October 26, 2022
Vegan Birria Walking Tacos
These vegan Birria Walking Tacos are a fun twist on classic quesabirria tacos! Get your favorite bag of chips, toss them with some melty vegan cheese sauce, then top them with meaty birria mushrooms, fresh pico de gallo and a squeeze of fresh lime! Seriously the most delicious portable snack that’s perfect for your next get-together!
vegan birria walking tacos
This recipe was a long time coming!!! These vegan birria walking tacos combines my most popular recipe on the blog (birria tacos), and a beloved favorite of mine, walking tacos (or Frito Pie)! Since I’ve been seeing countless people on social media make versions of walking tacos, I haven’t stopped thinking of making these! So I did! And now you can, too 😉
Grab a cold one and let’s get to making some delicious birria walking tacos!
what is a walking taco?
Basically a bag of chips filled with all your favorite taco toppings. Kinda like nachos … but portable! It’s a dish popular in the Midwestern, Southeastern, and Southwestern United States. There are many variations and alternative names used by region. Walking tacos can be prepared in a casserole dish, but a typical preparation is in a single-serve chip bag with various ingredients as toppings. Different variations include Frito Pie – usually made with Fritos, chili, and various toppings, and Tostilocos – a popular Mexican street food snack which is typically made with Tostitos tortilla chips, various toppings, and chamoy. The origins of Frito Pies/Walking Tacos are spotty – the earliest recorded recipe using Fritos was published in Texas in the late 1940’s, but many claim it actually originated in the 60’s by Teresa Hernández. I definitely suggest checking out this article by Eater and this article by Trazee Traveler, which go more in depth about the history and possible origins.
what is birria?
Birria is a Mexican dish that originates from the state of Jalisco. Traditionally, it is made from goat meat or mutton, but in surrounding states like Michoacán, parts of Durango, and Zacatecas, versions include beef birria, AKA Birria de Res. The dish is often served at celebratory occasions, such as weddings and baptisms, and holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. It’s also a popular dish to eat to sweat out a cruda, or hangover. Preparation techniques vary, but the dish is often served with corn tortillas, onions, cilantro and lime, and the meat is marinated in adobo spices. There are a few different ways to enjoy Birria, my new favorite being this ramen! You can also serve birria in burritos, quesadillas, and in tacos alongside the consomé for dipping.
what goes in vegan birria walking tacos?
Think of all your favorite taco fillings – cheese, crema, pico de gallo – the possibilities are endless! Here’s what you need to make my vegan birria walking tacos:
KING TRUMPET/OYSTER MUSHROOMS:
King Trumpet mushrooms are one of my favorite varietals of mushrooms! They’re the largest species of mushrooms with wide, meaty stems and small caps—perfect for replicating dishes like shredded meat! I can almost always find them in my local Asian market and at my local health food stores, such as Whole Foods and Sprouts. You can also check your farmer’s markets! If you don’t have access to oyster mushrooms, use whatever you can find! Just shred or slice them as thinly as possible. Note that some mushrooms have more water content than others, so if using a different varietal, cooking times might differ.
DRIED CHILES and aromatics:
Where I’m from, I find dried chiles very accessible. I typically buy them at my local supermarket – found in the spices aisle or the “International” aisle (I hate that they still call it this!). If you have a local Mexican or Latin market, even better! You can also find a wide variety of dried chiles on Amazon. Additionally, if you can’t access all the dried chiles, you can substitute equal portions of one out for the other (except for chile de arbol, as those are the spiciest).
Roasted onion – quickly hit it under the broiler or pan roast it!
Garlic
VEGAN BEEF BROTH:
I typically buy this in powder or cube bouillon form, then mix with water to create a very flavorful broth. I can find artificial beef powder or bouillon at my local Asian market, specialty health food stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, or on Amazon. If you can’t access it, you can substitute with mushroom powder, or vegetable bouillon.
chips:
I think tortilla chips work best, but feel free to use whatever chips you like! I usually find individual sizes of these Salsita’s Spicy Salsa Tortilla Chips at my local convenience store or gas station market. Some other chips I’ve made these with are Takis (the vegan-friendly flavor, of course), corn chips (like Frito’s), and the sweet chili Doritos!
toppings:
You can grow crazy here! The great thing about walking tacos is that they’re totally customizable! I added some vegan mozzarella cheese sauce, pico de gallo, radish, jalapeño, and fresh lime wedges.
how to make ’em:
While this recipe does take a bit of prep work and time, I promise it’s worth it! I mean my Birria Tacos recipe is one the most popular recipes on the blog for a reason 😉 As long as you prep everything out before you start cooking, the recipe should go by fairly easy! Here’s how to make it:
1. MARINATE:
Shred or slice the mushrooms into thin, meat-like strips. Place them shreds in a large bowl, season and give ’em it a good massage to ensure all the pieces are coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 hours.
2. MAKE THE CONSOMÉ BROTH:
meanwhile, rehydrate your dried chiles, drain, and throw them into a blender some broth and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a pot with more broth and simmer covered until it thickens. Remove the lid, add a bit more broth, and continue to simmer a bit longer.
3. COOK THE BIRRIA ‘MEAT’:
Meanwhile, cook the marinated mushrooms in a large skillet (the larger, the better!) over medium-high heat until crisped around the edges! Add some of the broth and cook it a bit longer for maximum flavor.
4. ASSEMBLE and enjoy!
To assemble the walking tacos, open a bag of the tortilla chips across lengthwise, and roll down the sides. Spoon over some vegan cheese sauce, followed by a generous portion of the birria ‘meat’. Finish with pico de gallo, thinly sliced radish and jalapeno, and a squeeze of fresh lime! Enjoy!
more game day snacks to try this season
- Pull apart pizza sliders
- Taco Cups
- Texas-style nachos
- Cheeseburger spring rolls
- Chick’n dinner cornbread muffins
walking tacos > regular tacos
I have no doubts you’ll love these walking birria tacos as much as I do! If I inspired you to make ’em, I would love to see your recreations! Snap a picture or take a video, share it on Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs! Til next time, friends!
xo!
- • 2 pounds king trumpet or oyster mushrooms (see recipe notes 1)
- • 2 TBS apple cider vinegar
- • 8 TBS vegetable oil, divided
- • 1 tsp Kosher salt
- • 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- • 1 tsp tsp maggi seasoning sauce, optional, for color
- • 2 dried California Chiles (see recipe notes 2)
- • 2 dried chile de arbol, optional
- • 2 dried guajillo chiles
- • 1 dried pasilla chile
- • ½ large white onion, quartered and roasted
- • 5 cloves garlic,
- • 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns, or 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- • 3 whole cloves
- • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- • ¼ tsp allspice
- • 3 cups prepared vegan beef or vegetable broth, divided (see recipe notes 3)
- • 2 bay leaves
- • 4 (3-ounce) bags of your favorite tortilla chips
- • Vegan cheese sauce, homemade or store-bought
- • Pico de gallo, homemade or store-bought
- • Thinly sliced radish
- • Thinly sliced jalapeno
- • Fresh lime wedges
- If using king trumpet mushrooms, cut off the tops, slice them thinly and place them into a large bowl. Using your hands, shred the stems mushrooms into meat-like strips (kind of like you’re pulling string cheese). Place the shreds into the large bowl and season with apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon oil, garlic powder, and salt. Give it a good massage to ensure all the pieces are coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 hours.
- Rehydrate the dried chilis in boiling hot water (see recipe notes 4) for 10 minutes. Drain and remove as many seeds as possible. Place the chiles in a high-powered blender with the roasted onion and garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, peppercorns, cloves, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and the prepared broth. Pulse until smooth (see recipe notes 5). Transfer the sauce to a pot over medium-high heat and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt, if necessary. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the mushrooms in an even layer and cook without touching, until the edges begin to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Give them a good toss and continue to cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until crisped on all sides, another 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1 cup of the consomé to the sauté pan and continue to cook while stirring until most of the sauce cooks down, 10 to 15 minutes.
- To assemble the walking tacos, open a bag of the tortilla chips across lengthwise, and roll down the sides. Spoon over some vegan cheese sauce, followed by a generous portion of the birria ‘meat’. Finish with pico de gallo, thinly sliced radish and jalapeno, and a squeeze of fresh lime! Enjoy!
2. If you can’t access all the dried chiles, you can sub one out for the other (except for chile de arbol, as those are the spiciest).
3. I can find artificial beef powder or bouillon at my local Asian market or on amazon.
4. Contrary to popular belief, removing the seeds from the dried chiles is to avoid bitterness, it has nothing to do with spice. If your consommé tastes bitter, it’s most likely because you aren’t removing the seeds from the chiles!
5. I have a high-powered blender, which is why my recipe doesn’t call to strain the consommé. If you don’t, you can strain it for a smoother consistency.
