Description
Traditional Mexican Birria is a slow-cooked, richly spiced stew typically made with goat meat or beef chuck roast. This authentic recipe features a deep, smoky chili sauce made from dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles blended with tomatoes, garlic, and aromatic spices. The meat is seared and then braised until tender, resulting in a flavorful dish perfect for enjoying in bowls or as filling for birria tacos.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast or goat meat, cut into large chunks
Chili Sauce
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, seeded
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican if available)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
To Serve
- Chopped cilantro
- Diced onion
- Lime wedges
- Corn tortillas (optional, for tacos)
Instructions
- Toast and soak chiles: Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 15 minutes until softened.
- Prepare chili sauce: In a blender, combine the soaked chiles, quartered tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, thyme, black pepper, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend the mixture until smooth, creating a rich chili sauce.
- Sear the meat: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef or goat chunks and sear them on all sides until browned, locking in the flavors.
- Combine and simmer: Pour the blended chili sauce over the seared meat. Add the remaining beef broth, bay leaf, and salt. Stir well to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Braise the meat: Cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to low. Let the meat simmer gently for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until it becomes tender and shreds easily. Skim any excess fat off the top if necessary during cooking.
- Shred and finish: Remove the meat from the pot and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded meat to the broth and stir to mix flavors evenly.
- Serve: Serve the birria hot in bowls with broth, topped with chopped onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Alternatively, use the shredded meat to fill warm corn tortillas for delicious birria tacos.
Notes
- Traditional birria is made with goat meat, but beef is a popular and more accessible alternative.
- For a smoky depth of flavor, roast the tomatoes and garlic before blending the sauce.
- Birria tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen and meld together.
