Name: Exactly How To Reheat Birria Tacos
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1 portion birria tacos

Table of Contents

Birria tacos are such an indulgent treat. They always hit the spot.

And there is NO WAY I could ever throw out leftover birria tacos without trying to save them.

So I decided to experiment and find out the best way to reheat birria tacos (I tried out four different methods).

I also give you some tips on storing the tacos to keep them fresh.

The best way to reheat birria tacos is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place your leftover birria tacos on a wire rack and set it over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Reheat for 10-12 minutes (less in a toaster oven), or until hot in the middle. Once hot, serve immediately.

A note on my experiment

You don’t need to ask me twice to throw a Taco Tuesday.

But just last week, I ended up making way too many (surprising no one) so I decided to experiment with four different ways to reheat my birria tacos.

The methods I tried included:

In the oven (consistently good results)
In a skillet (nice crispy shell)
In the microwave (worst method)
In an air fryer (my favorite method)

The oven method delivered good results, especially after I popped on the broiler.

The skillet method also worked well but was a little labor-intensive for my tastes.

As for the microwave, let’s just say “soggy” is an understatement.

But then I tried the air fryer, and I was blown away by how well it worked.

Ready? Let’s look at exactly how to reheat birria tacos.

Reheating birria tacos in the oven

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place your leftover birria tacos on a wire rack and set the rack over a baking sheet to catch any dripping fat or sauce. Bake for 10-12 minutes (less in a toaster oven), or until warm in the middle. Once hot, serve immediately.

To crisp up your taco shell, turn your broiler on for a minute or two at the end of the warming cycle.

How to reheat birria tacos in the oven:

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Set a wire rack over a baking tray.
Place your leftover tacos on the wire rack.
Warm for 10-12 minutes (or until hot to the center). Toaster ovens will heat the tacos faster than a conventional oven.
Optional: Turn on your broiler to crisp your taco shell.
Serve immediately.

Reheating your tacos on a wire rack ensures they warm evenly from all directions, while the baking tray serves as a drip tray.

If you leave them resting on a baking tray, they might come out soggy.

If you don’t have a wire rack, you can scrunch up some foil and use this to elevate the tacos off the baking tray.

Top tip: don’t throw away the drippings! Pour these back over your tacos to add extra flavor.

My verdict

The oven is really consistent with its results.

The tacos came out super tasty. The shell could have been a little crisper, but the broiler sorted this out.

The one potential downside of this method is that it takes a bit of time if you only have a big oven.

Reheating birria tacos in a skillet

Set a lightly greased or non-stick pan over low heat on your stove. Place one or two tacos into the pan and gently heat them, flipping every 2 minutes until they’re warm to the center. Once the filling is nice and steamy, crank up the heat to crisp your taco shell. Serve immediately.

Use only enough oil or non-stick spray in your pan to prevent sticking.

You don’t want to turn your taco greasy.

How to reheat birria tacos in a skillet

Coat a pan lightly with oil or non-stick cooking spray.
Set your stove to low heat.
Place your leftover tacos, not touching, in the pan.
Heat until the filling is warm, flipping every 2 minutes.
Once hot, turn up the stove to crisp the outside of your taco shell.
Serve immediately.

When turning your tacos, work carefully to prevent spilling too much of your filling.

Go low and slow to begin with to make sure the filling gets piping hot. Then you blast them with heat to get rid of any sogginess.

My verdict

This method worked well and delivered a nice, crispy taco shell.

I’d definitely recommend it (unless your tacos are so overstuffed it’s going to be difficult to flip them)

The downside of this method?

Washing up the pan afterwards.

Reheating birria tacos in the microwave

To reheat birria tacos in the microwave, start by placing one (or max two) on a microwave-safe plate and covering it with a damp paper towel. Heat the tacos for 30 seconds on high and then continue to warm in 15-second intervals until steaming. Rest your taco for 30 seconds before serving.

How to reheat birria tacos in the microwave:

Place your leftover birria tacos on a microwave-safe plate.
Optional: Cover staler tacos with a damp paper towel. This will keep the taco shell from drying out.
On high, microwave the tacos for 30 seconds.
Then continue to warm your tacos in 15-second intervals until steaming.
Once hot, remove from the microwave and rest for 30 seconds before serving.

Tacos warm up very quickly in the microwave, so this shouldn’t take more than a minute.

Checking your taco’s progress every 15 seconds reduces the likelihood of them overheating and hot sauce splattering inside the microwave.

Eat your tacos quickly after they come out of the microwave because once the shell starts to cool, it will stale very quickly.

My verdict

This was my least favorite method.

I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have no other option.

The filling was nice, but the taco was super soggy.

Reheating birria tacos in an air fryer

Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C). Spread your leftover tacos out in a single layer in your fryer basket. Heat them for 4-5 minutes. Once hot, serve immediately. Check on your tacos every 2 minutes to reduce the risk of burnt shells, which can happen really quickly in an air fryer.

How to reheat birria tacos in an air fryer:

Set your air fryer to 350°F (180°C)
Spread out your tacos in your fryer basket, not touching.
Heat for 4-5 minutes, until hot and crispy.
Serve immediately.

Make sure there is space between each taco and no overlap in the air fryer for optimal air circulation and crisping.

If you’re reheating multiple tacos, you may need to do a few batches.

To avoid any spilled filling, line your fryer basket with foil. Pierce a few holes in the foil to prevent blocking air circulation.

For extra crispiness (though this shouldn’t be necessary), spray a little cooking spray on your taco shell before reheating.

My verdict

The best method by far! My tacos tasted almost as good as new.

The taco shell was nice and crispy, and the filling was moist and hot.

This method is also quick and convenient.

How to reheat birria

Have you got a craving for leftover birria sans taco?

Maybe you’ve made more than you needed and ended up with some excess stashed away in the fridge.

Let me walk you through how to reheat this delicious dish in three different ways.

On the stove

Place your leftover birria in a non-stick pan over medium heat on your stove. Add a little stock or water if it’s gone a bit dry in the fridge or freezer. Then, warm your birria, stirring it as you go. Once simmering, it’s ready to be served.

This method is fast and retains all the flavor of the meat. I would even go so far as to say adding a little stock amplifies it.

In the microwave

Place your leftover birria in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a piece of damp paper towel. Heat for 60-seconds, stir, and then heat in 30-second intervals until steaming. Once hot, serve immediately.

This method is effective and convenient, but be wary of overheating your birria and drying out the meat.

In the oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Transfer your leftover birria into an oven-safe dish, add a few tablespoons of water or stock and cover it tightly with foil. Heat for 10-20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally. Once warm to your satisfaction, serve immediately.

This method is time-consuming but delivers consistently delicious results, keeping birria tender and moist.

How to store birria tacos

You can store leftover birria tacos in the fridge for up to 5 days. Lay them out in a single layer in an airtight container. You can double up on layers by placing parchment paper between them. Make sure they’re cool to room temperature before storing.

If the filling is particularly moist, consider lining the container with a dry paper towel to soak up any excess moisture. This will help keep the tacos from getting too soggy and mushy.

You can also store any extra birria on its own in a separate airtight container.

Keep the meat its sauce so that it stays moist and juicy for reheating.

Can you freeze birria tacos?

Don’t freeze already assembled birria tacos. They’ll turn to mush when you thaw them. Instead, you can freeze the birria mixture on its own and then use fresh tacos or freeze some tacos separately. Use the frozen birria within 6 months for best results.

How to freeze birria tacos:

Keep the birria mixture and the taco shells separate.
Cool your leftover birria to room temperature.
Transfer/portion out your birria into heavy-duty freezer bags and remove as much air as possible. This will prevent premature freezer burn.
Separate your taco shells with parchment paper, wrap them in plastic, and then in foil.
Place in the freezer and use within 6 months.

Separating your shells with parchment paper will prevent them from sticking together, so you can take one out at a time.

How to reheat frozen birria

The best way to thaw frozen birria is overnight in the fridge. However, you can speed up the process using your microwave’s defrost setting, or you can thaw your birria at very low heat in the oven. For your tacos, defrost them at room temperature or on a low heat setting in the microwave.

Once your components are suitably defrosted, you can reassemble your tacos and reheat them using any of the methods outlined above.

(But maybe not the microwave method)