Mexican Birria Recipe

Authentic Mexican Birria

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. I get this anytime we go to Mexico, and it's a favorite at our local Mexican restaurant.

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?

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 becomes your birria consomé, and it's the most important part of the dish. I have a full post on Birria Sauce (Consomé) if you want to go deeper on how to make and use it.

TIP: Want extra flavor? Tap the meat dry, sear it in the hot pan with some oil, then add the marinade, roasted tomatoes and stock.

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 (tacos de birria)? Quesabirria tacos? Try this birria ramen recipe! Or my birria quesadillas recipe! Or birria nachos! Birria pizza!

Go make some delicious red tacos!

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!

Try Some of My Other Popular Mexican Recipes

• Pollo Asado (Mexican Roast Chicken)
• Chicken Pozole Rojo
• Pozole Verde (Green Pozole)
• See all of my Mexican Recipes

Try Some of My Other Popular Soup and Stew Recipes

• Mexican Pozole Rojo Recipe
• Carne Guisada
• Pollo Guisado
• Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef)
• Pozole Blanco
• Carne en su Jugo (Meat in its Juices)
• Classic American Beef Stew

Birria FAQ

What is birria made of?

Birria is a slow-braised meat stew featuring two main things: a tough cut of meat and a dried chili sauce. The sauce is the soul of the dish, with toasted ancho and guajillo peppers blended with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and warm spices like cumin, cinnamon, and Mexican oregano. The meat braises in that sauce low and slow for several hours until it's falling-apart tender, and the braising liquid becomes the consomé, the rich, deeply spiced broth served alongside.

Traditionally the meat is lamb or goat. Beef is more common today, particularly chuck roast, brisket, or beef shank. All work well; the key is a tough cut that benefits from long, slow cooking.

What is the difference between birria and barbacoa?

Both are slow-cooked Mexican meat dishes but they're distinct. Barbacoa is traditionally cooked underground or steamed, usually with beef cheeks or head. Birria is braised in a chili-based sauce, which gives it that deep red color and the consomé broth, something barbacoa doesn't produce. Birria has more complexity in the sauce and the broth is a feature of the dish. See my barbacoa recipe for a deeper dive.

What chiles are used in birria?

The classic combination is ancho and guajillo peppers, with chiles de arbol optional for heat. Anchos are mild and earthy with a faint smokiness, running around 1,000-2,000 Scoville units. Guajillos are fruity and mild with a bright red color that gives birria its signature deep hue. Chiles de arbol are the heat source , around 15,000-30,000 Scoville units, and they're optional in this recipe. Leave them out for a mild birria, add 2-3 for medium, more if you want real heat. Some recipes add chipotle for additional smokiness, or a chile negro for depth.

Can you make birria ahead of time?

Yes, and it's actually better the next day. The flavors deepen considerably after a night in the fridge. Make the full batch, let it cool, then refrigerate the meat and consomé separately in airtight containers for up to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop before serving. Birria also freezes exceptionally well, up to 6 months in vacuum-sealed containers. This makes it perfect for batch cooking: make a large pot and use it across multiple meals - birria tacos one night, birria ramen the next, quesabirria after that.

What's the best cut of beef for birria?

Chuck roast is my go-to, affordable, easy to find, and turns incredibly tender after 3 hours of low and slow braising. Beef shank adds more gelatin to the consomé, which gives it a richer, silky body. Brisket works well and has great fat content. Short ribs are excellent if you want extra richness in the broth. Bone-in cuts generally produce a more flavorful consomé than boneless, so mix in a bone-in piece if you can. Whatever you choose, avoid lean cuts. They don't break down the same way and tend to dry out.

How do you serve birria?

The two classic ways are as a soup or stew in a bowl with consomé, or as birria tacos with the consomé on the side for dipping. Beyond those, birria works in quesabirria tacos (with melted cheese), birria ramen, birria quesadillas, birria nachos, birria pizza, and more. Get creative.