Description
A rich and flavorful Mexican Birria recipe featuring tender beef slow-cooked with toasted dried chiles and aromatic spices. This traditional stew offers a perfect blend of smoky, spicy, and tangy tastes, ideal for serving as a hearty bowl or as filling for tacos with a delicious broth for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs (or a mix of beef and goat)
- 4 dried guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 3 dried ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded)
- 2 dried chiles de árbol (optional for heat)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 medium white onion (quartered)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon oil for searing
Optional Garnishes
- Chopped onion
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Corn tortillas for serving
Instructions
- Toast and Soak Chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and optional chiles de árbol for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not burned. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened.
- Sear the Meat: While the chiles soak, heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chuck roast or short ribs on all sides until browned, working in batches if necessary. Remove the meat and set aside.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a blender, combine the soaked chiles (drained), garlic cloves, quartered onion, cumin, oregano, ground cloves, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth to create a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Simmer the Birria: Return the seared meat to the pot and pour the blended chile sauce over it. Add the remaining 3 cups of beef broth and the bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Slow Cook: Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is very tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaves and shred the meat directly in the pot, mixing it thoroughly into the broth. Serve hot in bowls as a stew or use the meat as filling for tacos, optionally frying the tacos with cheese and dipping them into the flavorful broth.
Notes
- Serving birria as a stew or as tacos is traditional—try both to experience the full range of flavors.
- For crispier tacos, fry corn tortillas filled with birria meat and cheese, then dip them into the broth for an indulgent treat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for extended storage.
- Adjust the type and amount of dried chiles to control the heat level to your preference.
