Leftover Bo Kho Tacos

If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I absolutely love leftovers, and honestly, with most Vietnamese food, specifically soups or braised dishes, it actually tastes even better the next day! Reheating leftovers in the microwave the day after making a ton of food and just having that comfort in a bowl in seconds really fills up my happiness bucket. Now, on occasion, I like being a little extra, and I will repurpose those leftovers and transform them into something completely different. The best example is these bo kho tacos, inspired by the incredibly delicious birria tacos. These bo kho tacos use leftovers from my bo kho and is paired with mozzarella cheese, stuffed in a corn tortilla, and topped with chopped onions and cilantro. Honestly, it’s the PERFECT way to use leftovers!

Before we can make these tacos, you need to make my Bo Kho first! Make sure you check out that recipe here!

Birria or Bo Kho?

We’re going to treat these tacos like authentic birria tacos from Jalisco, and the similarities are actually pretty big. While birria was traditionally made with goat meat, it’s often made with beef here. The word “birria” itself loosely translates to “mess” or “imperfect,” reflecting the dish’s rustic origins. The dish was created by indigenous people during the time of the Spanish conquest when goats were introduced to Mexico. As goat meat was considered tough and undesirable, locals began slow-cooking it with a blend of spices to tenderize it, transforming it into a delicious stew.

In its original form, birria is a stewed or braised meat dish, slow-cooked with various spices, including chilies, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and often cooked underground in a pit. The meat becomes tender, flavorful, and juicy. Now, just like with birria, we’ll shred our beef shank before adding it to some corn tortillas. We’ll complete our tacos with some mozzarella cheese, diced onions, and chopped cilantro. Served with some lime wedges and a side of our bo kho broth, it is absolutely perfect!