Introduction to Birria Tacos:
I never knew I could crave something I’ve never even eaten before I saw birria tacos. After seeing these all over my feed I knew I had to make a plant-based version so I could finally try them. The consome that you dip the birria in is simply made with onions, tomatoes, and a whole lot of spices!
Instead of meat, I used mushrooms for the filling in these tacos. But, you can use pretty much anything you like. If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, I’ve heard that people love using jackfruit instead! There are also so many delicious meat-substitutes out there too. And if none of these sound appealing, you can stuff these tacos with veggies! You can make a mix similar to that which you’d use for fajitas.
Breakdown of the Ingredients:
Okay, so I get it. This looks like a pretty intimidating list of ingredients. But you can split all of them up into three main categories: spices, tomatoes, and aromatics. The heart of this broth is really in the perfect blend of dried whole chillies and powdered spices. You’ll need arbol, california, and guajillo chillies for this base. If you’re having trouble finding these ingredients or the pasilla powder, I’d check your local 99 cent store! That’s where I got mine from.
For the tomatoes I like to use canned san marzano tomatoes. But fresh tomatoes can work for this as well. I just find that canned tomatoes have a bit of a stronger flavor than fresh. Plus, san marzano tomatoes in particular also have a little extra added touch of sweetness which I like.
Broth
- oil
- yellow onions
- garlic
- arbol chilles
- california chillies
- guajillo chillies
- dried bay leaves
- cinnamon powder
- cloves
- pasilla powder
- red chilli powder
- dried oregano
- cumin powder
- whole peppercorns
- san marzano tomatoes
- salt
- veggie broth
- water
For the meat replacement I like to use portabella mushrooms. But like I said, you can use pretty much any protein, meat substitute, or veggie blend here that you like. And the process pretty much remains the same. All you have to do is sauté your meat replacement with some taco seasoning and the broth we just made.
Keep in mind that you don’t need a lot of additional seasoning here since we’re adding the broth to season the “meat” and we’re also dipping our tacos into it at the end too. So no need to go overboard! This is the one scenario where even I agree that less is more.
Mushroom “Meat”
- oil
- portabella mushrooms
- taco seasoning
- the broth we just made
Process + Keys to Success:
Broth
- Sauté yellow onions in oil until translucent, then add in garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Add salt, cloves, red chili powder, cumin, oregano, pasilla powder, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Cook for another minute or so.
- Add tomatoes, and crush down with a wooden spoon and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add in veggie broth, 4c of the water, the arbol chillies, california chillies, guajillo chillies, and bay leaves.
- Let the broth simmer for about an hour on low medium heat. About 20 minutes before its done, add another 1.5 c of water.
- Take out bay leaves, and blend broth well with an immersion blender.
Mushroom “Meat”
- Chop mushrooms into thin strips and sauté in oil until all water releases.
- Add in taco seasoning and cook for another minute.
- Add in some of the broth we made earlier, and cook the mixture until its fully absorbed into the mushrooms.
Assembly
- Dip your tacos in the broth and cook over medium heat. Add mushroom “meat” and cheese in center, and fold the edges of the tacos together.
- Add more broth as needed to cook the tacos.
- Serve with yellow onions and fresh cilantro and side of extra broth for dipping.
Toppings + Garnish:
These toppings add the perfect finishing touch to these tacos. For cheese, typically oaxaca is used for birria tacos. But if you want to make these vegan, you can substitute this with a plant-based option.
And definitely don’t be shy with your helpings of fresh cilantro, lime juice, and onions! It adds a super fresh and crisp taste to this dish that’s divine.
- yellow onions
- lime juice
- cilantro
- cheese
- street tacos
More Recipes You’ll Love
Vegetarian Birria Tacos
Materials
Broth
- 5 arbol chilles
- 2 california chillies
- 2 guajillo chillies
- 1/4 c yellow onions
- 2.5 tbsp chopped garlic
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
- 4 cloves
- 1/4 tsp pasilla powder
- 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
- 1 c san marzano tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2.5 c veggie broth
- 5.5 c water
Mushroom "Meat"
- 2 tbsp oil
- 170 g portabella mushrooms
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 1/3 c of the broth we just made
Additional Ingredients
- yellow onions
- cilantro
- cheese
- street tacos
Instructions
Broth
- Sauté yellow onions in oil until translucent, then add in garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Add salt, cloves, red chili powder, cumin, oregano, pasilla powder, cinnamon, and peppercorns. Cook for another minute or so.
- Add tomatoes, and crush down with a wooden spoon and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add in veggie broth, 4c of the water, the arbol chillies, california chillies, guajillo chillies, and bay leaves.
- Let the broth simmer for about an hour on low medium heat. About 20 minutes before its done, add another 1.5 c of water.
- Take out bay leaves, and blend broth well with an immersion blender.
Mushroom "Meat"
- Chop mushrooms into thin strips and sauté in oil until all water releases.
- Add in taco seasoning and cook for another minute.
- Add in some of the broth we made earlier, and cook the mixture until its fully absorbed into the mushrooms.
Assembly
- Dip your tacos in the broth and cook over medium heat. Add mushroom "meat" and cheese in center, and fold the edges of the tacos together.
- Add more broth as needed to cook the tacos.
- Serve with yellow onions and fresh cilantro and side of extra broth for dipping.
The sauce was kick a$$! A little extra spicy as I didnt have the cali chile and added the acho instead. Did remove the seeds and dry veins but apparently was not enough to cut the heat down. Was a little laborious process to work with 1 taco at a time but worth it!!
This recipe was much easier to make than I thought, but I got to try some new things and I learned a lot! It took some trial and error for me to get the tacos not to fall apart, but maybe I didn’t let the oil heat up enough at first. They tasted amazing though and my roommates were very impressed. Also, I used some leftover broth for a soup that fed me for several days. Great recipe!