"Birria" Style Chicken Tacos

4.60 from 5 votes

"Birria" Style Chicken Tacos

"Birria" style tacos are made with shredded rotisserie chicken and a savory adobo sauce. It's a simplified fried taco recipe that can be made in under 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

4-6 pound fully cooked rotisserie chicken shredded
Small corn tortillas
1 white onion diced
Fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
8 ounce Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella cheese
Optional lime wedges for serving

Adobo sauce

2 cups water or chicken broth
3 tablespoons adobo sauce I buy chipotle peppers in adobo
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep chicken, onion, and cilantro and set aside. Be sure to keep chicken shreds manageable so they fit in the corn tortillas. Place chicken in a bowl and set aside.
Make a cornstarch slurry by adding cornstarch to one tablespoon of cool water. Stir until mixed. Combine remaining adobo sauce ingredients (including cornstarch slurry) in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until thickened and smooth.
Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the shredded chicken and toss to coat. Season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Bring 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet to medium-high heat. Dip both sides of a corn tortilla in the adobo sauce and place flat in the skillet. Top with a thin layer of cheese. On one half of the tortilla, layer chicken, onion, and cilantro, followed by a little more cheese. Fold over the other half and press down with a spatula. Sear for 1 minute per side or until golden and crisped. Add more oil to the skillet as needed
Serve tacos with extra adobo sauce for dipping.

Notes

You can make this with flour tortillas if you prefer. Always look for the small 6-inch taco size.

These tacos are best fried in a hot cast-iron skillet with oil. A non-stick pan will work as well. I typically fry 1-2 tacos at a time and eat them on demand!

Build and layer the tacos right in the skillet with cheese, shredded chicken, white onion, cilantro, and more cheese. Fold, sear, and press down with a spatula until golden and crispy on both sides. Flipping usually helps.

Nutrition