with meat and cheese. Queso = cheese. Although a traditional Mexican cheese that melts easily, I used Chihuahua cheese (Menonita); you can use any melted cheese. Oaxaca would be great, but it’s not available here. Mozzarella cheese can also be used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is biriya goat meat? Lately made with roast beef but can be made with any meat.
How should biriya taste?
Chicken birria tacos recipe easy is a blend of flavors, sweet, savory, and full of spicy seasonings. Each bite is a flavor explosion.
How long does it take to make biriya?
There are different steps in making Chicken birria tacos recipe easy. This is especially time-consuming if you have to cook your beef for two or three hours.
To shorten the time involved, I’m using chicken, but there are still many steps. If you make the sauce the night before, the fat will settle to the top, making it easier to remove and use for frying tortillas the next day. Closeup of Chicken birria tacos recipe easy being dipped in a bowl of sauce
Using an Instant Pot
The Instant Pot is a great way to steam meat and tamales, making it great for Mexican cuisine. I have included instructions for using a covered skillet. Either one is easy to use here. Puree the red chile sauce from the blender into the Instant Pot. Instant Pot is optional. This is the one we use and includes a blender, a food processor bowl, and two to-go cups.
I pour it into a ziplock and throw it in the freezer for another day. The rest is history. Picture several Chicken birria tacos recipe easy on a metal tray with fresh pico de gallo. The chicken is already moist and delicious because of the slow roasting. But then throw in some spices and cook it in the pan so you have a few crispy pieces. Toss everything in the sauce and it’s some of the best chicken you’ll ever have in a taco.
Before starting…
First, prepare your chicken. I like to buy packages of pre-shredded rotisserie chicken at Costco. If you want to save some money, buy a whole rotisserie chicken and shred it yourself, saving the breast and thigh meat. Break it up using two forks or toss it in your stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to break up the chicken.
Dried Guajillo Chiles – Dried chilies, like this one and chile de arbol, are usually found in the Hispanic section of most large grocery stores or in an end cap near the spices. They add a rich, sweet, and slightly fruity flavor to this Chicken birria tacos recipe easy.
Arbol Chili – These little chiles are spicy! In fact, they are about 6 times hotter than jalapeños. I like to use 5-6 of these for a medium spicy biriya or 8-10 for a spicy biriya. Feel free to adjust how many arbol chiles are added for your preferred spice level. Vegetable oil – or another neutral-flavored oil, such as canola oil or avocado oil. Garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – You can find these canned in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. For this recipe, you’ll use a whole can of chili and sauce. It will also spice up the recipe, so if you’re sensitive to spice, I recommend omitting the arbol chiles and subbing the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for the delicious flavor they add to this Chicken birria tacos recipe easy.
Crushed tomatoes
Apple Cider Vinegar (or White Distilled Vinegar) – I used both to make this Chicken birria tacos recipe easy and honestly I like both for different reasons. If you want a more acidic, vinegar-forward flavor, go with white distilled vinegar. If you want a more fruity, tangy flavor, go with apple cider vinegar.
Salt + black pepper – season biriya.
Mexican Oregano – While there is a difference between Mexican oregano and traditional oregano, if you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand, you can use them interchangeably in this recipe. Mexican oregano is a bit stronger in flavor, but their shared peppery flavor means you can use either one and end up with the same flavor.
Smoked Paprika – I recommend using smoked paprika in this recipe because the smoky flavor goes so well with the chili. They have more flavor than chicken breasts, making for an incredibly flavorful chicken biriya. You can use bone-in chicken thighs, but you’ll want to remove the skin. While not as flavorful as chicken thighs, they pick up so much flavor from the peppers and spices in this recipe that it’s still delicious.
Chicken Stock – Since this is the main ingredient in the broth used to cook the chicken, I recommend buying or making a high-quality chicken stock. I recommend stock for this recipe because it has a richer, deeper flavor than chicken broth. I found this custom culinary chicken base at a restaurant supply store in San Diego, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. You can order directly online with a $5 shipping charge. It’s a bit expensive for chicken bouillon, but oh my, the taste is so good. (Not sponsored, just obsessed!)
Cinnamon stick + bay leaf – Let these ingredients simmer in the biriya broth to add more flavor to the dish.
For the tacos:
Corn Tortillas – For this recipe, you’ll want fresh, thick corn tortillas that can be dipped into the consomme without falling apart. Thin tortillas will not work for this recipe. And older tortillas, which aren’t as fresh, are also more likely to fall apart.
Oaxaca Cheese – This semisoft Mexican cheese melts perfectly into this quesadilla taco. If you can’t find Oaxaca cheese at your local grocery store, I recommend using Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese instead.
Instructions
Rehydrate the chiles. When the water boils, add the dry chiles and make sure they are submerged in the water.
Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles. After the chiles have soaked for 15 minutes, remove the cup of water they soaked in and set it aside. Remove the chiles from the water. Cut the stalks of each pepper into small pieces and remove the seeds.
Chop onion in a large pan. In a large pan, chop the onion and garlic.
Cook onion and garlic. Before adding the fresh onions and garlic to the sauce, you’ll want to soften them by cooking them in vegetable oil on the stove over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Blend the dried chilies with the tomatoes and vinegar. Puree the chili tomato sauce in a blender.
Prepare the sauce. Add a whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to a blender. Add a crushed tomato and apple cider vinegar to the blender. Place the rehydrated chiles in the blender along with the cooked onion and garlic. Add the salt, pepper, oregano, smoked paprika, cloves, and cumin to the reserved cup of pepper-soaked water.
Chicken thighs in a pan
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs
Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Covered in Tomato Chili Sauce
Chili tomato sauce topped with bay leaves and cinnamon sticks in a slow cooker
Shred the chicken thighs. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet and sear on both sides for 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken thighs to a slow cooker. Transfer the seared chicken thighs to a large slow cooker or crock pot. Add the sauce from the blender.
Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and a cinnamon stick. Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker and stir to combine everything. Add bay leaves and a cinnamon stick.
Use tongs to remove chicken thighs from the liquid. Shred them on a cutting board. Depending on how you are going to serve the Chicken birria tacos recipe easy, you can either add the chicken back into the broth or keep it separate. Check out the section below for all the ways you can serve Chicken birria tacos recipe easy.
Dip the tortillas in the sauce.
Tortilla skillet topped with shredded chicken and cheese.
Tortillas folded over chicken and cheese in a skillet.
Chicken biriya tacos on a plate.
How to Make Chicken Biriya Tacos
Coat skillet with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.
Dip a corn tortilla from Chicken birria tacos recipe easy into the consomme (broth).
Add tortillas to a hot skillet. Cook for 30 seconds, then flip.
Top the biriya with the shredded Oaxaca cheese, then fold the tortilla over the chicken and cheese.
Cook for 30-60 seconds or until the cheese melts into the tacos.
Remove tacos from skillet and repeat, making as many Chicken birria tacos recipe easy as desired. Optionally top with chopped red onion and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with more Chicken birria tacos recipe easy broth on the side for dipping.
Other ways to serve biriya.
The broth in which the chicken is cooked is called consommé and makes a delicious base for ramen or chilaquiles. Chicken birria tacos recipe easy is perfect for making incredibly flavorful tacos, burritos, or nachos! Try using ready-made Chicken birria tacos recipe easy to make any (or all!) of these dishes.
Just bring the biriya broth to a boil, add instant ramen noodles, then add some shredded Chicken birria tacos recipe easy and serve with toppings like sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and onions. Take this biriya ramen recipe and simply replace the beef biriya with Chicken birria tacos recipe easy.
Chilaquiles – I used our famous Chilaquiles Rojos recipe, but instead of enchilada sauce, I used biriya sauce to soak the thick tortilla chips to make biriya chilaquiles. I stir in some shredded chicken biriya and top the chilaquiles with cream, cotija cheese, cilantro, and chopped onion. It was an incredible breakfast that I can’t wait to repeat!
Quesadillas – I made quesadillas with chicken biriya that were similar to quesa biriya tacos, but instead of dipping the tortillas in the broth, I served it on the side for dipping. To make them at home, place a corn tortilla in a hot, greased skillet. Add about 1/4 cup shredded chicken biriya, then top with shredded Oaxaca cheese or Monterey Jack cheese. Place another corn tortilla on top and cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Serve with hot biriya broth on the side for dipping.
Tacos – In Mexico, it’s common to serve biriya in a bowl with warm tortillas on the side. You can dip the tortillas in the soup, or you can use the chicken pieces from the soup.
Bowl – Replace carne asada with chicken biriya in this carne asada bowl to make a delicious biriya bowl.
Burritos – Add sliced chicken biriya to the center of a large tortilla with your favorite burrito fillings such as black beans, cilantro lime rice, or fajita vegetables. Top with shredded cheese (Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack), then roll up the burrito. Serve burritos with biriya broth for dipping.
Fries – Just as carne asada fries are a popular taco shop menu item, biriya fries have become a thing in recent years. Prepare frozen fries according to package directions. Place the fries in an even layer on a baking sheet and top with warm biriya. Cover with shredded cheese. Top with chopped onion, cilantro, and guacamole, and cover with sour cream.
Nachos – Shredded chicken biriya on a baking sheet, topped with chips, then shredded cheese. Top with your favorite nacho toppings like guacamole, jalapeños, pico de gallo, and sour cream with melted cheese.
With all these great ideas, you can make this biriya recipe on Sunday, then eat it in different ways throughout the week. I absolutely love this recipe for meal prep!
Top the chicken biriya in a bowl with fresh coriander leaves and chopped red onion.
How to make it in the oven
Instead of cooking chicken biriya in a slow cooker, it’s easier to marinate the chicken overnight, then cook it in the oven for 2 hours.
- Rehydrate the dried chiles using the instructions above, then add to a blender.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes.
Transfer the onion and garlic to the blender along with the chiles.
Add the chipotle pepper, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, ground cloves, and cumin to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Add chicken thighs to a large, deep casserole dish.
Pour the marinade prepared from the blender over the chicken thighs in the dish. Cover overnight and leave to marinate for at least 6-8 hours.
Do not abandon the marinade! The chicken will be marinated and braised with chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs and toss around for 1-2 minutes. Depending on how big the pan is, you may need to do this in two batches.
Once the chicken is browned on all sides, pour the marinade from the casserole dish over the chicken in the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid, or if you don’t have a suitable lid, cover it tightly with foil. Transfer it to an oven preheated to 350 degrees F and cook for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove biriya from the oven. Use tongs to drain the liquid from the chicken thighs and place them on a cutting board before serving.
Recipe tips
These helpful tips will guarantee that your homemade Chicken birria tacos recipe easy is perfect every time! This recipe has a medium spice level. To make it spicier, add more chilies.
If you are cooking biriya on the stove, a cast iron dutch oven is best for this recipe, as it will maintain an even temperature throughout the cooking process. It is big enough to hold the recipe. If you don’t have a cast iron dutch oven, use a pot that’s at least 12 inches wide and 6 inches tall so the recipe fits in the pot.
- If the pot does not have a lid, cover it tightly with foil before placing it in the oven.
- You can make this recipe ahead of time. After braising the chicken thighs at 350°F for 2 hours, simply allow the oven to preheat and leave the biriya covered in the oven for up to 4 hours.
- If all the chicken thighs don’t fit in the bottom of the pot you’re using, you can tear them into two batches.
- You can braise the Chicken birria tacos recipe easy on the stove instead of the oven if you want. Just cover the pot, set the stove temperature to medium-low heat, and let the chicken simmer in the liquid for 2 hours.
- Storage and reheating
- Store leftover biriya in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat the chicken biriya in the braising liquid, place a pot on the stove over medium heat.
- If reheating chicken without liquid, I recommend wrapping the shredded chicken in foil.
Instructions
- Rehydrate dried chilies.
- Turn off heat, add guajillo chiles and arbol chiles to hot water, cover, and soak for 15 minutes.
- After soaking guajillo and arbol chilies, remove from water and keep aside one cup of chili soaking water.
- Cut off the stems of the peppers, open them into pieces, and remove the seeds.
- Prepare the sauce.
- Add onion and cook for 4-5 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic to a blender.
- Add a whole can of chipotle peppers, a whole can of crushed tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar to the adobo sauce in a blender.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, cloves, and cumin to the blender.
- Add the soaked chilies and chili paste to the blender. Blend until smooth.
- Shred the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet on the stove over high heat.
- Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet and sear on both sides for 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer seared chicken thighs to a large slow cooker or crock pot.
- Cook biriya slowly.
- Add chicken stock, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.
- Cut the chicken into pieces.
- After the cooking time, remove the lid from the slow cooker. Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf.
- Use tongs to remove chicken thighs from the liquid and place them on a cutting board.
- Use two forks or meat claws to shred the chicken.
- Make Chicken birria tacos recipe easy.
- Coat skillet with cooking spray or brush with vegetable oil.
- Dip a corn tortilla in the consomme (broth) from the biriya, making sure it’s covered on both sides.
- Add tortillas to the hot skillet. Cook for 30 seconds, then flip.
- Add ¼ cup shredded chicken biriya to one side of the tortilla. Cut and divide.
- Cook for 30-60 seconds or until the cheese melts into the tacos.
- Remove chicken biriya tacos from the skillet and repeat, making as many tacos as desired.
Optionally, top with chopped onion and fresh cilantro, with lime wedges, and serve warm consommé in a small bowl on the side for dipping.
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Biriya can be served more traditionally as a soup or stew instead of being made into tacos.
Nutritional information provided is for Chicken birria tacos recipe easy only and does not include tortillas or cheese for making tacos.
This recipe has a medium spice level. To make it spicier, add more chilies.
Store leftover biriya in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat the Chicken birria tacos recipe easy in the braising liquid, place a pot on the stove over medium heat. If reheating chicken without liquid, I recommend wrapping the shredded chicken in foil. Reheat it in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- To make chicken biriya in the oven, follow these instructions:
- Rehydrate the dried chiles using the instructions above, then add to a blender.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes.
Transfer the onion and garlic to the blender along with the chiles.
Add the chipotle pepper, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, ground cloves, and cumin to the blender. Blend until smooth.
Add chicken thighs to a large, deep casserole dish.
Pour the marinade prepared from the blender over the chicken thighs in the dish. Cover overnight and leave to marinate for at least 6-8 hours.
Do not abandon the marinade! The chicken will be braised with the marinade and chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs and sear around for 1-2 minutes. Depending on how big the pan is, you may need to do this in two batches.
Once the chicken is browned on all sides, pour the marinade from the casserole dish over the chicken in the pot.
Cover the pot with a lid, or if you don’t have a suitable lid, cover it tightly with foil.
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