Description
Traditional Mexican Birria is a rich and flavorful stew made with tender beef chuck or short ribs slow-cooked in a deeply spiced chili sauce. Perfectly seasoned with dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles, garlic, and warm spices, this dish delivers an authentic taste of Mexico. Enjoy it as a hearty stew or serve the succulent shredded meat in tacos garnished with fresh cilantro, diced onions, and lime wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs (or a mix)
Chiles & Sauce
- 5 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 3 dried ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried pasilla chiles (optional, for depth)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 medium white onion (quartered)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking & Serving
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Fresh cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges for serving
- Corn tortillas for tacos (optional)
Instructions
- Toast and soak chiles: Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer them to a bowl and cover with hot water; let them soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- Prepare beef: While the chiles soak, cut the beef into large chunks and season generously with salt and black pepper to enhance flavor.
- Sear beef: Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. In batches, sear the beef pieces until browned on all sides, developing a rich crust. Remove the beef and set aside.
- Blend chile sauce: Combine the softened chiles, quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into the pot to remove any solids for a silky texture.
- Simmer birria: Return the seared beef to the pot with the chile sauce. Add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Stir well, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is tender and falls apart easily.
- Finish and serve: Once cooked, shred the beef using two forks and return it to the pot with the broth. Skim off excess fat if desired. Serve birria as a stew in bowls or use the flavorful meat to make birria tacos with warm corn tortillas garnished with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges. Save some birria fat (consomé) to fry the tortillas if preferred.
Notes
- Traditional birria is typically made with goat or lamb, but beef is a common, flavorful alternative.
- For a quicker preparation, birria can be made in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.
- Save the birria consomé (broth and fat) to fry tortillas for extra flavor in tacos.
- Adjust heat by selecting milder or hotter dried chiles based on preference.
