This birria recipe is an iconic meat stew from the Mexican state of Jalisco of lamb, goat or beef cooked low and slow in a seasoned chili sauce. Serve it in a bowl or as birria tacos.

Mexican Birria Recipe
We're cooking up a flavorful Mexican meat stew in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. It's called Birria, and you're going to want to make this right away.
Mike's Recipe Highlights
- The combination of dried ancho and guajillo chilies gives this recipe an unforgettable flavor, and the chiles de arbol add just the right amount of spicy heat.
- You can make this recipe with beef or lamb, and the slow cooking process results in meat that is fall-apart-tender, which everyone loves.
What is Birria?
Birria is a classic Mexican meat stew or soup made with slowly braised meat - usually lamb, goat, or beef - with chilies and spices. It is one of the most iconic Mexican dishes, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, though has spread throughout Mexican and the United States because of its addictive flavor.
Birria was traditionally made with goat, as local Mexicans were given an overabundance of goats by the Conquistadors during the Conquest of Mexico.
The name, "birria", means "worthless" or "without value", a pejorative term given by the Spanish who found eating goat beneath them.
Today, however, beef is more commonly used, as it is easier to obtain and is less lean, though it is delicious with any of these cuts of meat or what you can commonly find in grocery stores.
Authentic birria is usually served a couple different ways - as a soup or stew, or as birria tacos. The soup/stew version is more classic and often served at family events or large gatherings.
This way, the meat is shredded and served into bowls with the braising liquid, or birria consome.
As tacos, the meat is shredded and served over warmed corn tortillas dipped in the braising liquid, with the consome in a small bowl on the side.
There are different ways to make it, with different cuts of meat and variations to the chilies and seasonings. This is my preferred version adapted from a couple of my favorite Mexican cookbooks and some experimentation.
It's a beef birria recipe (birria de res).
As a spicy food lover, I think you will love this recipe. It will smell amazing in the house with the meat cooking, enough to drive you wild with hunger.
Let's talk about how to make birria, shall we?
Featured Reader Comment
From Christina: "I wanted to make this for Christmas so I tested it and had my Latina friend from Mexico try it and quote '"'The most authentic Birria I've had in a long time'. So I doubled the meat and there is barely anything left. Absolutely DELICIOUS!"
Birria Ingredients - Birria Consome and Birria de Res
NOTE: The full ingredients list with measurements and recipe steps are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Dried Peppers. Use ancho peppers and guajillo peppers. I also use a few chiles de arbol for a bit of extra spice and heat.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Vegetables. Fresh tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves. You can also toss in some fresh peppers, if desired.
- Seasonings. Mexican oregano, sea salt, cinnamon stick, cumin, ginger, black pepper. You can use others, like bay leaves.
- Vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar for this recipe.
- Beef Stock. Or beef broth.
- Meat. Use lamb, goat or beef. Lamb shoulder or lamb belly are hugely popular options. For beef, use brisket, beef chuck roast or beef shank.
How to Make Birria - the Recipe Method
Heat a cast iron pan to medium-high heat dry toast the dried chilies 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken. This helps loosen the oils and develops flavor.
Add the toasted peppers in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Steep for 20 minutes to soften.
Heat the oil in the same pan to medium heat and cook the onion and tomatoes 5 minutes to soften, then the garlic for 1 minute, stirring.
Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor along with the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
Add the seasonings with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock then process until smooth. It should be fairly thick. You can strain if you’d like for a smoother sauce.
See the RECIPE NOTES below.

Cut the meat into large chunks and add to a large bowl. Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat.
Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
Add the meat with all of the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef stock or broth to a large pot or Dutch oven.
This broth will not only braise the meat, but will later become your birria consome.

Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred.
Add more beef stock or some of the reserved soaking liquid if needed for a soupier birria.
I removed the meat to make it easier to shred.
Then added the shredded meat back to the pot to simmer a bit more before serving.

Serve the braised birria stew meat into bowls as a soup, or shred the meat and serve it up onto warm corn tortillas as birria tacos, with the reserved liquid birria consome from the pot as a side soup/broth.
Adjust for salt and pepper. Garnish with onion, fresh cilantro, chili flakes, squeeze of lime.
Boom! Done! Your Mexican birria is ready to serve. This meat is so incredibly tender and flavorful.
Serving Birria
How are you going to enjoy yours? As a soup or stew in a bowl? Or as birria tacos? Quesabirria tacos? Try this birria ramen recipe! Or my birria quesadillas recipe! Or birria nachos! Birria pizza!
Go make some delicious red tacos!

Recipe Tips & Notes
Meat Options. You can make birria with many different cuts of meat. Use lamb meat, goat meat or beef. Lamb shoulder or lamb belly are hugely popular options.
For the cut of beef, use brisket, chuck roast or beef shank. Short ribs are great, too. You can realistically make this with any cut of meat, but the best are the tougher cuts that require low and slow cooking.
You'll get more flavor with bone-in meats.
Strain the Pepper Puree. For a much smoother sauce, strain it through a fine sieve to remove any lingering bits if needed.
Also, some people find the skins of anchos and guajillos to be slightly bitter, and straining can reduce this.
This recipe can easily be adapted for your slow cooker or Instant pot.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftover birria in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days. You can easily reheat it gently on the stovetop to enjoy again.
Birria is great for freezing. You can freeze it for up to 6 months in vacuum sealed containers.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy this Mexican birria recipe with consome. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you and how you served yours. Keep it spicy!
Cookbook Recommendations
If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.
- Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)
- Made in Mexico: The Cookbook, by Danny Mena (affiliate link, my friends!)
Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes
Try Some of My Other Popular Soup and Stew Recipes

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Mexican Birria Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 ancho peppers stems and seeds removed
- 5 guajillo peppers stems and seeds removed
- 2-3 chiles de arbol optional, for spicier
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 large tomatoes chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 large roasted tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups beef stock separated
- 3.5 pound lamb shoulder or you can use beef shank or chuck roast
Instructions
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the dried peppers. Dry toast them in the hot pan 1-2 minutes per side, until the skins darken.
- Remove from heat and add the toasted peppers to a large bowl. Cover with hot water and steep 20 minutes, or until softened.
- While the peppers are rehydrating, heat the olive oil in the same pan to medium heat.
- Add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the cooked onion, tomatoes and garlic to a food processor.
- Remove the softened chilies and add to the food processor, but reserve the soaking liquid.
- Add the seasonings to the food processor along with the vinegar and 1 cup beef stock. Process until smooth. It should be fairly thick. You can strain if you’d like for a smoother sauce. See the RECIPE NOTES below.
- Cut the lamb (or beef) into large chunks and add to a large bowl.
- Pour the birria sauce over them and rub it into the meat. Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours minimum. Overnight is better.
- When you’re ready to cook, add the meat with all of the marinade, the chopped roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 cups beef broth to a large pot. Cover and cook at medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender and easy to shred. Add more beef stock or some of the reserved soaking liquid if needed for a soupier birria.
- Serve the braised birria into bowls as a soup, or shred the meat and serve it up onto tortillas as birria tacos, with the reserved liquid consome from the pot as a side soup/broth.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information

Nancy says
Is cinnamon common with Barria? I eat Barria tacos here in Phoenix AZ often and never taste cinnamon. I made a recipe and cut the cinnamon in half and it had a strong cinnamon flavor, not what I was expecting. I know I can eliminate it, but do want to make an authentic version.
Mike Hultquist says
Nancy, yes, it is common in certain parts of Mexico and the spices can vary from cook to cook. I often omit it or just use a bit. Yep, easy to skip if you want. This is pretty customizable, as I'm sure you've noticed different brands and stores can vary in flavor.
Bill says
Just wondering - would potatoes and carrots go well included in the dish and make it more like a stew? Planning tomorrow's dinner.
Mike Hultquist says
Bill, yes, they would go quite nicely with this. It is not traditional, but that's the great thing about cooking at home. Let me know how it turns out for you. I hope you enjoy it.
Bill says
I made it with potatoes and carrots so it was more like a stew. Otherwise followed your recipe pretty closely. I reduced the cinnamon by half and strained the sauce after processing. It was AMAZING.
Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
Very nice. I'll have to give this a try for myself!
Scott says
Very tasty. Made the marinade per the recipe the night before & put it in the slow cooker for 10 hours while I was at work. I think next time I will halve the cinnamon & add a couple more chilies de arbor. The wife thought it was perfect as is.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Scott!
Jim says
Hey Mike, your recipes are outstanding enjoy them all.What cut of goat meat would you recommend for the Birria, thanks, Jim
Mike H. says
Thank you, Jim! And I would go for goat shoulder in this case.
Christina says
I wanted to make this for Christmas so I tested it and had my Latina friend from Mexico try it and quote "The most authentic Birria I've had in a long time". So I doubled the meat and there is barely anything left. Absolutely DELICIOUS!
Mike Hultquist says
BOOM!! Thanks, Christina!! I love to hear this. Nice!
Jason Walsh says
Great flavor and easy to make
Mike H. says
Thank you, Jason!