The Aldi Meat You Need For Simple Homemade Birria Tacos

Tacos are undeniably delicious, and out of all the different kinds (including French tacos, which are admittedly very different from Mexican ones but still amazing), few are more distinctive and beloved than the delectable birria taco. However, the highly seasoned, tender meat used in the tacos takes a long time to prepare. Fortunately for you, Aldi sells a beef chuck roast that's pre-seasoned and prepared specifically for birria, so you can make a dinner of delicious Mexican food that much easier.

Birria is a traditional dish from the state of Jalisco that allegedly came about after Spanish conquistadors introduced invasive goats. To combat the goats stomping about eating crops and also address a new food source, locals created birria made from the animals' meat (though some argue that the details of this story are apocryphal). Its assortment of seasonings and the slow cooking method were originally meant to improve tough, gamey goat meat, though today it's often used to turn beef into a tender delight that melts in your mouth. The Aldi offering in particular has garnered some vocal fans, with one Redditor writing that "I loved it! Slow cooked it and then put it on corn tortillas with red onion, cilantro, and some lime." Another simply declared, "It's the bomb!"

Birria tacos are traditionally served with plenty of cheese, along with a highly-seasoned consommé broth and plenty of cilantro, diced onions, and lime juice. Aldi's pre-seasoned version takes much of the work out of the equation while leaving plenty of room for customization, including perhaps additions like chicharrones as a taco topping.

Of course, meat alone doesn't make a taco. Making Mexican birria is a long process but a relatively simple one. There are plenty of recipes out there to try, along with pre-made kits like Old El Paso's birria taco kits. Simplified recipes call for the meat, some salsa, and water in the slow cooker, but a more traditional birria involves a consommé made from scratch using dried peppers, tomato, onion, garlic, broth, vinegar, and various spices.

The biggest thing to worry about is how you cook it — sorry, Aldi isn't doing that part for you just yet. Thankfully, it's a pretty straightforward process, as all you have to do is remove the Aldi meat from the package, sear it quickly on all sides, then put it in the slow cooker with the consommé (or just beef broth, as some Aldi customers have done) for a few hours. When it's done, it should be tender enough to shred into delicious taco filling.

For a more authentic birria experience, dip the tortillas in your consommé to pick up some fat and fry before adding fillings. The end result should be a crispy tortilla filled with flavorful, tender shredded beef and melty cheese. Once you take that first bite, it'll be well worth the hours of smelling the delicious scent of it cooking.