Whip up a batch of this delicious birria recipe with birria consome on the stove, oven, or even make Instant Pot Birria. Enjoy as a stew or use it to make birria tacos, birria ramen or even mulitas. This Birria de Res is made with a combination of savory beef (and/or lamb), dried chilis, onion, garlic and a medley of spices.
Check out our other popular Mexican Recipes: Achiote Chicken, Carne Asada, Carne Asada Tacos, Carne Asada Fries, Carne Asada Nachos, Pollo Asado, Pollo Asado Tacos or Caldo de Queso.
Table of Contents
What is Birria
Birria is a popular Mexican stew-like recipe loaded with tender meat, dried chiles, bold spices and vegetables. Originating in the Mexican state of Jalisco, birria is traditionally made with goat, however today’s craze uses easier to find meats such as beef or lamb. The meat is shredded and topped with the flavorful broth, fresh toppings and fresh tortillas (homemade flour tortillas)
Historically, this popular dish is served on holiday’s and special occasions. This would make an amazing untraditional Christmas Dinner or Christmas Eve Dinner recipe.
Recipes Using Beef Birria
There are many awesome recipes to make using the meat as a base – we’ll be posting some additional birria recipes soon, so keep your eyes out for them. Some of our favorites:
- Birria Soup – Stain the sauce to create a thin consomme for a soup-like texture.
- Birria Ramen
- Mulitas
- Birria Tacos
- Quesa Birria
- Birria Quesadillas (Cheese Quesadilla base)
- Birria Pizza
- Taquitos
- Enchiladas
Birria Meat
As mentioned above, this Mexican dish is traditionally made with goat (Birria de Chivo). Goat isn’t an easy cut of meat to find here in the United States so you can use beef, lamb or a combo of the two. We do recommend utilizing at least one bone-in cut. We typically use boneless beef with bone-in lamb loin chops. Here are some popular beef cuts and lamb cuts you can use.
Beef Cuts
- Chuck Roast
- Round
- Short Ribs
- Brisket
- Shoulder
- Shanks
- Sirloin
- Skirt
- Flank
Lamb Cuts
- Loin Chops (we use leftovers to make Sous Vide Lamb Chops)
- Chops
- Shanks
- Leg
- Shoulder
Ingredients
As there are quite a few ingredients that go into making this beef dish, we won’t list them all. Here’s a quick pic of the main spices you’ll need including: thyme, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, ginger, bay leaves, cloves, salt and black pepper. You’ll also need guajillo chilis and ancho chilis.
If you like cooking with dried chiles, make sure to check out our Camarónes a la Diabla recipe.
How to Make Beef Birria
(Como hacer birria de res) – We provide three different ways to make the beef, including on the stove, in the oven and in the Instant Pot. The recipe card below details the exact steps you need for success. For those who require step by step visual guides, when making complicated recipes (we’re one of them), here are a few:
Make and Strain the Sauce
Marinade the Meat
Roast the Meat Until Tender
Topping Ideas
This Mexican beef stew is already loaded with complex flavors, however you’re missing out if you don’t top it with a few of these flavor bombs:
4-ingredient Guacamole
Sour Cream
Cheese – Monterey Jack, Cotija Cheese, Queso Fresco or Oaxaca
Pickled Red Onions or Diced Onions
Pickled Banana Peppers or Pickled Peppers
Homemade Salsa or Hot Sauce
Pico de Gallo
Mango Pico de Gallo
Chopped Cilantro
Mexican Crema
Shredded Lettuce
Lime Juice
Pickled Peaches – this would be an amazingly unexpected topping
Birria Consomé
Consome de birria is made when you strain the sauce before serving. It’s basically amped up beef consommé. If enjoying as a stew, we do not strain the sauce. If enjoying in any other fashion, we do strain the sauce as nothing beats a shredded beef taco dipped in beef consome.
Notes
- Important note!! Do not use the water that softened the chiles in place of the beef broth. We’ve seen a few recipes call for it and are a bit flummoxed. The water will be bitter and add an unpleasant taste to the consomé.
- Flavor Variations – Throw in a few chili de arbol if you like heat. Some regions in Mexico actually add beans to the mix, so whip up a batch of our Instant Pot Pinto Beans or Instant Pot Kidney Beans to add to the mix.
- This beef recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance.
- Grab a Substitute for beef broth if you don’t have any on hand.
- Serve with Mexican Pickled Carrots, Mexican rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.
Drink Ideas
Here are a few of our favorites: Mexican Mule, Mango Michelada, Michelada rimmed with Chamoy, Beermosa, or Margarita. Anything Mexican themed!
Equipment
Ingredients
MEAT:
- 2 Lb Beef Chuck Roast (*Note 1)
- 1 Lb Lamb Loin Chops (Or Use 3 Lbs. of Beef) (*Note 2)
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
STEW:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil, Divided
- 4 Ancho Chilis
- 4 Guajillo Chilis
- 1 Small Onion, Thinly Sliced
- 8 Cloves Garlic, Skins Removed
- 2 Whole Cloves
- 8 Black Peppercorns
- ½ Cinnamon Stick
- 1-2 Whole Chipotle Pepper
- 14 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano (*Note 3)
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3-4 Cups Beef Broth, Divided (*Note 4)
- Salt, To Taste
- 2 Whole Bay Leaves
GARNISH (OPTIONAL)
- Lime Juice, Pickled Peppers, Pickled Red Onions, Cilantro, Chopped Onions
Instructions
Prep the Meat:
- Transfer the meat to a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and cumin. Set aside.
Prep the Chili's:
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a skillet and pre-heat over medium heat. Cut open the dried chili's and remove the seeds. Add the chili's to the heated skillet and toast for about 1-2 per side. Make sure to continually move and toss the peppers so they don't burn. You'll need to re-start if you burn the chili's as they're take on a bitter flavor.
- Remove the toasted chili's and place in a bowl of hot water until soft (approx. 20 minutes).
Make the Sauce:
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the same skillet and cook the onions until translucent (approx. 4-5 minutes). Add the garlic cloves and toast for 60 seconds, until fragrant. Transfer to the blender.
- Toast the whole cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon stick for approx. 15 seconds and transfer to the blender.
- Add the chipotle pepper, crushed tomatoes, dried thyme, dried oregano, 1/2 tsp cumin, ground ginger, salt, apple cider vinegar and 1 cup of beef broth to the blender.
- Drain the softened chilis (do not use the leftover chili water) and add to the blender. Blend until smooth. Add more beef broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed to get the blender moving if the sauce is too thick. Salt to taste.
- Add the bay leaves to the top of the meat. Pour the sauce over the meat and turn the meat pieces to ensure complete coverage. Marinate for a minimum of two hours, up to 24 hours.
Stovetop Cooking Instructions:
- Add the meat and marinade to a large stockpot. Add 2-3 cups of beef broth, just enough to cover all the meat. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2.5 hours, until the meat shreds easily. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite toppings. OPTIONAL: strain the sauce to create a consommé if using in ramen or tacos.
Oven Cooking Instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the meat and marinade to a large oven-safe dish. Add 1-2 cups of beef broth, just enough to cover all the meat. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 2 hours, until the meat shreds easily. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite toppings. OPTIONAL: strain the sauce to create a consommé if using in ramen or tacos.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Add two cups of beef broth to the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Add the meat and marinade. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, making sure the value is in the sealed position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes, before finishing with a quick release. The meat should shred easily. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite toppings. OPTIONAL: strain the sauce to create a consommé if using in ramen or tacos.
