Bottom Line: The Birria Beef Tacos from El Pollo Loco are pretty messy and they don’t bring a lot of heat, but they deliver some good, authentic Mexican food taste.
El Pollo Loco is a Mexican/American fast food chain that specializes in chicken. They do fire-grilled whole chicken along with chicken tacos, chicken burritos, chicken salads, chicken bowls, and more. I have visited the place several times and can tell you that they cook up some pretty good poultry. So for my latest visit, I stopped by to try out their . . . beef tacos.
Those who have been regular visitors to my site (and if you have not you should be because we have plenty of good spicy fun!) will know that I have had my fill of poultry with all the chicken sandwiches and wings out there of late. So when I saw that El Pollo Loco had brought back their beef tacos to the menu, I knew I had to give them a try. And these are not just any beef tacos, these are the Birria beef tacos which have taken the internet by storm lately.
Birria is a traditional Mexican stew often made with goat, but beef can be used as well. The meat is cooked in a rich broth that is seasoned with chilis and other spices until it is fall-apart tender. The Birria tacos take the meat and put it into corn tortillas which are then dipped into the broth and fried. The Birria taco box from El Pollo Loco comes with two beef tacos that also have cheese, onions, and cilantro. Also included is a cup of the broth (they give it the fancy name “consommé dipping sauce”) and a small order of tortilla chips.
Let’s start with that “consommé dipping sauce” because it is more than just a sauce. This is like a lite stew with seasonings, onions, cilantro, and a few chunks of meat. It has a rich, earthy taste with a bit of a kick from those chilis. I could make a meal off just a bowl of this stuff and a few fresh tortillas (and some hot sauce to kick it up.)
After sampling the sauce, I moved on to the tacos which are stuffed with shredded beef that is nicely seasoned, moist, and tender. It is like a perfectly slow-cooked roast or less oily barbacoa. The onions are prominent (some might even ask them to go easy on those) and they work well with the meat as does the fresh cilantro. And the cheese (which is not named but I believe is a Monterey Jack) adds a nice, mild creaminess. They double up on the crispy taco shells, but those are pretty crumbly and fall apart quickly, making these some pretty messy tacos.
And while the tacos are good on their own, you are going to want to dip them into the sauce because that takes them to the next level. The flavor from the broth works perfectly with the taco to amp this up to first rate Mexican food that you will think you got from some authentic local taco joint. This is definitely a step above what you expect from a fast food place. And after you are done, you have a little cup of tortilla soup with all the bits that dropped in from the taco!
This dish comes up to Mild heat at best on my scale (most of the spice comes from the sauce), but these are not about the heat as much as the savory flavors coming together to create an awesome little meal. If you want to kick things up, then add your favorite hot sauce to that broth (Tapatio works really well here) to bring some burn. In any case, this is a fantastic find and I will be getting these again and also trying the other Birria options on the menu.
Just a note on the execution: It appears that they use crunchy taco shells as opposed to fresh tortillas that are then crisped up in the fryer. That is likely to save time, but it does result in very crumbly tacos and is not quite in line with what you might get from a local taco shop. It doesn’t bother me a bit because they still come out delicious, but this fast food version might disappoint some expecting a different type of preparation for the taco shells.
The full order including the two tacos, sauce, and chips totals up to 830 calories which is a pretty substantial amount. But it is a filling meal, so you won’t find yourself reaching for something else to nibble on an hour later. If you get just the two tacos and the sauce, that will save you a couple hundred calories, but you know you are going to want those chips to scoop up all the remaining broth from that cup. So consider it a splurge and plan on a salad for your next meal. (And no, not a boneless Buffalo wing salad drenched in sauce and bleu cheese!)
El Pollo Loco got its start in Mexico in 1975 and then expanded to the United States. The U.S. chain then split off on its own and now has locations in California, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and Louisiana. You can check for a location near you on their website. The Birria beef selections also include an overstuffed quesadilla and a grilled burrito. They run around ten bucks for the entre, sauce, and chips and you can add a drink for about $1.50. These are visiting from Limited-Time-Only-Ville, so I recommend trying them out soon if you have a location near you. And if you miss out, don’t worry too much because they have plenty of good chicken options as well.
Nutrition Info:
Serving Size: Two Tacos, Sauce, and Chips
Calories: 830
Fat: 41g (16g Sat/0.5g Trans)
Protein: 47g
Carbs: 69g
Sodium: 1510mg