While birria has been a beloved regional specialty for centuries, birria tacos exploded onto the international food scene in recent years, particularly through social media. 

Those videos of cheese stretching as someone pulls apart a crispy birria taco, or the moment when the taco gets dunked into the consommé, have made birria tacos one of the most sought-after Mexican dishes worldwide.

If you’ve never experienced a mouthwatering birria taco, you’re in for something truly special!

How did Birria transform into Tacos?

Birria is an iconic dish that hails from the state of Jalisco, where it was born out of necessity and creativity in the 16th century. 

Originally, birria was made with goat meat. Indeed, the word “birria” actually comes from the Spanish term meaning “worthless” or “of little value”, which is what Spanish colonists called the tough goat meat they couldn’t figure out how to cook properly. Little did they know that Mexican ingenuity would transform this “worthless” meat into one of the country’s most treasured dishes!

The secret lies in the preparation. We slow-cook the meat for hours in a rich, aromatic broth infused with a blend of dried chiles (guajillo, ancho, and chipotle) along with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. This results in a tender meat that practically falls apart at the touch of a fork, swimming in a flavorful consommé.

Now, here’s where things get exciting. While traditional birria was served as a stew, typically enjoyed at special occasions and Sunday family gatherings, cooks began stuffing this exquisite meat into tortillas. Then, someone had the brilliant idea to dip the tortilla in the fat-rich consommé before grilling it, which created the birria taco experience!

What sets a birria taco apart is the ritual of eating it. Each taco comes with a small cup of consommé for dipping. The experience of dipping your crispy taco into this warm, savory broth and taking that first bite is pure comfort food bliss.

Our Birria Taco: Crispy, Cheesy, and Irresistibly Dippable

At Zócalo, we’ve perfected our recipe to bring you an authentic taste of Jalisco right here. 

Our birria tacos feature tender pulled beef barbacoa, slow-cooked for hours with our blend of dried peppers and traditional Mexican spices until it reaches that fall-apart texture.

We serve this incredible meat on a semi-crispy tortilla that’s been dipped in the flavorful fat from our birria stew, then grilled to achieve a perfect balance, crispy on the outside, soft and pliable on the inside. Each taco is filled with melted cheese (that stretches wonderfully with every bite), and topped with fresh diced onions and cilantro that add the perfect bright contrast to the savory meat.

Besides, every order comes with a cup of our house-made consommé, made directly from the birria stew, perfect for dipping and intensifying those incredible flavors with every mouthful. And because we know one is never enough, each order comes with three tacos.

Every batch of birria starts before dawn, as it’s labor-intensive work, but we believe that the time and patience come through in every bite. We love watching our guests discover this dish for the first time. The surprise on their faces when they realize they’re supposed to dip the whole taco, followed by pure joy after that first bite. 

Birria Taco Perfection: Why It Will Be Your New Addiction

Nobody who has ever tried a birria taco can just forget it. Once you try it, you’re in forever. 

The moment that the crispy tortilla gives way to the tender, juicy meat, the stretch of melted cheese, the burst of cilantro and onions, all enhanced by the consommé, creates a memory you’ll crave again and again.

So, if you’d like to delight in an authentic birria taco experience, visit us at Zócalo! Come curious and ready to fall in love with one of Mexico’s most exquisite dishes. We promise that once you’ve had our birria tacos, you’ll understand why this humble dish from Jalisco has captured hearts around the world (and yours, too).