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Mexican Birria Beef

Featured in Meals That Make the Table Happy.

Mexican Birria is a classic, slow-cooked dish made with beef that's infused with bold flavors from dried chiles and aromatic spices. The perfectly tender meat results in a stew that's versatile - enjoy it as a soup topped with lime, cilantro, and onions, or stuff it into corn tortillas for incredible tacos. The recipe combines guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles along with spices like cumin, cloves, and cinnamon, making it a deeply satisfying option for family dinners or special gatherings.
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Updated on Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:21:29 GMT
Mexican Birria Image Pin it
Mexican Birria Image | mecooking.com

My kitchen fills with wonderful smells when I cook this Mexican birria dish. The tender meat swimming in deep red broth turns basic ingredients into something amazing. The beef cooks slowly with chiles and spices until it's super soft and flavorful. You can enjoy it as a comforting soup or stuff it in crispy tacos.

I made this birria for my family last weekend. Everyone's faces lit up after their first taste, showing me why this dish means so much to me. Their bowls were empty in no time - that rich broth didn't stand a chance!

Key Ingredients

  • Chuck roast: My top choice that gives you the right mix of meat and fat for that melt-in-your-mouth feeling
  • Guajillo chiles: They create that true flavor base with their sweet and smoky taste that soaks into the meat
  • Mexican cinnamon: Brings a gentle warmth that regular cinnamon just can't give you
  • Fresh garlic cloves: They add rich flavor notes that make the broth taste authentic
  • Quality beef broth: Makes the meat flavors stronger and gives the consomé its richness

Making Your Birria

Getting Started:
First, toast those dried chiles in a hot pan until they smell good and feel bendy. Then put them in hot water, making sure they're completely covered so they get nice and soft.
Making Sauce:
As your chiles soak, throw your onions, tomatoes, and garlic in a pot with simmering water. Let them cook until everything gets soft and the flavors mix together.
Mixing It Up:
Put your softened stuff in a blender with your spices and some broth. Blend till it's super smooth, then strain it to get rid of any tough pieces.
The Main Part:
Brown your seasoned meat chunks in a hot Dutch oven until they get a nice crust. This step builds those deep flavors that make your final dish so good.
The Long Cook:
Pour your strained chile sauce over the browned meat, adding enough broth to cover everything. Let it simmer slowly, giving the meat time to get tender while soaking up all those flavors.

My grandma always used three different chiles for her birria. She told me guajillo makes the base, ancho adds sweetness, and árbol brings just enough kick to make you remember it. Now I won't make birria any other way.

Delicious Traditional Birria Pin it
Delicious Traditional Birria | mecooking.com

Tasty Companions

Serve your birria with warm corn tortillas and add-ons like chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and lime chunks. For a true Mexican meal, offer little dishes of hot chile de arbol sauce and pickled red onions. Everyone can fix their plate just how they like it.

Switching Things Up

Try different meats like short ribs or oxtail to make this dish even richer. Want something lighter? Chicken thighs work great if you cook them for less time. Don't eat meat? Mushrooms and jackfruit can take its place and still taste surprisingly good.

Storing Leftovers

Keep any extra birria in a sealed container with the meat covered by broth so it stays juicy. It'll last in your fridge up to five days and actually tastes better over time. Need to keep it longer? Portion it out and freeze for up to three months, then thaw overnight when you want to eat it.

Creative Twists

Turn your birria into awesome ramen by adding cooked noodles and soft-boiled eggs to the hot broth. Use the tender meat in Mexican sandwiches (tortas) with avocado and pickled jalapeños. You can do so much more than just serve it the regular way, so get creative with each batch you make.

Closeup Traditional Birria Dish Pin it
Closeup Traditional Birria Dish | mecooking.com

I've learned over many years that taking your time really makes birria go from good to amazing. The slow cooking lets all the flavors fully develop into that rich, complex taste that makes everyone want seconds and thirds. Every time I cook this, I'm reminded how food brings people together and creates lasting memories around the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ How much time does birria need?
Birria takes around 4 hours total – 15 minutes to prep and 3 ½ to 4 hours for slow cooking until the meat is super soft.
→ What cut of meat works best?
Chuck roast is perfect since it gets soft and juicy with slow cooking. You'll want 4-5 pounds, cut into big 4-inch chunks.
→ Can I turn down the spice?
Absolutely! Just use fewer árbol chiles or skip them altogether. For medium heat, stick with 3 chiles or go mild with none.
→ How should birria be served?
Serve birria as a stew with lime, onions, and cilantro, or make tacos with shredded meat, corn tortillas, and some Oaxaca cheese.
→ Can I use a slow cooker?
Yes, after browning the meat, combine it with the chile sauce in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Mexican Birria Beef

Discover how to prepare Mexican Birria, a tender and rich beef stew that works beautifully as soup or as filling for delicious tacos.

Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook Time
240 Minutes
Total Time
255 Minutes
By: Mariana

Category: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: Mexican

Yield: 8 Servings

Dietary: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Ingredients

→ Meats and Seasonings

01 Cut a 4 to 5-pound chuck roast into hefty 4-inch chunks
02 Add ½ tablespoon of kosher salt
03 Sprinkle ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
04 Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil

→ Peppers and Aromatics

05 12 guajillo peppers, cleaned, stems removed, and seeds discarded (about 2.5 ounces total)
06 5 ancho peppers, cleaned, stems removed, and seeds discarded (roughly 2 ounces)
07 5 árbol peppers, cleaned and stems removed (around 0.1 ounces)
08 2 big Roma tomatoes
09 Half a medium-sized yellow onion
10 5 cloves of garlic

→ Spices and Liquids

11 A 4-inch stick of Mexican cinnamon
12 3 leaves of bay
13 ½ teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
14 1 teaspoon ground cumin
15 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
16 ½ teaspoon ground clove powder
17 2 cups beef stock
18 ¼ cup white vinegar

Instructions

Step 01

Sprinkle all around the meat with pepper and salt. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot over medium to high heat. Fry the meat in two rounds, browning all sides well. Once done, take the pot off the heat and place all seared meat back into it. Set aside.

Step 02

Put guajillo peppers, ancho peppers, árbol peppers, tomatoes, onion, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and peppercorns into a medium pot. Pour in enough water to cover them up, bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover it up and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 03

Move the softened peppers and other items from the pot into a large blender. Pour in 1 cup of the water used for cooking the peppers, along with beef broth, white vinegar, garlic cloves, ground cumin, dried oregano, and clove powder. Blend it all at high speed until it's smooth. Run the mixture through a fine strainer and pour it into the pot that holds the meat.

Step 04

Mix the meat with the blended pepper sauce and heat it all until it boils. Turn the heat down low, cover the pot, and let it cook gently for 3 to 3 ½ hours, or until the meat is exceptionally tender and easy to shred.

Step 05

Place the meat in a bowl, then use two forks to shred it completely. Stir it back into the stew-like broth. Enjoy it as a hearty meal in a bowl with some chopped cilantro and onion cubes. You can also use it as taco filling with corn tortillas and melty Oaxaca cheese.

Notes

  1. Swap Mexican cinnamon with regular cinnamon sticks, or use 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon instead. Remove sticks before blending.
  2. Don’t have Mexican oregano? Regular oregano works just fine as a substitute.
  3. Drop the árbol peppers for less heat, or just toss in 3 for a mild kick.
  4. You can make this in an Instant Pot: set it to high pressure for 60 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes.
  5. Another option is the slow cooker: go for low heat 7–8 hours, or high for about 5 hours.

Tools You'll Need

  • Dutch oven or a large-sized pot
  • A medium-sized pot
  • Blender to smooth out the sauce
  • Fine-mesh strainer for filtering
  • Two forks to easily shred the beef

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 640
  • Total Fat: 37 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 22 g
  • Protein: 59 g