Description
Vegan Birria Tacos feature slow-cooked consommé and meaty oyster mushrooms that are marinated, shredded, and cooked to achieve rich, crispy edges. Stuffed into warm corn tortillas with vegan mozzarella, these tacos are served with fresh onions, cilantro, lime, and a flavorful consommé sauce for dipping, delivering a delicious Mexican-inspired vegan meal.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 3 dried California chiles
- 3 dried chile de arbol (optional)
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried pasilla chile
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 4 cups prepared vegan chicken or vegetable broth, divided
- 3 whole peppercorns or ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 3 bay leaves
Birria ‘Meat’
- 2 lbs oyster mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Tacos
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- Chopped cilantro, for serving
- Diced onion, for serving
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: Cut open the dried chiles with scissors, remove the seeds, and place in a bowl with hot water to rehydrate for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place quartered onions and garlic cloves on a parchment-lined baking tray, massage with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and broil on the middle oven rack for 25-30 minutes until charred and darkened on the edges.
- Blend and Simmer Sauce: Drain the rehydrated chiles and add to a blender along with the roasted onions, garlic, 1 cup broth, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, peppercorns, cloves, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, allspice. Blend everything until smooth. Transfer this sauce to a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 cups broth and bay leaves, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Prepare Mushroom ‘Meat’: While the sauce simmers and chiles rehydrate, shred oyster mushrooms by hand. Season them with apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt, mixing thoroughly to coat. Cover and let marinate during the sauce simmering time.
- Cook Mushrooms: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of vegetable oil. Add the marinated mushrooms in an even layer, cooking for 13-15 minutes until edges begin to crisp. Pour 1.5 to 2 cups of the simmered sauce into the skillet, stir well, and cook for another 5 minutes to blend flavors and heat through.
- Assemble and Cook Tacos: Heat a separate pan over medium heat with some oil. Dip each corn tortilla into the consommé sauce, then place on the pan. Add a spoonful of vegan mozzarella and a couple tablespoons of mushroom mixture to one side of the tortilla. Cook about 1-2 minutes until the bottom is browned and crispy, then fold the tortilla in half, pressing gently with a spatula. Repeat with remaining tortillas, oil, sauce, and mushroom filling.
- Serve: Serve the tacos hot, garnished with diced onions, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges alongside extra consommé for dipping or sipping.
Notes
- The consommé sauce is excellent served as a side and can be used to elevate other Mexican dishes like enchiladas or nachos.
- If you can’t find vegan chicken broth, vegetable broth works perfectly as a base.
- You can omit the chile de arbol if you prefer less heat.
- Shredding oyster mushrooms by hand helps maintain texture closer to traditional meat birria.
- Broiling onions and garlic adds a deep, smoky flavor to the sauce.
- Use a good quality vegan mozzarella that melts well for best taco texture.
