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
Karin says
Been wanting to make this for a while. Was wondering on your thoughts regarding choice of meat. I have a chuck roast and also some lamb bones in the freezer. Thoughts about using both of these. This way I get the beef (boneless chuck) and some collagen from lamb bones. I have about a pound of bones. Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Honestly, Karin, I think that would be pretty fantastic. I'm jealous and want to be there. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Karin says
So....it was awesome! I had gotten the chuck roast from a local farmer. Turns out it was bone in so even better. The lamb bones were an added benefit. I tweaked the recipe a little, used a yellow onion instead of white, canned fire roasted tomatoes, about another 1/2 t cumin, 1 t ginger. Thank you so much for the inspiration. This is definitely a keeper. Anyone debating about making it, stop waiting and get that meat marinating!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding!!! Thanks, Karin!
Jenny Durling says
Have you ever tried doing this in a slow cooker? I would think 6-8 hours on low would work great.
Mike Hultquist says
Jenny, absolutely. That's perfect for the slow cooker.
Traci says
How do I roast the tomatoes? Can I just buy canned roasted tomatoes And use them? Looking forward to making this
Mike Hultquist says
Traci, you can roast the tomatoes in the oven by slicing them in half, placing them on a lined baking sheet (skin sides up), then roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the skins char and loosen. Then, remove the skins and use for this recipe. Or, yes, just use canned roasted tomatoes. Enjoy!
Sarah says
I accidentally added the roasted tomatoes in with the non roasted tomatoes (assuming “tomatoes” meant all of them into the processor). It’s all marinating now. Should I add more roasted tomatoes when I cook or leave it as it? Did I ruin it?
Mike Hultquist says
Sarah, it's totally fine. It all goes into the same pot at the end anyway. I'm sure it will be great. Let me know how it turns out for you! Enjoy!
Sarah says
It was the best thing I’ve ever made! I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you for this recipe!!!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Outstanding! Very happy you enjoyed it! Yay!
Adrianne Mock says
made this for the 2nd time last night. came out AWESOME.
thank you for the recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Adrianne! Yes!
Trina says
can I freeze the leftover consume/marinade and use again with another batch of meat? my pickup order gave me way less meat than I ordered and it was mostly bone
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, you can freeze it, Trina, and use it to simmer more meat. Great use of leftovers. Let me know how it goes.
Richard Joyner says
This is an awesome meal prep recipe. I make it once a month with a lean roast. I would love to try it with lamb sometime soon. I just can't get enough!
Mike Hultquist says
Yes!! So good! Glad you love it as much as I do, Richard.
Alejandra says
This recipe was super easy to make and absolutely delicious. We ate it over rice with slices avocado. I initially had difficulty sourcing the hot peppers, but then realized they were dehydrated and located them at a Hispanic grocer. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Alejandra! Thanks for sharing this!
Jennifer Walker says
Love this recipe! I have made it four times now and it continues to be a hit with my family.
Mike Hultquist says
Nice!!! Glad you like it, Jennifer! Thanks!
Monica says
I have a question! The recipe calls for 3 large tomatoes. And 2 large roasted tomatoes. And then it says to add the tomatoes in the beginning. And at the end add the chopped roasted tomatoes. Are the roasted tomatoes canned? Do I roast the tomatoes? And to be clear I just chop those up and add at the end right?
Mike Hultquist says
Monica, yes, tomatoes are added twice. You can use canned tomatoes, no problem. And yes, the roasted tomatoes are added closer to the end. You can oven roast them or use canned.
James says
First time trying this recipe tonight and it was wonderful. We used a 3.8lb chuck roast, I added 1 extra ancho and guajillo, and 2 cloves of garlic. The broth even though it was made with knorr bouillon still needed a little more salt so I adjusted to taste. The consume is very yummy, I finished mine off like a soup with a spoon. The heat level with 2 chile de arbol was not very much. I suggest a good salsa verde with extra chile de arbol to level up the heat for those who want a spicy taco. I forgot to use fresh lime, but topped with diced white onion, cilantro and salsa verde. 4 tacos and I was stuffed! Can't wait to dig into this tomorrow. Kept the fat on the consume and separated the meat from it. I did this in an insta-pot for 55mins, then quick release of pressure and finished it off slow cooker on low for 2 hours.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Nice!! Very happy you enjoyed it, James. Thanks for sharing this!
Marie says
This was the best tasting birria I have made! We all loved it and I will make it again!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Thanks, Marie!
Leslie says
Do you roast the tomatoes in the oven?
Mike Hultquist says
I do, Leslie, yes.