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Switching up the average weeknight taco with these Crispy Braised Chipotle Beef Tacos. Beef slowly braised in a spicy chipotle sauce until tender. Then shredded and stuffed into tortillas with cheese before being pan-fried. These tacos have just a touch of crispiness on the outside but are spicy and cheesy inside. The key is to pan-fry the tacos in the chipotle sauce. Serve each cheesy taco with cilantro on top, avocado crema, and of course that spicy chipotle sauce. They come together simply and are so delicious!
I know Taco Tuesday is “the thing”, but my thought is, tacos today in prep for tomorrow! Plus, I just thought they’d be a fun and delicious Monday recipe…and they are!
I’ve been wanting to make and share these tacos for the longest time now. But I wanted to wait till later in April in prep for Cinco de Mayo. We all know I love a good holiday, but Cinco de Mayo is always such a fun no-pressure day where you have an excuse to make margaritas and tacos on a weeknight.
No one can complain about that.
The Inspiration?
Originally, I really wanted to make birria, a Mexican stew traditionally made from goat meat, but sometimes made from beef. The dish is commonly served for special occasions like weddings and holidays. The meat is marinated and slow-cooked in an adobo sauce made of vinegar, dried chiles, herbs, and spices. Therefore, it’s incredibly tender and flavorful meat.
The stew is often served with corn tortillas or fried up into tacos. The cheesy birria tacos have been on my “to make” list for well over a year, so I was determined to finally make them happen.
Since I have a harder time finding some of the dried chilies, I ended up adapting the recipe a bit. I created my version of cheesy birria tacos. They’re similar but different, and SO DELICIOUS.
Here are the details – first braise the meat
Start with the beef. I used beef chuck, but you could also mix in some of short ribs, which would be even more delicious, but just a touch more expensive.
Sear the meat, then make the sauce. The sauce is the heart and soul of this recipe. I use a lot of chipotle peppers in adobo, some ancho chile powder, and other spices, plus garlic, onion, bay leaves, and apple cider vinegar. The vinegar is also essential, so don’t skip it. The sauce gets poured over the meat. I then add a cinnamon stick and slow cook the meat in the oven until it’s very tender. You can use the slow cooker or instant pot too!
Now, make the tacos!
Once the meat is cooked, it’s time for tacos! So shred the meat and gather all your toppings. I kept it classic with cilantro and jalapeño, plus my favorite avocado crema.
Next, take the sauce and pour it into a shallow bowl. The fat should settle to the top of the sauce, this is exactly what you want. You’ll dip the tortillas into the sauce, getting that fat on the tortilla at the same time. Then, pan-fry the tortillas with the meat and cheese. Cooking the tortillas with the sauce allows them to take on incredible flavor and become a little crispy around the edges with fried cheese melting out of the top of the taco.
It. Is. So. Good.
Top each taco any way you’d like. I go heavy on the cilantro and lime. Then dip your tacos in the extra sauce. It’s really about that sauce…well, and the cheese. Beyond delicious.
If you wanted to take the toppings a step further, I would recommend a pineapple salsa or mango salsa. But you all know me, I love a good fruity salsa. Oh, and maybe add a nice margarita too. This spicy mango marg is my personal favorite.
Looking for other taco night recipes? Here are some of my favorites:
Homemade Cheesy Gordita Crunch Tacos
Healthier Homemade Crunchwrap Supreme
Mushroom Al Pastor Tacos with Garlic Lime Special Sauce
Lastly, if you make these Crispy Braised Chipotle Beef Tacos, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crispy Braised Chipotle Beef Tacos
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 581 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 3-4 pieces
- avocado oil, for cooking
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed or grated
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick or use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Tacos
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- limes
- corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
- avocado cream, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. 2. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef all over, 2-3 minutes per side. Turn the heat off.3. To make the sauce. In a blender, puree the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, cloves, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and the apple cider vinegar. Add 1 cup water and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the beef. Add 2 cups of water and the cinnamon to the pot. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a simmer, then cover and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook 3 hours, or until the meat easily shreds. 4. To make the tacos. Stir together the cilantro, onion, jalapeño, a squeeze of lime juice, and a pinch of salt.5. Remove the cinnamon stick and meat from the sauce, shred the meat. Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl, allowing the fat to settle on top.6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Dip the tortillas into the sauce (the fat should be on top) and place in the skillet, sauce side facing down. On one side of the tortilla, layer cheese, then beef. Fold the tortilla over the beef and cook until slightly fried, about 1-2 minutes per side. Serve the tacos with cilantro on top and additional red sauce, plus avocado crema, if desired.
Slow cooker + Instant Pot Directions
- 1. Season the beef all over with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef all over, 2-3 minutes per side. Add the meat to the slow cooker or instant pot.2. To make the sauce. In a blender, puree the chipotle peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, ancho chile powder, oregano, cumin, paprika, cloves, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and the apple cider vinegar. Add 1 cup water and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce over the beef. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and the cinnamon. - For the slow cooker, cover and cook 6-7 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.- For the instant pot, lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. 4. Finish as directed through set 4.
This is a 5 star recipe. We cut back the adobo to about half a can and it was so amazing! We served it as the main course for our Halloween party and everyone raved about it. I made the meat and sauce the day before then stored the meat and sauce separately. Brought the two to room temperature the next day then warmed the sauce and proceeded with assembling the tacos. Leftovers are just as delicious! Very similar to Quesa Birria served in Mexican restaurants which we are particularly fond of.
Hey Lucy,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this dish was a winner, I appreciate you making it and your feedback! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx
This recipe is AMAZING. But I’m a little annoyed at the wording “one can” without the ounces. I purchased one can of the chipotles in adobo and it was 7 ounces, I come back to see that you commented saying you used a 16 ounce can, and the can linked is a 12 ounce can…. That’s a lot of discrepancies.
Hi Kelsey,
Happy Wednesday!! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Sorry for any confusion on the peppers, it really is to your liking and how much spice you want. xT
If I skip the chipotle peppers, what else should I add or can I just eliminate that ingredient? Thank you so much for any tips?
Hey Jacquelyn,
I would add some chipotle seasoning. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
These were amazing. The cinnamon made such a difference – even my 12 year old asked if there was cinnamon in them (and asked to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow). I was worried these would be too spicy but everyone loved them. Much easier to make than expected and really tasty
Hey Marla,
Happy Thursday! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks so much for making it! xT
Even without doing the extra step of frying the filled tacos, this recipe is DELISH. The meat as taco filling and a little dish of sauce for dunking… so good!
Hi Sara,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Have a great week:)
Mine is finishing up in the crockpot and it is good but SPICY. Haha. What can I do to tone down the spiciness for my toddler last minute?
Hey Morgan,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry about the spice! You could try add some broth to the pot, unfortunately it might be too late! Sorry for the trouble! xx
We just made these tonight and LOVED them! The sauce is amazing and the instapot made it weeknight friendly. Can’t wait fry up the leftovers for dinner tomorrow!
Hi Mindy,
Happy Wednesday! I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
Hi! I was going to make these tomorrow and was wondering how many ounces of chipotle pepper in adobo you used and if there are any substitutes for ancho chili powder if you don’t have on hand? Thanks!
Hi Christina,
I used a 16 ounce can of chipotle peppers in adobo. You can just use regular chili powder in place of the ancho Chile powder, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
My fiancé and I love these tacos!! Soo good! Do you have any recommendations of what to do with the leftover sauce?
Hi Savannah,
Fantastic! Thanks for your comment and trying the recipe:) I am so glad it was enjoyed! You could use it for enchiladas! xxT