Mexican Birria Recipe
Authentic birria is a traditional meat stew from the Mexican state of Jalisco, made with lamb, goat, or beef cooked low and slow in a flavorful chili sauce. Perfect for enjoying as a soup or in tacos, birria is a rich and hearty dish with deep, smoky flavors.
Servings: 6
Calories: 314kcal
Ingredients
For the Chili Sauce:
- 5 ancho peppers stems and seeds removed
- 5 guajillo peppers stems and seeds removed
- 2-3 chiles de árbol optional, for heat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 3 large tomatoes chopped
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 large roasted tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups beef stock divided
For the Meat:
- 3.5 pounds lamb shoulder or beef shank, chuck roast, or goat
Instructions
Prepare the Chilies
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Dry-toast the ancho, guajillo, and optional chiles de árbol for 1-2 minutes per side, until their skins darken slightly.
- Remove from heat and place them in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let them soak for 20 minutes, until softened.
Cook the Aromatics
- In the same pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring frequently.
Make the Sauce
- Transfer the cooked onion, tomatoes, and garlic to a food processor.
- Add the softened chilies (reserve their soaking liquid), seasonings (oregano, salt, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, black pepper), apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef stock.
- Blend until smooth. (For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine sieve to remove any remaining bits.)
Marinate the Meat
- Cut the lamb or beef into large chunks and place them in a bowl.
- Pour the birria sauce over the meat, rubbing it in to coat evenly.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for better flavor.
Cook the Birria
- Add the marinated meat and all of the sauce to a large pot.
- Add the roasted tomatoes and the remaining 3 cups of beef stock.
- Cover and cook over medium heat for 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and easy to shred.
- If needed, add more beef stock or reserved chili soaking liquid to achieve a soupier consistency.
Serving Options
- For Soup: Serve the braised birria in bowls with the rich consomé (broth).
- For Tacos: Shred the meat and serve on warm tortillas with consomé on the side for dipping.
Notes
For a smoother sauce, strain it through a fine sieve to remove chili skins and seeds.
For more heat, add additional chiles de árbol or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Birria can be enjoyed as a hearty stew or as birria tacos with crispy, dipped tortillas.
Make Ahead: The flavors improve overnight, making it perfect for meal prep!