Sichuan Chili Birria Beef Tacos That Bring the Heat

It features slow-cooked beef chuck and short ribs in a consommé broth that doubles as a dip for the tacos, ensuring that there isn’t a dry bite in sight. For the seasonings, you’ve got warm spices, smoky chipotle peppers, and Sichuan chili crisp, which brings a subtle, tingly heat. The whole thing gets wrapped in flour tortillas with melty cheese and onion and cilantro to garnish—it’s unabashedly decadent and oh so satisfying.

Get the recipe below and shop the ingredients on FreshDirect.

Recipe in partnership with Beef Checkoff.

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Sichuan Chili Crisp-Infused Birria Tacos Recipe

What You’ll Need:

For the marinade:
3 poblano peppers (or 1 green bell pepper and 2 jalapeños)
3 tablespoons Sichuan chili crisp
One 7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4–6 garlic cloves, to taste
1 sprig fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

For the meat:
1 1/2 lb beef chuck
1 1/2 lb bone-in short ribs

For the consommé:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
33 oz Kettle & Fire mushroom-chicken bone broth

For assembly:
10-12 small flour tortillas
One 8 oz Pepper Jack cheese block, sliced long & thin with a peeler
Grated Mexican cheese
1/2 onion, diced
Cilantro, chopped (to garnish)

What to Do:

Make the marinade: Drop the poblano peppers in a medium pot of boiling water, remove from heat, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Then, cut off the stems, slice, and remove seeds and pith. Place in blender with the other marinade ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Marinate the meat: Generously season the beef chuck and short ribs with salt and pepper, place in a bowl, toss in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours.

Cook the birria: Sauté the onions in a pan, then add to your Instapot or slow cooker, along with your meats, marinade, and the remaining consommé ingredients.

• Instapot method: Cover and cook on high pressure setting for 45 minutes and allow steam to release for 15 minutes before removing lid.
• Slow-cooker method: Cover and cook on low setting for 6 hours.

Assembly: Transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks, removing any bones or chunks of fat. Pour consommé liquid from the cooker pot to a large bowl. Heat a frying pan over medium heat until hot. One at a time, dip both sides of the tortillas quickly in the fatty top-layer of the consommé. Place in frying pan, then top with two Pepper Jack slices and a sprinkling of grated cheese. Top one half the tortilla with shredded meat. Fold tortilla and cook both sides until crisp and browned. Lower heat if tortillas brown too quickly.

Place tacos on a platter and serve with small bowls of consommé for each person to dip their tacos in, along with extra chili crisp, chopped onion, and cilantro to garnish.