Description
Beef Birria delivers a mouthwatering Mexican classic that will have your taste buds dancing with pure delight. Slow-cooked beef melts in your mouth, creating an authentic dining experience straight from traditional Mexican kitchens.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast or beef shank
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 dried pasilla chile
Aromatics and Spices:
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
Supporting Ingredients:
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Corn tortillas
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Chopped onions
Instructions
- Carefully remove stems and seeds from 2 guajillo, 2 ancho, and 1 pasilla dried chiles. Toast them quickly in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 seconds until fragrant.
- Submerge toasted chiles in hot water for exactly 15 minutes to soften completely. Drain when softened.
- Combine 4 peeled garlic cloves, 1 quartered onion, 1 quartered tomato, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon ground cloves in a blender.
- Add drained chiles, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, and ½ cup chile soaking water to the blender. Pulse until your sauce becomes completely smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear 3 pounds beef chuck roast chunks for 4-5 minutes, browning all surfaces.
- Pour entire blended sauce over beef. Add 3 bay leaves and 4 cups beef broth. Stir to combine thoroughly.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes, until beef becomes incredibly tender and easily pulls apart.
- Remove beef from broth. Shred meat using two forks, discarding any large fat pieces.
- Warm corn tortillas. Fill each with shredded beef, topped with fresh chopped cilantro, diced onions, and a lime wedge.
- Serve remaining rich broth on the side for optional dipping.
Notes
- Toasting chiles brings out deeper, richer flavors and helps prevent a bitter taste in your sauce.
- Soaking dried chiles in hot water softens them and makes blending easier, ensuring a smooth, well-incorporated sauce.
- Select a tough cut like chuck roast or beef shank, as these become incredibly tender and flavorful during the long, slow cooking process.
- Cooking the birria low and slow allows the connective tissues to break down, creating melt-in-your-mouth meat that shreds beautifully.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 to 3 hours
- Category: Beef
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 385 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg