This homemade Beef Birria recipe has a rich, flavorful broth and is delicious, hearty Mexican stew. It is best served with some fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, and a squeeze of lime juice. Use the leftover meat to make beef birria quesatacos and dip them in the leftover consommé. Either way, your tastebuds are sure to be delighted.
Ingredients in Beef Birria
Ingredient Notes
- Beef: For this beef birria recipe, I used chuck roast. You can also use beef short ribs, oxtail, beef shank, lamb, goat, or any combination of these. (Try this Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Barley Recipe)
- Peppers: I used guajillo chiles and chile de arbol, but you can also use pasilla chiles, ancho chiles, or morita chiles.
- Beef stock: I used beef stock to add more flavor to the consommé, although you can make this using water and it will still be delicious.
- Spices: This slow simmered beef birria recipes uses a combination of warm spices - Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder, cloves, and bay leaves.
Step By Step Instructions
How to make Beef Birria
STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chuck roast pieces generously with salt on all sides.
STEP 2: Add the chuck roast to the pot and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the oregano, bay leaves, chili powder, cumin and cloves to the pot and stir to coat the beef in the spices.
STEP 3: Add the garlic and onion, then pour in the beef stock. Increase the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, skim the foam from the top and discard.
STEP 4: Add in the guajillo and chile de arbol chilis and let them boil for 10 minutes.
STEP 5: Remove the chilis and garlic cloves from the broth and put them in a large blender.
STEP 6: Add three to four ladles of the broth to the blender, and blend until smooth.
STEP 7: Strain the blended chilis back into the soup using a fine mesh sieve.
STEP 8: Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for two to three hours or until the meat is tender. Stir every 30 to 45 minutes. Taste, and add more salt, if needed. Remove the onion before serving.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Storage: Store the leftover beef birria in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: I recommend rehearing this on the stovetop.
- Serving suggestions: I like to serve this with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, Pickled Jalapeños, Pineapple Salsa, Pickled Red Onions, and Grilled Corn Salsa
- Make Quesabirria (birria Quesatacos): Use the leftover meat to make Quesabirria tacos. Don't forget to keep the extra consommé to dip your tacos in.
- Meat options: In addition to chuck roast, you can also make this beef birria with oxtail, beef short ribs, brisket, beef shank, lamb, goat, or a combination of any of these. (I get all my meat here)
- Add cinnamon: This is also delicious with a cinnamon stick or some ground cinnamon added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quesabirria, also called quesatacos is like a cross between a taco and a quesadilla, that is made with birria.
Traditionally birria is made with lamb or goat, but you will also see it frequently made with beef, or a combination of meats.
Birria is a slow simmered ancestral Mexican stew. It is typically made with lamb or goat.
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Beef Birria
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This homemade Beef Birria recipe has a rich, flavorful broth and is delicious, hearty Mexican stew. It is best served with some fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, and a squeeze of lime juice. Use the leftover meat to make beef birria quesatacos and dip them in the leftover consommé. Either way, your tastebuds are sure to be delighted.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 pounds chuck roast (or half beef short ribs and half chuck roast) cut into 2 to 3 inch chunks
- (I get my grass-fed, grass-finished beef here)
- sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large onion, sliced in half and peeled with the stem left on
- 8 cups beef stock
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, seeded with the stems cut off (get them here)
- 3 dried chile de arbol, seeded with the stems cut off (get them here)
- chopped red onions, cilantro, and lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season the chuck roast pieces generously with salt on all sides. Add the chuck roast to the pot and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the oregano, bay leaves, chili powder, cumin and cloves to the pot and stir to coat the beef in the spices.
- Add the garlic and onion, then pour in the beef stock. Increase the heat to high to bring it to a boil.
- Once the broth is boiling, skim the foam from the top and discard.
- Add in the guajillo and chile de arbol chilis and let them boil for 10 minutes.
- Remove the chilis and garlic cloves from the broth and put them in a large blender. Add three to four ladles of the broth to the blender, and blend until smooth.
- Strain the blended chilis back into the soup using a fine mesh sieve. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for two to three hours or until the meat is tender. Stir every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Taste, and add more salt, if needed. Remove the onion before serving. Save the grease from the top of the broth for later to make quesatacos.
- Garnish with red onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- Be sure to save the leftover meat and broth to make Birria Quesatacos!
Notes
- Storage: Store the leftover beef birria in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 6 months.
- Reheating: I recommend rehearing this on the stovetop.
- Meat options: In addition to chuck roast, you can also make this beef birria with oxtail, beef short ribs, brisket, beef shank, lamb, goat, or a combination of any of these.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Beef Recipes
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: beef birria, how to make birria, what is birria, Birria Quesatacos, Quesabirria, Mexican stew, braised beef, keto birria recipe, low carb birria, gluten free beef birria
Lolli Gerard says
I got this on the stove as soon as I got up this morning and the house smells amazing. I just took my first bite of the beef and it is melt in your mouth tender. Can't wait to make the tacos next.
★★★★★
Sandi says
Has this been tried in an Instant Pot?
Michelle Matthews says
Another Kyndra Holley masterpiece! We did ours in the instant pot and it came out perfect!
I love making your recipes. Whenever I don't know what's for dinner, I just come here and get the best ideas!
★★★★★
Nicole says
Is there a recipe to follow with using the IP? This sounds delicious
Lisa says
Do you let it cool and then take the grease off to save for tacos?
Walker says
I meal prep and cook from scratch on a weekly basis, and I know that not all the recipes out there are solid. But trust me when I tell you, this is THE BEST Beef Birria I have ever had, hands down. I followed this recipe with no trouble. I will tell you that it takes a little time to prepare, so if you’re looking for a 15-minute meal, this isn’t it. BUT THE RESULT IS SO WORTH THE TIME!
★★★★★
Susan says
I made this for dinner tonight. I am trying to add more veggies to our meals, so I added carrots and green and yellow squash during the last hour of cooking and it was outstanding! Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. We are looking forward to leftovers tomorrow. Yummy!
Jason says
This turned out soooo good. This likely will be on repeat weekly or monthly at the least.
★★★★★
Claudine says
I made this last week, it was so flavorful, leftovers were just as amazing. This will definitely become a regular!
★★★★★
Anisa says
Easy and great flavor. Will make this again.
★★★★★
Lorraine says
Recipe looks great! Haven't made it yet. Just wondering if these particular chili's are very spicy. Need to keep the spice level down for my mom to enjoy.
★★★★★
Tisha says
This is so delicious! The flavors were amazing and the whole family enjoyed it. Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Mandy says
This is such a hearty and delicious meal. I made the birria and tacos at same time So we dunked tacos in broth. Never heard such a quiet table. Love, love, love this recipe
★★★★★
Kerri says
The BEST beef birria I have ever made!
I make chawffles for my husband with the left overs and my kids like it in "burritos".
I've never been disappointed by one of Kyndras recipes before and am glad I stumbled upon this one! It gets made every 2 weeks in our house!
Trust me- you want to make this!
★★★★★
MARY says
YOU MUST MAKE THIS RECIPE! ABSOLUTELY DELISH! I HAD TO BUY ALL THE DIFFERENT PEPPERS ON AMAZON, BUT THEY MAKE IT. IT'S TENDER, A SLIGHT KICK TO IT. AND THEN MAKE THE QUESOTACOS, AMAZING AS WELL. LOTS OF MEAT TO GO AROUND. MY DAUGHTER LOVED IT......I'LL BE MAKING IT AGAIN!
Riley says
This recipe was SO simple and SO delicious. It was a hit with even the pickiest of eaters in my family! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Teri says
Kyndra this is by far the best birria recipe I have ever made. Huge hit at my house
I ordered this at a Mexican restaurant and was very disappointed as mine/yours was so much better. I do keto so couldn't make tacos for myself but made a big platter for the family