Quick Summary: Rich, deeply spiced Mexican beef stew braised until fall-apart tender. The meat and consommé (braising broth) work together as both a stew and the base for birria quesatacos. Made with chuck roast and short ribs for the richest broth. Traditional celebration food from Jalisco, now popular across the US. Prep: 30 min | Cook: 3 hours | Serves: 8
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Birria? | Ingredients | Step by Step | How to Serve | FAQ
Birria is the Mexican stew that went viral on social media for it’s use as a dipping sauce for quesatacos. The meat braises for hours in a chile-spiced broth until it’s meltingly tender. You can serve it as a stew, ladled into bowls with its consommé, or shred the meat for the birria quesatacos.
Traditional birria from Jalisco uses goat or lamb. In the US, beef has become more common, and it is definitely my preference.
Chuck roast provides the shredding meat and short ribs contribute collagen that makes the consommé silky and rich. Together, they create something deeply satisfying.
When served as a stew it is simply ladled into bowls with its broth and served with a range of toppings and corn tortillas.
If you’re opting for using it for quesatacos, just know that you need to make the birria stew before you can get to the tacos!
This is slow Sunday cooking. Not complicated, but not rushed either.
This post may contain affiliate links, and you can read our disclosure information here–
What is Birria?
Birria is a braised meat stew from Jalisco, Mexico, traditionally made with goat or lamb for holidays and celebrations. The meat marinates in or braises with a blend of dried chiles, tomatoes, and spices until completely tender.
What distinguishes birria from other Mexican stews is the consommé: the rich, red, chile-infused braising liquid. The consommé is as important as the meat.
When served as a stew, the consommé is the broth. When making tacos, the consommé becomes the dipping sauce and the fat for frying the tortillas.
Birria has roots in colonial Mexico, when goats were abundant and affordable. The long braising transformed tough meat into something extraordinary. The tradition continues, though the protein has expanded to include beef, lamb, and pork depending on region and preference.
There are, of course, many variations in the different regions of Mexico and elsewhere. The meat is often marinated in a rich adobe sauce and then slow cooked until it is melt-in-your-mouth tender.
What is the Best Meat to Use for Birria?
My preferred combination is chuck roast plus short ribs.
Chuck roast provides the stew meat. It has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender during braising without drying out. Cut it into 2-3 inch chunks.
Short ribs add collagen. As they braise, the collagen dissolves into gelatin, giving the consommé body and richness. The bones also contribute flavor. Use 3-4 short ribs alongside a 2-3 pound chuck roast.
Other options:
- Oxtails: Excellent collagen, though expensive now
- Country-style pork ribs: Work well with chuck roast
- Lamb shoulder or shanks: More traditional, gamier flavor
- Goat: Most traditional, if you can find it
The key is using meat that benefits from long, slow cooking. Lean cuts like sirloin won’t work.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
Substitutions:
- Chiles: Traditional birria uses a blend of dried chiles, typically ancho, guajillo, and pasilla. The chiles are stemmed, seeded, toasted, and rehydrated before blending into a paste. I use my farm’s smoked chile powder blend for convenience, which provides similar depth with less labor. Either approach works.
- Mexican oregano: More citrusy and pungent than Italian oregano. Worth seeking out at Mexican groceries. Italian oregano substitutes in a pinch but tastes different.
- Cinnamon: Mexican cinnamon (canela) is softer and more floral than cassia cinnamon. Use sticks to infuse during cooking, then remove.
- Tomatoes: Canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes work well. Fresh tomatoes can be charred under the broiler.
- Chipotle in adobo: Optional but adds smokiness. One or two chiles from a can, minced.
How to Make Birria (Step by Step)
Here are the steps lined out with photos. For the details of the recipe itself, see the recipe card below.
Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Methods
- Dutch oven (my preference): Sear, build sauce, braise covered on low for 3 hours. Allows easy checking and adjusting.
- Slow cooker: Sear meat on stovetop or in slow cooker if it has that function. Build sauce, combine everything, cook on LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours.
- Instant Pot: Sear using sauté function (in batches). Build sauce, combine with meat and broth. Pressure cook on HIGH 50 minutes with natural release.
All methods work. The dutch oven allows the most control; the slow cooker is most hands-off; the Instant Pot is fastest.
It will be delicious in all three ways so it’s really a preference type of thing.
Serving Birria as a Stew
Ladle meat and consommé into deep bowls. Serve with:
- Warm corn tortillas (for scooping and making small tacos)
- Diced white onion
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sliced radishes
- Your favorite hot sauce
The consommé is meant to be consumed. Tear off pieces of tortilla, scoop up meat, dip in the broth.
Using Birria for Tacos
The same stew can be used for birria quesatacos:
- Shred the braised meat
- Skim some fat from the consommé surface
- Dip corn tortillas in the consommé
- Fry on a hot comal or skillet
- Add cheese and shredded meat
- Fold and crisp both sides
- Serve with consommé for dipping
The consommé-dipped tortillas fry to a crispy, deeply flavored shell. This is what made birria tacos famous.
After making the rich broth, you can shred the meat and use in this Birria Quesatacos recipe.
Another of my favorite ways to use birria meat is as a filling in this Mexican tamales step by step recipe.
Similar Mexican Meat Recipes
There are several Mexican dishes that have a similar flavor profile to birria. Here are a few:
- Low Carb Chile Colorado
- Crispy Carnitas Dinner
- Mexican meatball soup
- Low carb Mexican short ribs
- Chile Colorado with cactus
FAQ
The cuts of meat used have significant fat, which renders during braising. If you prefer less fat, refrigerate the stew overnight. The fat solidifies on top and can be easily skimmed. Note that some fat is desirable for frying tortillas if making tacos.
Traditional birria is more about complex chile flavor than raw heat. The blend of anchos, guajillos, and pasillas is mild to medium. Add chile de árbol or more chipotle for more heat.
Yes, it improves overnight. The flavors meld and the fat is easier to skim if desired. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Both are braised meat dishes, but barbacoa traditionally involves wrapping meat in maguey leaves and slow-cooking in a pit. Birria is braised in a pot with a chile-based sauce. The flavor profiles differ.
Yes, but the consommé will be thinner. Short ribs add gelatin that gives the broth body. Oxtails or marrow bones could substitute.
Beef Birria Stew with Consommé
Equipment
- Dutch oven Or very large skillet
- measuring spoons and cups
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground Cinnamon
- ¼ Ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin toasted and then ground if possible
- 2 teaspoons fresh smoked chile powder I used a smoky mix of ancho/passila/chipotle
- 2-3 teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)
- 3-4 short ribs bone in, or back ribs bone in
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 large white onion Chopped
- 6 garlic cloves Smashed or minced
- 1 inch Root ginger Peeled and sliced
- 14 ounces Canned chopped tomatoes I like Rotel for Mexican cooking
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Cut chuck roast into 3- to 4-inch pieces.2 1/2 pounds chuck roast
- Blend spices together in a large bowl.2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon, 1/4 Ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons fresh smoked chile powder, 2-3 teaspoons salt
- Add chuck pieces and short ribs to the bowl and toss and coat thoroughly with the spice mixture.3-4 short ribs
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons oil in dutch oven (or very large skillet) and sear the spice-coated chuck roast pieces and the ribs until browned (do not crowd – may take 2 batches)Remove and set aside.2 tablespoons oil
- Saute chopped onion, garlic, and ginger in the dutch oven (without the meat) for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 30 minutes.Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture as smooth as possible, or transfer to a regular blender, working in batches as needed (I found a regular blender easier).1 large white onion, 1 inch Root ginger, 14 ounces Canned chopped tomatoes, 6 garlic cloves
- Add the puree back to the dutch oven and add the reserved meat. Add bay leaves, honey, vinegar, chicken broth and water and bring to a boil over high heat, and then lower to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling-apart tender, 3 to 4 hours.3 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water
- Cool and then skim fat off of the top and reserve some consommé for future birria queso tacos.
- Place some chunks of beef into a soup bowl and ladle some of the cooking liquid over top. Top with white onion and chopped cilantro and squeeze lime juice over top.Serve with warm corn tortillas.
Am i reading this right? 14 cans of 16 oz rotel?
@dorothy stainbrook, thank you. My mind was in a fig when I was initially reading the recipe.
No problem. I changed it a bit to be more clear. Always appreciate a way to make it easier for readers!
Whoa! That would be a lot of tomatoes! No, it says 14-16 ounces of canned tomatoes. Some of the Rotel cans are 14 ounces, whereas the other brands of canned tomatoes are 16 ounces. Just one can tomatoes (either 14 or 16 ounces). I’ll try and make that clearer. Thanks for the comment.
I wish someone would come and cook this for me. I’m hungry and it sounds devine. Maybe I’ll hit Costco tomorrow and get a chuck roast. They have really nice ones most of the time. Thanks for the recipe!