Main Dishescarlsbadcravings5.0
Chicken Birria
These Chicken Birria Tacos are an explosion of earthy, smoky, juicy, cheesy, crispy addictiveness in each and every saucy bite PLUS they're quicker to make than their beefy cousin! The tacos are made with juicy shredded chicken braised in a bold, aromatic adobo chili sauce, stuffed into broth-battered corn tortillas along with ooey gooey Oaxaca cheese, pan-fried until crispy then dunked in the deeply crimson Birria consume for a saucy, rich finish. With one bite you’ll understand exactly why Birria Tacos are the hottest food trend that is here to stay. Serve the chicken tacos with pico de gallo or simply onion, cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 25m⏳ Prep: 25 min🔥 Cook: 1h👤 Jen📖 carlsbadcravings
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- dutch oven
- bowl
- oven
- pot
- blender
- strainer
- spatula
- skillet
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Toast Whole Spices and Chilies
2
Dry toast the whole spices for the adobo sauce (if using) in a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium heat until evenly toasted, stirring occassionally. They're done once they smell super fragrant. Transfer to a bowl or plate.
3
Add the peppers and dry roast for a couple minutes per side; remove to a plate.
4
SEAR THE CHICKEN
5
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6
Season both sides of the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
salt1 teaspoonteaspoon salt1/2
7
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the now empty pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in an even layer and sear both sides until deeply browned (work in batches if needed); remove to a plate but leaving the drippings.
8
MAKE THE SAUCE
9
Add a drizzle of oil to the drippings if needed/seems dry; heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for ⏱️ 1 minute.
garlic, (minced)8 cloves
10
Add the toasted spices to the pot followed by the deseeded chilies, and all the remaining Adobo Sauce ingredients (through broth). Bring to a simmer for ⏱️ 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are very soft, stirring occasionally.
11
Transfer the mixture to a high powered blender and purée until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel so steam can escape and it doesn’t explode. (NOTE: If you don’t have a high-powered blender, then strain the chili sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, using rubber spatula to push the mixture through. The solids left behind are the spices so don’t toss them! You can wrap them in a cheese cloth or mash them and add them back to the sauce.)
12
BRAISE AND SHRED THE CHICKEN
13
Add the chicken back to the pot followed by the chili sauce, turn to coat the chicken. Cover, bring to a simmer, then transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for ⏱️ 20-30 minutes or until chicken shreds easily and registers 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer (165 degrees F if using chicken breasts). You can prep the toppings (below) while the chicken cooks).
14
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a bowl; keep the sauce coating the chicken but leave most if it behind in the pot for dipping. Once cool enough to thandle, remove the bones and shred the chicken.
15
ASSEMBLE THE TACOS
16
In a medium bowl, make the pico de gallo if using, or mix together onion, cilantro, lime and salt to taste; set aside.
salt1 teaspoonteaspoon salt1/2pinch of salt
17
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, lightly dip it in the top of the sauce and add it to the skillet. Press the tortilla down with a spatula because it will start to bubble and pull away as it cooks. Cook for ⏱️ 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden.
18
Flip the tortilla over and immediately cover the entire surface with shredded cheese. Cover, and cook until the cheese is mostly melted. Uncover and top half of the cheese with shredded chicken. Cook until the bottom is lightly charred then fold the tortilla over in half to form a taco.
19
Transfer to a plate and serve with the pico de gallo or cilantro/onion mixture and a bowl of the consomé liquid (remaining sauce) as a dipping sauce. Dig in!
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