Beef Birria
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 55 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs 5 mins
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Servings
6
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Calories
450 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Beef Birria
Description
Beef Birria starts with seasoning beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat, and short ribs before preparing a flavorful broth. Dried chiles - guajillo, pasilla, and arbol - are cleaned, seeded, and simmered with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and an array of spices including black peppercorns, cumin seed, oregano, thyme, coriander, cloves, ginger, and Mexican cinnamon. Apple cider vinegar adds acidity to balance the richness. The mixture is simmered, blended, and strained to form a smooth chile sauce base.
The meat is cooked slowly in this broth until tender enough to shred, soaking up deep flavors from the combination of smoky, sweet, and spicy notes. The finished birria is served with finely chopped onion, cilantro, lime slices, and warm corn tortillas, making it suitable for traditional birria tacos or other Mexican dishes. The recipe supports using some bone-in meat for more flavor and provides options for slow cooker or stovetop methods.
Tips include substituting similar chiles when unavailable, managing spice levels by removing seeds or omitting hotter arbol chiles, and freezing cooked birria in portions. Slow cooking enhances tenderness and flavor melding, while refrigeration or freezing allow for flexible meal prep.
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast
- 4 beef short ribs bone-in
- 8 dried guajillo chile pepper
- 3 dried pasilla chile pepper
- 2-3 dried arbol chile pepper
- 5 Roma tomato quartered (about 1.5lb
- 1 white onion , roughly chopped
- 1 garlic 10-12 cloves, head
- 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns whole
- 1 Tablespoon cumin seed or 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, whole
- 1 Tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 Tablespoon thyme dried
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds or 1/4 tsp ground coriander, whole
- 4 or 5 clove whole
- 1 teaspoon ginger root fresh, minced
- 1 inch Mexican cinnamon stick piece; or 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar , or white
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoons kosher salt
For serving:
- 1 white onion , finely chopped
- 1 cilantro chopped, bunch
- 2 lime sliced
- corn tortillas
Instructions
- Prepare meat: Remove any large pieces of fat from the chuck roast. Cut it into a few large pieces and season with salt.
- Prepare dried chiles: Wearing gloves if desired, rinse the chiles, then use scissors to remove the stem and make a slit along the side to open them and remove the seeds. (The arbol chiles are hottest, so for less heat, remove the seeds, or omit these chiles completely. If you like extra spice, leave them whole).
- Make chile sauce: Add tomatoes and onion to a large stock pot (at least 5.5qt pot of bigger) over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add whole garlic cloves, chile peppers, and all of the spices except the bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add vinegar and 4 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
- Blend sauce: Add mixture to a blender and blend as smooth as possible. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, back into the pot. Add 4 cups of water to the blender and swirl it around to clean excess sauce from the blender, then add it to the pot.
- Add meat and simmer: Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add short ribs, chuck roast and 3 bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 ½ hours.
- Shred meat: Check meat to make sure it’s tender. Remove meat to a plate and chop or shred into pieces. Discard bones and bay leaves.
- Serve: Taste broth (careful, it’s hot!) and add additional seasonings or salt, if needed. Add some shredded meat to bowls and pour broth on top. Garnish with fresh chopped white onion and cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with warm corn tortillas on the side, for dipping. Or, use the sauce and meat to make Birria Tacos!
Notes
- Use bone-in beef cuts to enrich broth flavor; variations include goat or lamb.
- Guajillo chiles are essential; substitute pasilla with mulato chiles if needed or adjust quantities accordingly.
- Remove seeds from arbol chiles to reduce heat or omit for milder flavor.
- Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer and preferable; ground cinnamon is an alternative.
- Great for making 1-3 days ahead; reheat gently on stove or use meat for tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
- Freeze cooked beef and sauce separately for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator.
- Slow cooker and Instant Pot methods are possible, though stovetop is preferred for better control.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 450 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 450kcal | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 45g | 90% |
| Fat | 27g | 42% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 2g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 157mg | 52% |
| Sodium | 1356mg | 57% |
| Potassium | 1019mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 1189IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 10mg | 11% |
| Calcium | 99mg | 10% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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