Description
Traditional Mexican Birria is a rich and flavorful stew made with tender braised beef, dried chiles, and aromatic spices. This authentic recipe features slow-cooked beef chuck roast infused with a complex chili sauce and served as a hearty stew or used as filling for delicious birria tacos with fresh cilantro, onion, and lime wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs (or a mix)
Chiles and 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
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Serving
- Fresh cilantro
- Diced onion
- Lime wedges
- Corn tortillas (optional, for tacos)
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. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water to soak for 15 minutes until softened.
- Prepare the Beef: While the chiles soak, cut the beef into large chunks and season generously with salt and pepper to enhance the flavor of the meat.
- Sear the Beef: Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks in batches until browned on all sides to develop a rich crust. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Make the Chili Sauce: In a blender, combine the soaked chiles (drained), quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve back into the pot to remove any solids for a smooth consistency.
- Simmer the Birria: Return the seared beef to the pot with the strained chili sauce. Add the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, dried oregano, ground cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 3–4 hours until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Finish and Serve: Once cooked, shred the beef with forks and return it to the pot with the broth. Skim off any excess fat or reserve some fat for frying tortillas if desired. Serve the birria as a stew in bowls or use the shredded meat as filling for tacos topped with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and lime wedges.
Notes
- Traditional birria is often made with goat or lamb, but beef is a common and flavorful substitute offering easier accessibility.
- For a quicker version, this recipe can be adapted using a pressure cooker or slow cooker to reduce the cooking time.
- Save the birria fat (consomé) to fry tortillas if making birria tacos, enhancing flavor and texture.
- Adjust the number of chiles to control spice level and depth of flavor according to personal preference.
