Birria Mania: 10 Best Birria Tacos That Deserve All The Hype
What's behind the hypnotic, hedonistic appeal of this craveworthy dish and where to find the really good ones in the metro
Birria tacos have a primal appeal. It's meat cooked in a coppery red stew of beguiling complexity, slow-cooked till ultra tender then then shredded, stuffed into a taco shells or tortillas with gooey cheese. It comes with salsa and consomé — the same stew the meat is cooked in, which arrives on your table with a generous shimmer of fat and beguilingly complex flavors. It's hypnotic, mouthwatering, hedonistic comfort food at its best.
Originally a regional Mexican stew, birria became a TikTok sensation during the pandemic. Thousands of posts are show off fantastic melted cheese pulls, and the almost hedonistic taco dips into styro cups of consomé (birria broth). Birria tacos are celebrated for their infinite variations. The social media hype is relentless birria and irresistible. Everyone wants to know what the heck birria tacos are, and where to find the best ones.
@jacquegotmeat I know I’m not the only one who has been craving these tacos😍 ##birria ##birriatacos ##tacos ##mexicanfood ##consome ##cooking ##tiktokfoods ##tiktokcooks
♬ Mexican Fiesta - World Cruiser
If you haven’t yet sampled birria tacos, we urge you to do so a.s.a.p. You'll be entranced by the opulence of the meat, almost gelatinous in places; the handmade flour or corn tortillas, rich savory broth, great gobs of cheese, all the elements that coalesce to satisfy a deep, primeval hunger within us. It’s just what you need to rouse you from the doldrums. Birria is adventure and comfort packaged in one tiny tortilla at a time. And if that doesn’t really make sense, well, that’s because you have to taste it to really understand its magic.
Yearning to find the best crazy-delicious birria tacos in the metro? Click through my personally selected, curated-with-difficulty list below.
Birria Mania
Birria Mania
House of Birria
The menu focuses on sexy, messy beef birria tacos made with real Mexican chilis and USDA beef braised in birria stew for eight hours till unbelievably tender, spooned inside flour tortillas with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, white onion, cilantro and shredded lettuce. Also try the Arroz de Birria with salsa and garlic cilantro cream. Add an order of bone marrow for extra richness. Order at @houseofbirriaph on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Los Tacos
This home-based taco shop serves deliciously complex birria tacos with a fascinating touch of heat, thanks to the addition of chipotle. You get to choose between roja, verde, or macha salsas, and the homemade flour tortillas absorb all the yummy fatty flavors so well. In addition to birria tacos, they have birria tostada, mulita, and quesabirria. Order from @losctaosmmnl on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Al Pastor Taqueria
Build your own tacos with their beef birria taco kits that come in 6, 12 or 24 pieces, with cheese and guacamole add ons. Easy to assemble and succulent with hand-pulled beef, shredded cheese, and well balanced consomé. They operate from a small kitchen, so order 1 to 2 days in advance. Order from @alpastortaqueriaph on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Chulitas PH
Serving what they call Fil-Mex meals, this tiny restaurant has a nice selection of birria products including a Birria Burrito (cheese, lettuce, birria, onions and rice), Quezo Birria Tacos with mozzarella, and more. We love how the slow-cooked beef birria is so rich in flavor, freshened with a little cilantro. Order from @chulitas.ph on Instagram, they deliver all over the metro. Also available on foodpanda.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Onlypans
Onlypans became known for its sushi bake, but their Quesa Birria Tacos are super good too! Shredded USDA beef and melty cheese are stuffed into a tortilla then served with salsa, lime and a little rich consomé for dippig or sipping. Same day orders available, with branches in San Juan and La Union. Order from @onlypansph on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
La Chinesca
The consomé is infused with guajillo chilies that add fruity, rustic flavor. The Birria de Res is slow cooked beef marinated in guajillo broth, then stuffed in housemade corn tortillas with red onion, cilantro and a side of extra guajillo broth for dunking in. Quesabirria is made with mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and onions all wrapped up in corn tortillas griddled to crunchiness. Get a party tray — 12 tortillas with all the fixings: salsa roja, salsa verde, chipotle hot sauce. Order from @lachinesca on Instagram or @thegridfoodmarket.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Cochi Loco
Mexican chef Johnny Rodriguez started out joining pop ups and bazaars before finally opening Cochi Loco in SM Aura Premier last March. Order the Birria Queso Tacos oozing with cheese, avocado, chopped onion and cilantro on artisan telera bread. Try the barbacoa. Available on GrabFood and foodpanda. Or order through @cochilocomanila on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Guajillo
Mexican guajillo chilies make a spectacular difference to the birria tacos that come out slightly spicy, topped with onion and cilantro. They also have birriadilla, a 7-inch spicy beef stew quesadilla with jalapeños, onion, cilantro topped with sriracha sour cream sauce. And birria rice— birria stew topped with cilantro and onions with Mexican rice and red kidney beans. Party trays available. Order from @guajillo.ph on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Señorito
Get griddled, crisp tacos in great flavors like pork sisig, jerk chicken, beef tapa or battered fish. With consomé, yogurt and lemon, in boxes of 6, 10 or a party tray of 15. Try the birria nachos too. Order from @senorito_ph on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Cafe Alegria
Meatless birria tacos? Here they are. Made with pulled king oysters, plenty of cheese and housemade corn tortillas, with a consome of pasilla, guajillo and adobo. Order from @cafealegriamnl on Instagram.
Photo Credit: ORDER HERE
Lead photos: House of Birria, Onlypans
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