Oh my gosh, if you haven’t been completely obsessed with birria tacos lately, where have you been hiding? Seriously, those glorious, intensely flavored, red-dipped tacos dripping with cheese—they are everything! But traditionally, birria means goat or beef, and sometimes that feels a little too intense or just too hard to source if you’re not near a great market.
That’s why I spent what felt like weeks messing around until I nailed the absolute best way to make Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé right here in my own slow cooker! Trust me, the secret is cracking that adobo sauce, but using chicken thighs gives you impossibly tender meat for those crispy tortillas. I promise this recipe is the shortcut you need for authentic flavor without the fuss. Get ready for your new favorite thing to make!
Why You Will Love This Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé Recipe
I know you’re going to be obsessed with this version, and here’s why it earned a permanent spot in my rotation. It hits every single note you want in a fantastic taco night!
- Flavor Intensity from the Adobo: We don’t skip the steps for toasting those dried chilies! That process gives us a marinade that sings—deep, earthy, and slightly smoky. You’d swear this took all day.
- Chicken Makes it Easy: Using chicken thighs means we get amazing shreddable meat that holds onto that gorgeous red adobo sauce better than any breast. It’s easier and faster than beef, honestly.
- The Essential Consomé: Seriously, don’t even think about skipping the broth! That strained liquid is the soul of the dish. We treat that Chicken Birria Dipping Broth like liquid gold.
- Maximum Crisp Factor: You want that color and crunch, right? My favorite trick is dipping the tortilla into the reserved red fat before we fry it. It seals the deal for the best Crispy Birria Tacos Chicken you’ve ever had at home.
- Great for Leftovers: The leftover shredded chicken and extra broth are amazing later in the week. You can whip up another batch of tacos in minutes or use the meat for a completely different meal. I even link to tips on using leftover chicken here: Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Recipe.
It’s just pure, unadulterated comfort food joy, made simple!
Essential Ingredients for Authentic Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
When you look at this list, it might seem a bit long, but don’t panic! Most of these things are just for that amazing adobo marinade that gives us that deep red color. Quality matters here, especially with the chilies, so try to source the freshest dried ones you can find.
For the meat, I always use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. They stay moist, and the bones give the initial broth so much flavor. Remember to prep those chilies correctly—stems and seeds *out*! You want the smoky warmth, not the bitter heat.
Here is what stacks up to make the best Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé:
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (these are key for that rich base)
- 1 large white onion, quartered (for simmering the chicken)
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns (for the broth foundation)
- 4 cups water
- 10 dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed (the sweet workhorse of the color)
- 5 dried Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed (for depth)
- 3 dried Morita or Chipotle chilies, stems and seeds removed (for just a tiny bit of smoke)
- 1 cup white vinegar (this brightens up the sauce!)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican if you have it, it’s different!)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (don’t skip these warming spices!)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for sautéing the adobo)
- 1 package (about 15) corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese (for maximum ooey-gooey stretch)
- Toppings: 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion, 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for serving.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
Okay, this is the main event! Don’t let the multiple phases scare you. Each part is simple, you’re just building layers of flavor. We’re going from raw chicken to dipping perfection in a few manageable chunks. If you’re using a slow cooker, remember some of the steps change slightly—I have a great reference for Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Recipe if you need a starting point for the simmering!
Preparing the Chicken and Initial Broth
First things first, we build our chicken stock base. This liquid is crucial because it turns into our consomé later! Put your chicken thighs, the quartered onion, garlic, salt, and peppercorns into your biggest pot. Cover it all with water, bring it up to a boil, and then immediately drop that heat down so it just gently simmers. You’ll see some gross foam rise up—skim that off; we want a clean broth!
Let it bubble away for about 45 to 60 minutes until that chicken is ridiculously tender. Once it’s done, pull the chicken out and let it cool down just enough so you can shred it. While that cools, strain all that beautiful broth through a fine-mesh sieve. Measure out 4 cups of that liquid and set it aside for the adobo and the final consomé. Toss the solids—they did their job!
Creating the Flavorful Adobo Marinade for Chicken Birria Tacos
While the chicken was cooking, you should have been working on the chilies. Toast them lightly in a dry skillet just until you start smelling the spice—maybe 30 seconds a side. Warning: If you burn them, your whole sauce tastes smoky-bitter, so keep them moving! Soak those toasted chilies in hot water for about 20 minutes until they puff up and get soft.
Now drain them and dump them into your blender with the vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Add just one cup of that reserved chicken broth. Blend it until it’s baby-food smooth—if it’s too thick for the blender to handle, add a tiny splash more broth. My big “secret” here is to pour the blended sauce through that fine-mesh sieve *again* right into a saucepan. Press all that pulp against the sieve with a spoon; the solids left behind are bitter, so discard them! If you like using pressure cooking for shredded meat, I use similar flavor base techniques in my Instant Pot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken Tacos.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in that saucepan, pour in your strained, silky adobo sauce, and let it simmer for about five minutes, stirring constantly. This “cooking down” step deepens the chili flavor immediately.
Marinating and Combining for the Best Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
Time for the marriage of meat and magic! Put all your shredded chicken in a bowl—yes, even the skin if you want extra richness, just pull it off the bones first. Pour that cooked adobo sauce over the chicken, mix it until every single piece is coated in that gorgeous red color, and toss in those two bay leaves. Cover this up and let it chill in the fridge. Honestly, if you can let it go overnight, you win the flavor lottery, but four hours is the minimum for me.
Once it’s marinated, we get our consomé ready. Pour the marinated chicken mixture (with the bay leaves) back into the pot with the remaining 3 cups of broth. Let that gently simmer for about 15 minutes so everything gets friendly. Now, here is where we separate the taco filling from the dipping broth: strain that liquid *one last time*. That clear liquid is your Chicken Birria Dipping Broth. Keep the seasoned, rich shredded chicken separate from the broth.
Assembling and Cooking Crispy Birria Tacos Chicken
This is the transformation moment! Skim the beautiful, deep-red fat that floats to the top of your consomé—you need about half a cup of this glorious fat (the oils from the chilies and chicken skin). Heat your skillet or griddle to medium. Take a corn tortilla and quickly dip both sides into that reserved red fat. You want it coated, but not swimming!
Lay the dipped tortilla onto the hot skillet. Spoon a generous amount of the shredded chicken mix onto one side, sprinkle heavily with your Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese, and fold the tortilla in half. Press it down gently with your spatula. Cook it until that cheese is melted and the outside is beautifully crispy and browned—usually about 2 to 3 minutes per side. When you pull it off the skillet, quickly dip the whole taco edge-to-edge into the hot, *bare* consomé before setting it on the plate. That final dip adds richness and keeps the tortilla super flavorful!
Tips for Perfect Homemade Chicken Birria Tacos
I’ve learned a few things through my trial and error—and trust me, there were some sad, under-seasoned batches in the beginning! If you want truly *authentic* flavor without importing ingredients from Jalisco, focus on these key areas. Getting these small steps right makes all the difference between good shreddy chicken and mind-blowing Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé!
My biggest discovery was simply being patient with the adobo. It really wants time to deepen. If you are using a slow cooker, you can find my general timing guide here slow cooker pulled chicken recipe, but for the birria adobo, the longer it marinates, the better the chicken soaks up that red goodness.
Don’t Be Scared of the Chilies
This is where most people chicken out—literally! People see Guajillo and Ancho and get nervous about the heat, but these chilies are mostly for deep color and earthy flavor. If you are worried, use fewer Morita/Chipotle chilies, as those carry the real heat. The number one rule: Toast them gently until fragrant. That second they go from smelling sweet and spicy to smelling like smoke is the second you pull them off the heat. If you smell acrid smoke, toss them and start over—burnt chilies ruin the entire pot.
The Straining Process is Non-Negotiable
I strain the adobo sauce *after* blending, and I strain the final consomé *after* simmering. Why twice? Because the vegetable matter that remains, even after blending, settles at the bottom and gives your dipping broth a gritty, unpleasant texture. You want your Chicken Birria Dipping Broth to be clear, deep red, and smooth so it coats the tortilla perfectly. If you see sediment, strain it again! It sounds fussy, but this is how Mexican street food vendors get that professional finish.
Fat Trumps Broth for the Tortilla Dip
Everyone focuses on the broth, and yes, the consomé is essential for dipping *after* cooking, but the secret to that signature scarlet color and crispy texture on the tortilla itself is the fat that rises to the top of the consomé after it cools slightly. Skim this red oil off the top and use it instead of plain oil to coat the tortillas before they hit the skillet. That fat infusion is the key to getting that perfect Crispy Birria Tacos Chicken crust.
Use Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken for Base Flavor
If you want the richest possible base broth that eventually becomes your consomé, don’t just use boneless chicken breast. Bones add body, and chicken skin adds that rich, necessary fat content that truly balances the sharpness of the vinegar in the adobo. You let the chicken simmer *in* those aromatics, and that slow infusion creates a base broth that store-bought stock just can’t mimic.
Serving Suggestions for Your Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
We’ve done the hard work—the slow simmering, the glorious adobo, the perfect crisp on the tortilla—now we just need to dress these beauties up! Birria tacos aren’t really complete without their final touches, and honestly, the presentation is half the fun. You want everything ready on platters near the stove when you start frying because these cook *fast* once the skillet is hot.
Forget complex sides! These tacos are a meal unto themselves, relying on fresh toppings to cut through the richness of that shredded chicken and savory adobo.
The Holy Trinity of Toppings
You absolutely need these three items on hand. They add the necessary freshness and sharpness to balance the deep, rich spice of the meat. Don’t skip them, I mean it!
- Finely Chopped White Onion: Don’t use yellow or red here; the bite of the white onion is the perfect counterpoint. Make sure it’s chopped as finely as you can manage.
- Fresh Cilantro: Super important for that sharp, herbaceous lift. Usually, about a quarter cup chopped is plenty for a batch of 15 tacos, but I always use more, frankly.
- Lime Wedges: Have a whole bowl of wedges ready! A quick squeeze of fresh lime juice right over the top of the finished taco just before you bite into it makes all the flavors pop. It’s non-negotiable for great Easy Chicken Birria Tacos.
Presenting the Consomé for Dipping
Your strained, perfectly seasoned Chicken Birria Dipping Broth must be served piping hot. Seriously, hotter than you think! You want steam rising off it when you put it on the table.
I like to serve the consomé in small, individual terracotta bowls or little ramekins right next to the plate of tacos. It’s important to remember that the broth has a slight layer of oil on top—that’s good, that’s flavor! When serving, you can ladle the broth into the small bowls without skimming off that top layer of red oil, as that fat is what prevents the broth from cooling down too quickly on the table. Dip that crispy taco right into the hot liquid!
It’s messy, it’s hot, and it’s the best way to eat these amazing Homemade Chicken Birria Tacos!
Storage and Reheating Instructions for Leftover Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
The great thing about making a big batch of this amazing food is that leftovers actually taste better the next day! Seriously, the chicken has more time to soak up that incredible adobo marinade. But you can’t just toss everything back into the fridge together. Since we have three main components—the meat, the fat/adobo glaze, and the consomé broth—we need to store them separately to keep everything tasting restaurant-quality when you reheat it.
Storing the Shredded Chicken Filling
Keep the shredded chicken filling completely separate from the consomé broth. The broth will make the chicken soggy if you store it together, and we want that meat ready to pop into a crispy tortilla when we reheat it!
Transfer the marinated, shredded chicken (without any excess liquid clinging to it) into an airtight container. If you ended up with a lot of extra adobo marinade clinging to the bottom of that pot, you can spoon a tablespoon or two over the meat just to keep it moist, but pack it fairly tightly. This part is good in the fridge for up to four days, which means easy lunches or quick dinners!
Storing the Consomé Dipping Broth
This is critical. You need to let the consomé cool down before you seal it up. As it cools, the fat will separate and rise to the top—you’ll notice a layer of the red, flavorful oil sitting on top of the clearer liquid broth. You want to gently skim off the majority of this layer and save it! We only need a little bit for reheating, but if you toss all the fat, you lose crucial flavor.
Store the skimmed consomé broth in a jar or airtight container in the fridge. It’s absolutely fine for up to five days. If you see any gelatinous bits forming when it gets cold, don’t worry; that’s just collagen from the chicken bones we cooked down, and it’s a sign of good homemade stock!
Reheating for Ultimate Flavor
When you’re ready for round two of Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé, don’t use the microwave for the meat if you can help it! The best flavor comes from reheating the components slowly on the stovetop.
- Reheating the Chicken: Put the shredded chicken into a small saucepan with just a splash of the reserved red fat or a tablespoon of water. Heat this over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it’s steaming hot all the way through. This wakes up the adobo without drying the meat out.
- Reheating the Consomé: Pour your separated broth into a pot. Add back a skim of the red fat you saved earlier. Heat this gently until it’s just beginning to simmer. Don’t boil it hard, or you might lose some of that delicate steamed flavor.
Once both parts are piping hot, you go right back to Step 7 of the main recipe—dip your tortilla in the fat, fill it with the hot chicken, crisp it up, and dip the whole thing in that amazing, hot broth!
Frequently Asked Questions About Chicken Birria Tacos Recipe
You know, when you’re making something as special as birria, questions are bound to pop up! I’ve answered the ones I get asked the most. If you read the steps carefully, you’ll see where I explained these things, but sometimes you just need a quick answer separate from the main flow. Feel free to check out my tips for easy 5-ingredient corn soup too, if you want another simple, warming recipe!
Can I substitute chicken breast instead of thighs for this recipe?
You absolutely can, but I have to give you my honest warning: chicken breast dries out much faster than thighs when you simmer and shred it. If you must use breast, cook it for less time—maybe 35 minutes max—and be very gentle when shredding. Make sure you don’t skip marinating it in the adobo, and definitely don’t skip dipping the tortilla in the fat when assembling your Chicken Birria Tacos Recipe. It helps keep the drier meat moist!
How spicy are these Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé, really?
That’s a great question, and the answer depends entirely on those dried chilies! In this recipe, I use a lot of Guajillo and Ancho chilies, which are focused on color and deep, fruity flavor, not heavy heat. The only real heat comes from the Morita or Chipotle chilies—I usually use three. If you’re sensitive to spice, cut those down to just one or even skip them entirely. You’ll still get rich flavor, just without the fire. If you like them spicy, just add a pinch of cayenne to the blender!
Can I make the adobo marinade ahead of time and store it?
Yes, please do! If you are making this over a weekend, the adobo marinade is perfect to make a day ahead. After you cook it down, let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It lasts beautifully for about a week. Then, when you are ready to marinate your chicken, it’s already done! This makes a huge difference when you’re trying to get dinner done quickly without sacrificing flavor for your Spicy Shredded Chicken Tacos.
How important is it to strain the consomé?
For me? It’s the difference between a good taco and an unforgettable one. You have to strain it! If you don’t strain the liquid that becomes the Birria Tacos with Consomé Recipe, you end up with sediment and little bits of pepper skin floating around when you dip. You lose that beautiful, smooth texture that lets the broth just melt into the tortilla. Strain it well, and you get that beautiful, clear, rich dipping broth every single time.
Can I use store-bought rotisserie chicken for these Tacos de Birria de Pollo Recipe?
You can use rotisserie chicken to save time if you are in a pinch, but here’s the catch: you *must* still make the adobo marinade from scratch because that’s where 90% of the flavor comes from. Once your adobo is cooked down, simply shred the store-bought chicken meat, toss it thoroughly with the sauce, and let it marinate for at least an hour, or longer if you can wait! Skip the initial broth step and just use water or low-sodium store-bought broth if you skip simmering the chicken yourself.
Estimated Nutritional Information for Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
Okay, listen up, because while these Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé taste like they should come with a massive calorie warning label, they are surprisingly packed with lean protein! Because we are using chicken thighs—which are wonderfully flavorful and still leaner than most cuts of beef birria—these come out lighter than you might expect. Plus, since we are using corn tortillas and focusing on that rich chile sauce rather than heavy creams or tons of cheese, they balance out quite nicely.
I always like to remind everyone that this information comes from my best estimations based on the ingredients I used—specifically the *type* of cheese and the skin being *mostly* removed before using the fat. If you pile on extra Oaxaca cheese when assembling, you’ll definitely add more fat and calories, so be mindful of your taco-loading technique!
For a standard serving size of about three tacos, here is what the numbers are looking like, based on the recipe details. If you want some ideas for making other recipes lighter, you can check out my thoughts on healthy zucchini bread recipe!
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: Around 450 (That’s a meal, not a snack!)
- Protein: 32 grams (Hello, muscle building!)
- Fat: 22 grams total fat, with 8 grams being saturated fat.
- Carbohydrates: 35 grams (Mostly from the corn tortillas and chilies.)
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Sugar: Only about 4 grams (That’s natural sugar from the chilies, thank goodness!)
- Sodium: 650 mg (This is something to watch if you are sensitive; remember to use less salt in the broth if needed.)
Overall, for such a deeply flavorful, rich-tasting Mexican Street Food experience, I think these Tacos de Birria de Pollo Recipe come in at a really solid nutritional profile. Enjoy them without guilt!
Share Your Experience Making Our Chicken Birria Tacos
Listen, I absolutely *live* for hearing from you guys once you get into the kitchen! Making these Chicken Birria Tacos with Consomé is such a hands-on, flavorful process, and I want to know how they turned out in your house. Did you let the chicken marinate overnight like I insisted? Did you find the perfect level of spice?
Don’t just make these amazing tacos and then leave me hanging! Drop all your thoughts, questions, and substitutions in the comments box below. Seriously, your feedback helps me tweak and improve things for everyone else reading. Did you make these in your Instant Pot or Slow Cooker and want to share your timing notes?
If you snapped a photo of those gorgeous, crispy, red-dipped tacos glistening next to their little bowls of hot consomé, please tag me on social media! I love seeing your beautiful results. It truly makes my day to see my favorite family recipes ending up on your dinner tables.
If you want to send in detailed notes or just want to say hello, you can always reach out to me directly through the contact page here: Contact Me. I read every single message!
Now go make some magic, and happy cooking!
PrintChicken Birria Tacos with Consomé
A complete recipe for making flavorful Chicken Birria Tacos, including instructions for the rich adobo marinade and the essential consomé dipping broth.
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 2 hr 30 min
- Total Time: 3 hr 15 min
- Yield: 15 tacos
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop/Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
- 3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 cups water
- 10 dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 5 dried Ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried Morita or Chipotle chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 package (about 15) corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion, for topping
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for topping
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken and Broth: Place chicken thighs, quartered onion, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a large pot. Cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Skim off any foam. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Strain the broth and reserve 4 cups of the liquid; discard solids. Shred the cooled chicken meat.
- Make the Adobo Marinade: While the chicken cooks, toast the dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Do not burn. Place toasted chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water; soak for 20 minutes until soft.
- Blend the Adobo: Drain the soaked chilies. Place them in a blender with the vinegar, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until completely smooth. Add a little more broth if needed to create a thick sauce.
- Cook the Adobo: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the adobo mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the pan, pressing down on the solids. Discard the solids. Cook the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Marinate the Chicken: Place the shredded chicken in a bowl. Pour the cooked adobo sauce over the chicken and mix well to coat. Add 2 bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Prepare the Consomé: Add the remaining 3 cups of reserved chicken broth to the shredded chicken mixture. Simmer gently on the stovetop for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt. Strain the liquid again to create the consomé; keep the shredded chicken separate.
- Assemble the Tacos: Skim the fat that rises to the top of the consomé and reserve about 1/2 cup of this red fat. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the reserved red fat, coating both sides. Place the dipped tortilla on the hot skillet.
- Fill and Cook: Top one half of the tortilla with a portion of the marinated shredded chicken and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the tortilla in half. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted.
- Serve: Remove the taco from the skillet. Dip the assembled taco briefly into the hot consomé for extra flavor before serving. Serve immediately topped with fresh onion and cilantro, with extra consomé on the side for dipping.
Notes
- For a slow cooker method, cook the chicken, onion, garlic, and broth on low for 6-8 hours. Shred, then mix with the adobo and cook on low for 2 more hours.
- Strain the consomé well before serving; this removes sediment and results in a clearer dipping broth.
- If you prefer a quicker method, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, but you must still cook the adobo sauce separately and marinate the shredded chicken for at least 1 hour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 tacos
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 32
- Cholesterol: 110
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