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Traditional Mexican Birria Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 73 reviews

Traditional Mexican Birria is a richly flavored, slow-simmered beef stew made with a blend of dried chilies, aromatic spices, and tender beef stew meat. This hearty dish is perfect for serving with warm corn tortillas and fresh toppings like cilantro, onions, lime, and radishes for an authentic and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Broth

  • 3 pounds beef stew meat (such as chuck roast), cut into chunks
  • 4 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves

Spices and Chilies

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 dried pasilla chili, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves

Other Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Corn tortillas, for serving
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and sliced radishes, for serving

Instructions

  1. Combine Ingredients in Pot: In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the beef stew meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, bay leaves, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground coriander, ground cloves, salt, black pepper, beef broth, and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat to begin cooking the meat and developing flavors.
  2. Soak Chilies: While the meat simmers, place the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15-20 minutes until softened, then drain the chilies and prepare them for blending.
  3. Blend Chili Sauce: Transfer the softened chilies to a blender. Add the cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and about a cup of the hot cooking liquid from the pot. Blend until smooth, adding additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth, pourable sauce.
  4. Cook the Chili Sauce: Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully pour the blended chili sauce into the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir occasionally until the sauce thickens and darkens, which intensifies the flavors.
  5. Simmer Meat with Sauce: Pour the thickened chili sauce over the beef in the pot. Stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 2-3 hours until the beef is tender and the flavors are deeply melded.
  6. Serve: Serve the hot birria with warm corn tortillas and garnished with chopped cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and sliced radishes for a delicious and authentic presentation.

Notes

  • For a spicier birria, include some seeds from the dried chilies or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce.
  • Beef chuck roast is preferred for its tenderness after long cooking; however, short ribs can also be used.
  • Leftover birria can be stored refrigerated for up to 4 days and makes excellent tacos or quesadillas.
  • If a blender is unavailable, soaking the chilies until soft and finely chopping them is an alternative, though less smooth.
  • Serve with consommé (the cooking broth) on the side as a dipping sauce for the tacos if desired.

Keywords: Birria, Mexican beef stew, traditional Mexican recipe, slow-simmered beef, chili sauce, Mexican comfort food

Find it online: https://tastygenius.com/traditional-mexican-birria-recipe/