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Birria Nachos Recipe
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5 from 1 vote

Birria Nachos Recipe

These birria nachos are easy to make with homemade Mexican birria de res, lots of melty cheese, and pico de gallo, perfect for leftover birria.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
For Homemade Birra de Res (Mexican Birria)3 hours
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: birria, nachos
Servings: 8
Calories: 481kcal

Ingredients

FOR THE BIRRIA RECIPE

  • 5 ancho peppers
  • 5 guajillo peppers
  • 2-3 chiles de arbol optional for spicier
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large white onion chopped
  • 3 large tomatoes chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon 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
  • 4 pound boneless beef chuck Or you can use beef shank or brisket - try with lamb shoulder.

FOR THE BIRRIA NACHOS

  • 13 ounces thick tortilla chips 1 typical bag
  • 3-4 cups shredded Mexican cheese Use any melty cheese, like Oaxaca, Chihuahua, or Pepperjack, Monterrey Jack, etc
  • Toppings. Homemade pico de gallo, or use chopped jalapeno, tomato, and onion, hot sauce. Add your favorites, like avocado or guacamole, chili flakes, sour cream, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro.

Instructions

MAKE THE BIRRIA SAUCE

  • 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, but you can thin if needed with the reserved soaking liquid. Strain if desired to remove any unprocessed bits of skin.

MAKE THE BIRRIA

  • Cut the 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. It should be fairly saucy.
  • Shred the meat with forks to your preference. Reserve most of the birria sauce (consome) for serving. NOTE: At this point, you only need 2 cups of the shredded birria meat and 1 cup of the birria consome/sauce. Reserve the leftovers and refrigerate or freeze to enjoy for another meal.

MAKE THE BIRRIA NACHOS

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Layer the tortilla chips onto a large baking sheet.
  • Spread the cooked birria meat evenly over the tortilla chips.
  • Top evenly with the shredded cheeses.
  • Bake the nachos tray for 10 minutes, or until the cheeses are nicely melted and gooey.
  • Remove from heat, top with your favorite toppings, and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 851IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 567mg | Iron: 3mg