Description
This authentic Mexican Birria recipe features tender, flavorful beef slow-cooked in a rich, aromatic chile sauce made with dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Perfectly seasoned and braised to perfection, this main course can be enjoyed as a stew or used to make delicious birria tacos garnished with fresh cilantro, diced onions, and lime wedges.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast or short ribs (bone-in preferred)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chile Sauce
- 4 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried pasilla chiles (optional, for depth)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 medium white onion (quartered)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cups beef broth (plus more as needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes & Serving
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced onions
- Fresh lime wedges
- Warm corn tortillas
Instructions
- Toast and soak chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Transfer the chiles to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes to soften.
- Sear the beef: While the chiles soak, heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides until well browned, working in batches if needed. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Blend the chile sauce: In a blender, combine the drained soaked chiles, garlic cloves, quartered onion, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until the mixture is very smooth and uniform.
- Cook the sauce and combine: Pour the blended chile sauce into the pot used for searing and cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the seared beef back to the pot along with the remaining beef broth, bay leaf, and more water or broth if needed to cover the meat completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.
- Braise the beef: Cover the pot and cook the beef gently for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and easily shreds. Check occasionally and add liquid if necessary to keep the meat submerged.
- Shred and serve: Remove the beef from the pot and shred it, discarding large bones and excess fat. Return the shredded meat to the broth and stir to combine. Serve the birria as a stew in bowls or use it to make birria tacos by dipping warm corn tortillas in the cooking broth, filling with meat, and crisping on a skillet. Garnish with diced onions, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.
Notes
- For extra depth of flavor, prepare the birria a day ahead and reheat before serving to allow flavors to meld.
- Serve with the flavorful consommé (the cooking broth) on the side for dipping tacos.
- For a more traditional variation, goat or lamb can be substituted for beef.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
