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My Chicken Birria Tacos are inspired by traditional Mexican recipes for birria de pollo, and are a total game-changer! A homemade sauce using classic ingredients makes these chicken quesabirria tacos the best you will ever try.
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Best Chicken Birria Tacos
Birria is one of my favorite dishes to make for my family. I usually prepare it as beef birria, but gave chicken birria a try recently, and it was such a hit I knew I had a winner on my hands.
Chicken birria tacos are an amazing way to enjoy the flavors of birria in the form of tasty pan-fried tacos. The powerful flavors of homemade birria sauce really shine through – all the better when you dip the tacos in the sauce!
I promise, you are going to love every bite of these quesabirria tacos. They are a total game-changer for taco night, but they’re also amazing for special occasions. Everyone will ask you for the recipe!
FAQs about Chicken Birria Tacos
Birria is a traditional Mexican stew or soup made using chili peppers, goat meat, and seasonings such as cumin, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. These days, however, you will find more versions of birria, including beef birria and, of course, chicken birria. The seasonings and preparation are similar to traditional birria.
The flavor of birria can be described as savory, smoky, somewhat sweet, and slightly spicy. Whether you prepare it with chicken or beef will change the flavor, but the adobo complements both meats well and breaks them down so they are fall-apart tender.
After cooking birria, remove the meat from the broth and shred it. Then, add it to corn tortillas with Mexican melting cheese such as Oaxaca cheese, along with onion and cilantro. Fry the birria tacos in a pan using a little bit of oil so they are crispy and the cheese is melted. Dip tacos in leftover birria sauce served on the side.
Birria sauce is best enjoyed as a stew, soup, or on the side of birria tacos as a dipping sauce. You can also pair it with rice and beans with tortillas on the side, as a quesadilla, or with tamales.
Chicken Birria Tacos Ingredients
How to make chicken birria
- Bone-in chicken thighs
- Neutral, high-heat cooking oil, such as grapeseed oil
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Guajillo chiles
- Chiles de arbol
- Bay leaves
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Chicken broth
How to make quesabirria tacos
- Corn tortillas
- Melting cheese, such as Oaxaca or Monterey Jack
- Onion
- Cilantro
How to Make Chicken Birria Tacos
- Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in the pot. Add 2 of the onion quarters. Cook until chicken begins to brown, about 5 minutes on each side, then remove pot from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the chiles for the sauce: Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. Place chiles in a pot along with the remaining half onion, tomatoes, and one bay leaf. Cover with about 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Prepare the sauce: Using a slotted spoon, move the chiles, tomatoes, and onion to a blender. Add the garlic, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and salt to the blender. Add one cup of the water from the pot, strained with a sieve, to the blender. Top off with 1 cup of chicken stock. Whirl until well blended. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the pot with the chicken back on the burner on medium heat. Pour sauce over the chicken. Toss in the remaining bay leaf. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. (Internal temperature should be 165°F). Turn off heat. Remove then discard the bay leaf.
- Take out the chicken from the pot and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove the bones and skin, and shred the meat. Return chicken to pot and stir to coat.
- Make the tacos: Bring a skillet to medium heat and add about a teaspoon of cooking oil. Dip a tortilla in the birria sauce then place in the skillet. Cook 30 seconds then flip. Add some shredded chicken, cheese, diced onion, and pinch of cilantro to one side of tortilla.
- Fold in half and cook 30 seconds on each side, until cheese is melted and tortilla begins to crisp up. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat for each taco.
- Serve tacos warm with a side of birria sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- The chicken birria sauce can be prepared ahead of time if preferred. By storing it in the refrigerator to use later, the fat will rise to the top, making it even easier to use the fat to fry the tortillas!
- You can use flour tortillas if you prefer, but smaller tortillas work best and corn tortillas fry very nicely.
- To make the sauce thicker, cook it with additional tomatoes and slightly reduce the water used.
- Use a cast iron or non-stick skillet when frying the quesabirria tacos so you can use less oil and they won’t stick to the pan.
- You can use a different type of meat if you like. Try beef, pork, or the traditional goat.
- Chicken breasts can be used to make this dish. However, bone-in chicken thighs will add additional flavor to the broth when cooking.
- If you can’t find guajillo chiles, other mild dried red chiles work just as well. Try Hatch peppers, California peppers, or Anaheim peppers.
How to Store
Store leftover birria sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to Freeze
You can freeze leftover birria sauce by adding it to a freezer-safe airtight container, labeled with the freezing date, for up to 4 months. I recommend freezing the chicken separately; it will also last 3-4 months.
When ready to enjoy, allow both the sauce and chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat gently on the stove until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Birria Tacos
- Elote Recipe – our best Mexican street corn recipe
- Fluffy rice – see How to Cook Rice Perfectly or Instant Pot White Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Casserole
- Street Corn Dip
- Texas Caviar
Mexican-inspired Recipes
- Mexican Lasagna
- Mexican Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup
- Chick-fil-A Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Mexican Dip with Roasted Corn
- Chilaquiles Con Huevos
Try more of my favorite Sunday dinner ideas!
For more chicken recipes and inspiration on how to cook chicken perfectly, follow my Chicken Temperature Chart!
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Chicken Birria Tacos Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Non-stick pan or cast iron skillet
- 1 large dutch oven or pot
- 1 Slotted spoon
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon neutral high-heat cooking oil (like grapeseed oil)
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 2 roma tomatoes quartered
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried chiles de arbol or more if you like spicy
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
For the tacos:
- 16 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded mexican melting cheese like Oaxaca, or monterey jack; I used pepper jack
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste, and place in the pot. Add 2 of the onion quarters. Cook until chicken begins to brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Then remove pot from heat and set aside.2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon neutral, 1 medium onion
- Prepare the chiles for the sauce: Remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. Place chiles in a pot along with the remaining half onion, tomatoes, and one bay leaf. Cover with about 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.1 medium onion, 2 roma tomatoes, 3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried chiles de arbol, 2 bay leaves
- Prepare the sauce: Using a slotted spoon, move the chiles, tomatoes, and onion to a blender. Add the garlic, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and salt to the blender. Add one cup of the water from the pot, strained with a sieve, to the blender. Top off with 1 cup of chicken broth. Whirl until well blended. Add more salt and pepper to taste.4 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chicken broth
- Place the pot with the chicken back on the burner on medium heat. Pour sauce over the chicken. Toss in the remaining bay leaf. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. (Internal temperature should be 165°F). Turn off heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf.2 bay leaves
- Remove chicken from the pot and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove the bones and skin, and shred the meat. Return chicken to pot and stir to coat.
- Make the tacos: Bring a skillet to medium heat and add about a teaspoon of cooking oil. Dip a tortilla in the birria sauce then place in the skillet. Cook 30 seconds then flip. Add some shredded chicken, cheese, diced onion, and pinch of cilantro to one side of tortilla.16 corn tortillas, 1 cup shredded mexican melting cheese, ½ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup finely diced onion
- Fold in half and cook 30 seconds on each side, until cheese is melted and tortilla begins to crisp up. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Repeat for each taco.
- Serve tacos warm with a side of birria sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
- The chicken birria sauce can be prepared ahead of time if preferred. By storing it in the refrigerator to use later, the fat will rise to the top, making it even easier to use the fat to fry the tortillas!
- You can use flour tortillas if you prefer, but smaller tortillas work best and corn tortillas fry very nicely.
- To make the sauce thicker, cook it with additional tomatoes and slightly reduce the water used.
- Use a cast iron or non-stick skillet when frying the quesabirria tacos so you can use less oil and they won’t stick to the pan.
- You can use a different type of meat if you like. Try beef, pork, or the traditional goat.
- Chicken breasts can be used to make this dish. However, bone-in chicken thighs will add additional flavor to the broth when cooking.
- If you can’t find guajillo chiles, other mild dried red chiles work just as well. Try Hatch peppers, California peppers, or Anaheim peppers
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!