What Exactly Are Birria Tacos?
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Birria tacos explained: The birria definition of this Mexican dish is beautifully simple. Essentially, this delicious snack is made up of shredded stewed beef and served with a tortilla alongside a little pot of flavorsome broth, into which you can dunk your taco. You can find an abundance of places selling brilliant birria tacos and birria pizza near me in Texas, meaning there are plenty of spots to try in order to find your favorite!
When I’m searching birria tacos near me, my favorite place to grab some sensational birria tacos is Chilangos Taco. The Chilangos version of the birria taco consists of a grilled corn tortilla stuffed with your meat of choice (a few options being sirloin, marinated pork, and beef), cheese, onions and cilantro. The taco is then dipped into or ladled with a gorgeous beef broth (how long does beef broth last?) that is cooked to perfection. So, why is birria so popular? The birria taco is presented in a new and entertaining way, and best of all, it tastes great.
Jon Garay and Chef Joel Mendoza own Chilangos Taco. Their authentic street-style tacos practically transport you to their birthplace in Mexico City. Watching the fresh tortillas being prepared by hand while taking in the mouth-watering aroma of smoked meat is a true treat for the senses. And what makes this spot even better is that their great food is affordable – a Chilangos birria taco costs only $2.75!
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The Origins of the Birria Taco
So, where are birria tacos from, and what is birra taco? The more popular, modern-day version hails from Tijuana. But where did birria originate? The first birria tacos were born in Jalisco, Mexico. The dish’s beginnings in Jalisco came centuries ago when a tasty stew was created using goat meat cooked in a clay pot for several hours. The meat was mixed with various chiles and spices, such as oregano, cloves (how long do cloves last?), and thyme. The long cooking time made the meat especially tender and minimized its gamey taste.
The modern variant of the birria taco uses beef instead of goat meat. Beef is more popular and affordable than its goat counterpart, meaning the popularity of birria tacos spiked strongly in the US when this authentic birria tacos recipe was introduced.
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At its roots, birria is a meat stew flavored with spices and chiles, giving it its distinctive red hue. Birria tacos thus combine this tender stewed meat with tortillas, which are dipped in a thin layer of fat that floats to the top of the birria. Cheese is often added to the meat-filled tortillas before they are then placed on a griddle to obtain a crispy exterior.
Birria tacos are then served with a small bowl of broth from the stew. The eater dips the taco into the broth and enjoys the flavor explosion – it may be a messy culinary experience, but one that’s well worth each and every bite!
Birria Taco Fever in Texas
With the help of social media (especially Instagram), the birria taco “phenomenon” has swept across Texas well. San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth are among the State’s major cities that are home to numerous restaurants embracing all things birria tacos.
This Texas birria taco fever is said to have originated in sunny California. The Tijuana-style birria taco was introduced to the Golden State in the 60s and became particularly popular in the 1980s.
However, two Mexican-Americans have been credited with catalyzing the birria taco boom in the US – Teddy Vasquez and Omar Gonzales. Their first birria taco truck, “Birreria Gonzalez”, was opened in 2015. And in the fall of 2016, Teddy Vasquez opened up Teddy’s Red Tacos in Los Angeles – a restaurant specializing in top-notch birria tacos that, at the time of writing this article, had over 175 thousand Insta followers.
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Whats Birria? The popularity of birria tacos has, in recent years, received a further online boost, as customers from a variety of backgrounds (though often from the Latinx community) continue to post videos of birria tacos being dunked into steaming cups of broth. Uploaded onto Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, you name it, these videos have become crazy popular across the US – and even the world! – thus expanding the fanbase of the humble birria taco.
Birria Tacos Get an Austin Makeover
In recent decades, birria tacos have become increasingly sought-after in the Lone Star State. Being in close proximity to the Mexican border, Texans are keen to sample cuisine influenced by their neighboring country.
In Austin, you can find a particularly Texas take on the birria taco, which is called birria de res (red birria). Owner of the popular La Tunita 512 food truck, Gerardo “Jerry” Guerrero uses fat slabs of Texan beef brisket (What wine goes well with beef brisket?) to make his birria de res. This delicious version of the well-loved birria taco has made his truck a popular attraction in ATX.
The story behind the creation of Jerry’s birria de res is a true tale of serendipity. Originally, his truck served more traditional Mexican cuisine, with his birria being prepared the Jalisco way, using goat meat. However, one day, Guerrero forgot to purchase the goat meat he needed for his birria. Acting quickly as a resourceful Texan cook does, he substituted the goat meat for a five-pound beef brisket.
Consisting of a spicy blend of guajillo, ancho chiles, garlic and oregano, Jerry’s adobo seasoning was the perfect match for his juicy brisket. And customers thought so too. This newly invented Austin-inspired birria taco received praise all over Austin, with lines for Guerrero’s food truck regularly stretching around the block.
Just like any dish that gets a Texas makeover, Guerrero’s birria de res is a result of pure culinary love and attention. The fatty brisket is simmered in a pot containing the adobo marinade and water for five hours. This results in a succulent piece of beef and a super tasty consommé to dip your tacos into.
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Birria Tacos Come to Dallas-Fort Worth
Once upon a time, birria tacos were a practically unknown dish in Dallas-Fort Worth. Fast-forward to today, and these juicy snacks can be found in many Tex-Mex and Mexican eateries.
Owner of Fort Worth joint “Birreria y Taqueria Cortez”, Rogelio Cortez has been selling his quesatacos for a few years now. These consist of grilled corn tortillas (how long do corn tortillas last?) stuffed with tender beef that has been soaked in broth for several hours. Topped with mozzarella cheese, these bad boys are then put back under the grill to gain crispy edges, similar to a quesadilla, before being served with a flavorsome consommé.
These questacos can be said to have paved the way for birria tacos to become popular in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. A few birria taco spots in Dallas-Fort Worth that we just have to mention are La Antojeria Jalisco, Birrieria Los Chivos de Oro, Chalio’s Mexican Restaurant and the Maskaras Mexican Grill (whose owners hail from Jalisco).
Birria Tacos Booming in San Antonio
The birria taco scene in San Antonio is also very fresh, with last year seeing many birria joints open up in the city. Among these is the great Birria Barrio, located in downtown San Antonio. This food stop offers some of the best birria tacos in the city – just make sure to come early as their dishes quickly sell out.
Another popular birria joint is El Remedio, established by couple Joshua and Martha Palacios. Their take on the birria taco is composed of a fried corn tortilla taco filled with cheese and stewed beef and served with a gorgeous broth. El Remedio’s online presence has helped turn their birria tacos into best sellers. They’ve even established a pre-order model, allowing customers to snap up their snacks in advance. Birria Hands in Fairdale Lane is a good bet if you're in Houston.
Finally, I’m also a huge fan of Guerito’s Red Tacos. This San Antonio food truck is popular for its birria tacos that are dripping in a rich consommé – so good!
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Birria Tacos are Here to Stay
With dozens of food trucks and restaurants serving myriad variations of the birria taco, it’s looking like this Mexican treat is here to stay in Texas. Its popularity across the Lone Star State gives reason to think that this is not just a temporary food trend, but a new Texas delicacy.
As a self-confessed meat lover, I adore this spicy succulent beef stew (What wine goes well with beef stew?) dish. And as we’ve shown, it seems that plenty of Texans do as well.
What makes the birria taco even more wonderful is that, like its other taco brothers, it’s an affordable dish that’s accessible to many. A delicious meal that doesn’t break the bank – that’s the Texas way of doing things. Tacos are practical to transport too - hence walking tacos or tacos in a bag. They are easy to “walk” around with, when you meet friends at a party, or eat them around a campfire. There are no plates and little mess to clean up. If you love beef flavors Carne Asada is another dish to try. Slow-cooked on the grill flank steak is usually marinated and then grilled or seared to impart a delicious charred flavor. The pork casserole carne adovada is a firm favorite too. The pork shoulder is slow-cooked in a red chile sauce until meltingly tender. Mexican adobe sauce is a versatile addition to many dishes with its spicy flavors and Mexican oregano.
And if you are craving mouth-watering brisket, Try these top brisket restaurants in Texas!
Explore the distinctions between Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine, along with their cultural origins. Discover how chefs and cooks use cooking to share their narratives and the significance behind it. Variations of the original recipes are still evolving such as barria ramen, which substitutes noodles. Barbacoa vs birria look similar when served but barbacoa is more closely related to barbecue, while birria is braised or steamed. Even the herbs are different. Mexican oregano resembles its Italian counterpart but also has citrus flavors and licorice.
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Find out more about Beef Brisket here.
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