Make these smoky and cheesy Vegan Birria Tacos with jackfruit, oyster mushrooms and a rich chilli adobo. Served with crispy tortillas and vegan birria consommé for dipping. Get the recipe below.
These Vegan Birria Tacos are rich, smoky, spicy and cheesy, with crispy red corn tortillas stuffed with shredded jackfruit and oyster mushrooms. Served alongside a deeply flavoured birria consommé for dipping, they are a plant-based take on one of Mexico's most famous taco dishes!
Traditional birria originates from the Mexican state of Jalisco. Authentic birria is most commonly made with goat, although lamb, beef and other meats are also used in different regions and modern interpretations. The meat is typically marinated or braised in a richly flavoured adobo made with dried chillies, aromatics, herbs and spices, then slow cooked until tender. The resulting cooking liquid, or consommé, is just as important as the filling itself and is often served alongside the meat for dipping or sipping.
Birria tacos, and particularly quesabirria, are a more recent and hugely popular way of enjoying this richly flavoured stew. Corn tortillas are dipped into the red, chilli-infused fat that rises to the surface of the cooking liquid, filled with tender birria and cheese. They are served with a small bowl of consommé, often topped with diced onion and coriander, for the ultimate dunking experience. It is this combination of crispy tortilla, rich filling, melted cheese and spicy broth that has made birria tacos famous.
This vegan version captures those signature flavours and textures without using any meat. Instead, young jackfruit and oyster mushrooms are shredded and cooked until tender with deliciously crispy edges before being slowly braised in a smoky chilli adobo. Rather than relying on animal fat, the flavourful red oil from the braising liquid is used to coat and crisp the tortillas. The result is a wonderfully messy, cheesy and deeply satisfying plate of plant-based birria tacos that is perfect for sharing!
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Ingredients
For the vegan birria adobo
The adobo is the heart of these vegan birria tacos. It is made with a combination of dried Mexican chillies, garlic, onion, tomato, herbs and spices to create a rich, smoky and slightly sweet sauce.
- Guajillo chillies: These mild dried chillies have a fruity, slightly tangy flavour and give the adobo its beautiful red colour.
- Ancho chillies: Dried poblano chillies with a deep, sweet and slightly smoky flavour.
- Chillies de árbol: These small dried chillies add heat. Use more or less depending on how spicy you like your tacos.
- Garlic, white onion and Roma tomato: These provide a savoury base and balance the flavour of the dried chillies.
- Mexican oregano: Mexican oregano has a slightly different flavour from Mediterranean oregano and works particularly well in Mexican cooking.
- Ground cumin and black pepper: These add warmth and depth.
For the vegan birria filling and consommé
- Vegetable oil: Used to crisp the jackfruit and mushrooms and helps create the red oil used for frying the tacos.
- Young green jackfruit: Choose canned jackfruit in water or brine rather than syrup.
- Oyster mushrooms: When shredded, these add a wonderfully meaty texture to the filling.
- Vegetable stock: Forms the base of the rich braising liquid.
- Whole cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf: These aromatic spices give the consommé its distinctive depth.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds brightness and a gentle tang.
- Salt: Enhances all of the flavours.
For the vegan birria tacos
- Corn tortillas: Small corn tortillas are traditional and are ideal for creating crisp tacos.
- White onion: Finely diced for freshness and crunch.
- Fresh coriander: Adds a bright, herbaceous finish.
- Vegan cheese: Choose a good melting variety for that essential cheesy quesabirria-style filling.
- Lime wedges: Optional, but highly recommended for squeezing over the finished tacos.
Step-by-step instructions
Prepare the chillies. Remove the stems from the dried guajillo, ancho and árbol chillies. Slice them open, remove the seeds and roughly chop them into pieces around 1 to 1.5 cm long.
Soften the chillies. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the prepared chillies and simmer rapidly for 10 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving 120 ml of the chilli soaking water.
Make the adobo. Add the softened chillies, reserved soaking water, garlic, white onion, tomato, Mexican oregano, cumin and black pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
Shred and crisp the filling. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a high heat. Shred the jackfruit and oyster mushrooms, then add them to the pan. Cook until they develop crispy edges.
Cook the adobo. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chilli paste to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring so that the adobo fries gently in the oil.
Braise the vegan birria. Add the vegetable stock, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar and salt. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour.
Separate the birria oil. Skim as much of the red oil from the surface of the braising liquid as possible and transfer it to a separate bowl.
Reserve the consommé. Set aside approximately 240 ml of the braising liquid for dipping.
Prepare the tortillas. Heat around 5 ml of the birria oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add a tortilla and move it around the pan so that it becomes coated in the red oil. Once softened, transfer it to a plate.
Fill the tacos. Spread vegan cheese over one half of the tortilla. Add the shredded jackfruit and mushroom birria, followed by diced white onion and chopped coriander. Fold the tortilla in half.
Fry until crispy. Fry up to three tacos at a time over a medium-high heat for around 2 minutes on each side, until the tortillas are crisp and golden-red and the cheese has melted.
Serve. Serve the vegan birria tacos immediately with the reserved birria consommé for dunking and lime wedges on the side.
Substitutions
Don't have all the ingredients listed? Try some of these swaps!
- Jackfruit: Young green jackfruit is ideal because it shreds easily and absorbs the flavours of the adobo. If you cannot find it, you could substitute it with additional oyster mushrooms.
- Oyster mushrooms: King oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms or chestnut mushrooms would all work well.
- Mexican oregano: If you cannot find Mexican oregano, regular dried oregano can be used instead. The flavour will be slightly different but still delicious.
- Apple cider vinegar: White wine vinegar can be used in place of apple cider vinegar.
- Corn tortillas: Corn tortillas are the best choice for an authentic flavour and texture, but small flour tortillas can be used if you need to. Just be mindful that they will be softer and a bit messier to eat!
- Vegan cheese: Use any vegan cheese that melts well. I use Cathedral City's plant based cheddar as it melts perfectly and has a great flavour.
Variations
Try one of these variations the next time you make my Vegan Birria Tacos:
- Make them extra spicy: Increase the quantity of chillies de árbol or leave some of the seeds in for a hotter vegan birria.
- Add black beans: For an even heartier filling, add drained and rinsed black beans towards the end of the braising time.
- Serve it as a bowl: Skip the tortillas and serve the jackfruit and mushroom birria over rice with avocado, pickled onions, coriander and plenty of lime.
Equipment
The kitchen kit you'll need is:
- Large saucepan for softening the chillis
- Blender or food processor
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan or casserole dish
- Non-stick frying pan or skillet
- Slotted spoon or ladle for separating the birria oil
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
Storage
Store any leftover vegan birria filling and consommé in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The birria filling can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating thoroughly.
For the best texture, store the taco components separately and assemble and fry the tacos just before serving. Already fried tacos will lose their crispness in the fridge.
Top tip
When frying the tacos, make sure the pan is hot enough to crisp the tortillas without burning them.
Frequently asked questions
Birria tacos are tortillas filled with richly flavoured braised birria, often dipped in the red fat from the cooking liquid before being fried until crisp. They are commonly served with a bowl of consommé for dipping.
The distinctive red colour comes from the dried chillies in the adobo. The chilli-infused oil rises to the surface of the braising liquid and is used to coat the tortillas before frying.
Yes, although corn tortillas provide a more traditional flavour and texture. Flour tortillas are softer and may absorb more oil, so take care when frying them.
The recipe
Vegan Birria Tacos
Equipment
- large saucepan
- Blender or food processor
- heavy bottomed saucepan
- non-stick frying pan
- Slotted spoon
- Sharp knife
- chopping board
Ingredients
For the birria adobo
- 25 g dried guajillo chillies
- 50 g dried ancho chillies
- 5 g dried chillies de árbol
- 120 ml chilli soaking water reserved after simmering
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 small white onion roughly sliced
- 1 medium Roma tomato roughly sliced
- 2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
For the vegan birria braising liquid
- 45 ml vegetable oil
- 225 g young green jackfruit drained
- 250 g oyster mushrooms
- 240 ml vegetable stock
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the vegan birria tacos
- 8 small corn tortillas
- ½ white onion finely diced
- 1 bunch fresh coriander finely chopped
- 150 g vegan cheese grated
- Lime wedges to serve, optional
Instructions
- Remove and discard the stems from the guajillo, ancho and árbol chillies. Slice them open lengthways and remove the seeds. Roughly chop the chillies into pieces approximately 1 to 1.5 cm long.
- Place the chillies into a large saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Drain the chillies, making sure to reserve the chilli soaking water.
- Place the softened chillies into a blender along with the reserved chilli water, garlic, onion, tomato, Mexican oregano, cumin and black pepper.
- Blend until completely smooth. If your blender is struggling, add a small splash more water as needed.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over a high heat.
- Shred the jackfruit and oyster mushrooms using your fingers or two forks. Add them to the hot pan and cook until they begin to develop crispy, golden edges.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chilli paste to the pan with the jackfruit and mushrooms.
- Cook for around 2 minutes, stirring regularly, allowing the adobo to fry gently in the oil and deepen in flavour.
- Add the vegetable stock, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, apple cider vinegar and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat until it is barely simmering. Cover with a lid and cook gently for 1 hour.
- Once the birria has finished cooking, carefully skim as much of the red oil from the surface of the braising liquid as possible and transfer it to a separate bowl.
- Reserve approximately 240 ml of the braising liquid to serve as your birria consommé for dipping.
- Heat around 5 ml of the reserved birria oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat.
- Add a corn tortilla and gently move it around the pan so that it becomes coated in the red oil. Once softened, transfer it to a plate.
- Spread vegan cheese over one half of the tortilla, then add the shredded jackfruit and mushroom filling. Finish with diced white onion and chopped coriander.
- Fold the tortilla in half.
- Working in batches of around three tacos, pan-fry the tacos over a medium-high heat for approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until crisp, golden-red and the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately with the reserved birria consommé and lime wedges.
Nutrition
Serving suggestions
Why not serve these tacos alongside some of my other favourite Mexican dishes:
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