Brisket Birria Taquitos
By Mandy Tanner
Crispy, cheesy, and full of tender, fragrant beef—it’s hard to beat the pleasures of a birria taquito. And while birria tacos became all the rage on social media, we find that rolling everything up in a tight little package makes them perfect finger food and easier to dip in the aromatic braising liquid. This is a phenomenal way to feature leftover brisket cooked on your Traeger.
Prep Time
20 Min
Cook Time
1 Hrs
15 Min
Pellets
Brisket Blend
Yields: 4 Servings
Ingredients
Adobo Sauce
- 2
- Ancho chiles
- 2
- Cascabel chiles
- 2
- Guajillo chiles
- 1/2
- white onion, chopped
- 4
- cloves garlic
- 1
- inch ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2
- sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 Teaspoon
- dry oregano, preferably Mexican
- 1 Teaspoon
- kosher salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon
- ground cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon
- ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon
- white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 Cup
- cold water
Taquitos
- 2 Cup
- homemade or unsalted beef broth
- 1
- dried bay leaf
- 1 Pound
- cooked brisket, fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1
- ball Oaxaca cheese (10 to 12 oz)
- Canola oil, for frying
- 10
- corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro, for serving
- lime wedges, for serving
Units of Measurement:
Step
- Step 1 - Make the adobo sauce: Stem the chiles, split them lengthwise with scissors or a knife, then remove any seeds or large ribs. - Ingredients- 2 Ancho chiles 
- 2 Cascabel chiles 
- 2 Guajillo chiles 
 
- Step 2 - Heat a medium cast iron or other heavy-duty skillet over medium heat on the Traeger Induction cooktop or on a stove. Toast the chiles, flipping them occasionally, until darkened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and enough hot water to cover. Cook until the vegetables have softened, another 5 to 8 minutes. - Ingredients- 1/2 white onion, chopped 
- 4 cloves garlic 
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped 
 
- Step 3 - Strain the mixture discarding the cooking liquid. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and add the thyme, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cumin. Add the vinegar and 1 cup cold water, then blend until well pureed. (The adobo sauce can be made ahead and kept covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for longer.) - Ingredients- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 
- 1 Teaspoon dry oregano, preferably Mexican 
- 1 Teaspoon kosher salt 
- 1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon 
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground cumin 
- 1 Tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar 
- 1 Cup cold water 
 
- Step 4 - Braise the brisket: Transfer the puree to a large, heavy-duty pot. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, and cooked brisket. Cover the pot to keep any bubbling at bay and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until the brisket is heated through and fall-apart tender, about 30 minutes. - Ingredients- 2 Cup homemade or unsalted beef broth 
- 1 dried bay leaf 
- 1 Pound cooked brisket, fat trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces 
 
- Step 5 - Transfer the brisket to a bowl. Pour a ladleful of the cooking liquid over it. Using heat gloves or two forks, shred the brisket. Strain some of the remaining broth into a bowl or bowls for serving. (Reserve and freeze any that remains for future good eating.) 
- Step 6 - Make the taquitos: Slice the Oaxaca cheese into logs about 3-inches long and between ¼ and ½ inch thick. Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towel and place a rack on it. Set a deep, heavy-duty pot filled no more than halfway with oil on the Traeger Induction cooktop. Clip a deep fry thermometer to the pot and heat the oil over medium heat. - Ingredients- 1 ball Oaxaca cheese (10 to 12 oz) 
- Canola oil, for frying 
 
- Step 7 - As the oil heats, carefully dip a tortilla into the warm oil for about 5 seconds to make it pliable for rolling. Transfer to the rack to drain. Pat dry with paper towel, if necessary, and repeat with the remaining tortillas. - Ingredients- 10 corn tortillas 
 
- Step 8 - Place a log of Oaxaca cheese toward the center of one cooled tortilla, then then top with some shredded brisket. Roll the tortilla up tightly and secure with a toothpick threaded lengthwise along the seam. Repeat with remaining tortillas, cheese, and brisket. 
- Step 9 - Heat the oil for frying to between 350°F and 375°F. Working in small batches, fry the taquitos until crispy and golden brown, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Carefully transfer the cooked taquitos to the rack to drain. Let cool slightly before removing and discarding the toothpicks. 
- Step 10 - Serve the taquitos with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, if desired, and the reserved strained braising broth for dipping. Enjoy! - Ingredients- Fresh cilantro, for serving 
- lime wedges, for serving 
 
My Notes
In order to add notes for this recipe, you must log in or create an account.