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0 from 18 votes

Beef Birria

This warm bowl of flavorful beef birria is perfect for a cold night in. This authentic Mexican recipe is enjoyed with a side of tortillas, white onions, cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Use the leftovers to make my famous Birria Tacos!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 633 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Meat:
  • 2 pounds boneless chuck
  • 2 pound oxtail or short ribs
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil (avocado or vegetable oil)
Sauce:
  • 7 ancho chiles (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
  • 7 guajillo chiles (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
  • 3 chiles de árbol (ends trimmed and de-seeded)
  • 1 white onion (peeled and halved)
  • 6 garlic cloves (peeled)
  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 Mexican cinnamon stick (See note if not using Mexican cinnamon)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 to 8 cups beef broth or water (divided)
Serve:
  • ¼ cup minced cilantro
  • ¼ cup minced white onion from 1/4 onion
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

To Sear The Meat:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring the meat to room temperature, for about 30 minutes, and then sprinkle liberally on all sides with kosher salt. In a large Dutch oven (or a pot with an oven-proof lid), set over medium-high heat, add the neutral oil. When hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned. I like to do a hard sear. You’ll have to do this in batches. Transfer all back to the pot when you're done.
To Make the Sauce:
  1. Meanwhile, in another medium pot, add the dried chiles, halved white onion, garlic cloves, tomatoes, spices, bay leaves, and add cold water until it covers everything. Place over medium heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Pour through a strainer and transfer everything (including the whole spices) to a blender. If your blender is small you may need to do this in batches.
  2. Add the apple cider vinegar and about 1 cup of beef broth or water and blend until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste (I added about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt).
  3. *Note: I have a high-powered blender and it resulted in a super smooth sauce. If you have a blender that is meh, you may want to run the sauce through a strainer to discard any big bits the blender didn’t puree. Very optional!
To Braise the Meat:
  1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Pour the sauce over the meat. To the blender, add the remaining 5 to 7 cups of broth or water. Swish it around to pick up any leftover sauce and pour it into the pot.
  2. Place over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer and then immediately cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is tender.
To Serve:
  1. Ladle the broth into bowls and add a few pieces of meat to each bowl. Garnish with cilantro, onion, and some lime wedges.

Notes

  • Tips and Tricks:
  • Cuts of meat – You can substitute in goat, lamb or if you can choose oxtail instead of short ribs.
  • To make this ahead: I actually think this is a great make-ahead meal. You can make the birria first, shred the meat and store the sauce in the fridge. The fat will solidify on the top. You can use that to the pan with the tortillas if you like. Or you can warm it back up when you’re ready to serve.
  • Most of these ingredients like Mexican cinnamon, dried chiles and Mexican oregano at a Latin supermarket.
  • If you’re not using Mexican cinnamon, remove it and discard it when you’re done boiling all of the chiles. Mexican cinnamon is very brittle and will easily blend up. But if it’s from say Saigon or somewhere else, it tends to be very hard. I wouldn’t put your blender through that!
  • To Make it in the Slow-Cooker – You can make this recipe in the slow-cooker by adding the meat and sauce to a slow cooker. Add the broth and set it to high and let it braise for 6-7 hours.
  • To Make it in the Instant Pot – Sear the meat in the IP. Pour the sauce in, along with the broth. Close the seal, set the setting to “high pressure” and press the “Stew Meat” option. This should be about 50 minutes. Do a natural release. And it should be perfect!

Nutrition Information

Calories 633kcal (32%) Carbohydrates 39g (13%) Protein 62g (124%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 12g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 165mg (55%) Sodium 1117mg (47%) Potassium 2119mg (61%) Fiber 15g (60%) Sugar 21g (42%) Vitamin A 12386IU (248%) Vitamin C 23mg (26%) Calcium 104mg (10%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 633

% Daily Value*

Calories 633kcal 32%
Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Protein 62g 124%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 12g 60%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 165mg 55%
Sodium 1117mg 47%
Potassium 2119mg 45%
Fiber 15g 60%
Sugar 21g 42%
Vitamin A 12386IU 248%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Calcium 104mg 10%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.