Birria

Name: Birria
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks; 1 lb bone-in beef short ribs (optional but worth it); 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or avocado); 5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed; 3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed; 2 dried chiles de árbol, stems removed (adjust for heat preference); 4 cups beef broth, divided; 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped (divided "? half for sauce, half for serving); 6 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 Roma tomatoes, halved; 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; Fresh cilantro, white onion, lime wedges, and corn tortillas for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

Quick Answer

Birria is made by simmering dried chiles into a rich sauce, then braising beef until fall-apart tender, typically 3–4 hours in the oven or stovetop. Serve it as a stew with the consommé or use the meat for quesabirria tacos dipped in the braising liquid.

Jump to Recipe

Birria is not a “what can I throw together before the commercial break ends?” dinner. It asks for dried chiles, browned beef, a blender, a strainer, and several hours of braising, then pays back the inconvenience with beef so tender it barely needs shredding and a chile-rich consommé you will immediately start looking for excuses to dip things into. Chuck roast provides the bulk of the meat here, with bone-in short ribs as an optional addition that brings extra richness and body to the broth. Guajillo, ancho, and chiles de árbol get toasted briefly—not burned—then softened in beef broth. Tomatoes and onion pick up char in the skillet before joining the chiles with garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and apple cider vinegar in the blender. Straining that sauce matters. It removes the bits that would otherwise leave the consommé grainy, and once the smooth chile mixture hits the Dutch oven, cooking it for a few minutes deepens the flavor before the seared beef goes back in.

Then comes the easy part: cover the pot and braise at 325°F for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Shred the tender beef, skim or save the fat, and season the consommé. Serve it as a stew with onion, cilantro, lime, and tortillas, or use the beef and reserved fat for quesabirria. Saving that fat for frying tortillas is the kind of kitchen decision that makes you briefly understand why people become protective of a Dutch oven.

Prep45 minutes

Cook3 hours 30 minutes

Total4 hours 15 minutes

Serves6 servings

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

Servings

3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
1 lb bone-in beef short ribs (optional but worth it)
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or avocado)
5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried chiles de árbol, stems removed (adjust for heat preference)
4 cups beef broth, divided
1 medium white onion, roughly chopped (divided "? half for sauce, half for serving)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 Roma tomatoes, halved
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Fresh cilantro, white onion, lime wedges, and corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

1Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season all over with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper.
2Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches "? don't crowd the pot "? until deep brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove seared beef to a plate and set aside. This step matters. Don't skip it.
3While the beef sears, toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat, pressing them flat for about 15–20 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly darkened. Do not let them burn or the sauce will be bitter.
4Place toasted chiles in a saucepan with 2 cups of the beef broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cook for 8 minutes until the chiles are softened. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
5In the same skillet used to toast the chiles, char the tomatoes and half the onion over medium-high heat until lightly blackened on the cut sides, about 4–5 minutes.
6Transfer the softened chiles and their soaking liquid to a blender. Add the charred tomatoes, charred onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing solids through with a spoon. Discard anything left in the strainer.
7Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Pour in the strained chile sauce and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells like it means business.
8Add the seared beef back to the pot along with the remaining 2 cups of beef broth and the bay leaves. The liquid should come about halfway up the meat. Bring to a simmer.
9Cover and braise in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, until the beef is completely tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
10Remove beef from the pot. Shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or bone. Skim excess fat from the surface of the consommé "? or scoop the fat off and save it for frying tortillas for tacos.
11Return shredded beef to the pot. Taste the consommé and adjust salt. Serve as a stew in bowls with the consommé, topped with diced white onion, cilantro, and lime. Or use the beef for quesabirria tacos: dip tortillas in consommé, cook in that reserved fat with cheese and beef, and serve with consommé for dipping.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 6 servings.

870Calories

61 gProtein

11 gCarbohydrates

65 gTotal Fat

24 gSaturated Fat

5 gFiber

3 gTotal Sugars

1540 mgSodium

225 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

The chile sauce must be strained. I know it feels like extra work and the blender already did something. Strain it anyway. Unstrained birria has a grainy texture that the strainer fixes in two minutes flat.
Save the fat that rises to the top of your consommé. Frying tortillas in birria fat for quesabirria tacos is one of the better decisions you can make with your Saturday.
If your consommé tastes flat, it usually needs salt and acid "? a squeeze of fresh lime juice directly into the pot will wake the whole thing up.
Bone-in short ribs add gelatin to the consommé that makes it rich and slightly sticky in the best possible way. Chuck alone is fine. Chuck with ribs is a different experience entirely.

Substitutions

beef chuck roast → bone-in goat or lamb shoulder Traditional birria is actually made with goat "? beef became the more common American version. Goat birria has a deeper, more complex flavor and is absolutely worth trying if you can source it.

dried guajillo chiles → dried New Mexico chiles Similar mild heat and fruity flavor, though the color will be slightly less vivid. Works well as a 1:1 swap.

dried ancho chiles → dried mulato chiles or pasilla chiles Both provide similar dark, chocolatey depth. Pasilla will be a bit more earthy; mulato slightly sweeter.

beef broth → chicken broth Works if that's what you have, though it produces a lighter consommé. Use low-sodium and adjust salt carefully.

apple cider vinegar → white wine vinegar or fresh lime juice The acid is essential for balance. Lime juice will give a brighter, more citrusy finish.

Storage Instructions

Store beef and consommé together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The fat will solidify on top when cold "? skim it off before reheating or stir it back in, depending on how you're using it. Freeze birria in portions for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently on the stovetop.

Make Ahead

Birria is genuinely better the next day. The flavors deepen overnight. Make it up to 2 days ahead, store covered in the refrigerator, and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed. This is one of the few recipes that rewards your inability to finish it the same day you started.

Build the plate