Birria: Traditional Mexican Stew Recipe

Birria is a slow-cooked Mexican stew, closely associated with Jalisco, made with meat simmered in a sauce of dried chiles, aromatics, and spices. This version uses beef chuck and shank for a rich broth, though goat is a traditional choice and family recipes vary by region. Serve it as stew with tortillas, or shred the meat for tacos and offer the chile-rich cooking broth as consommé for dipping.

Ingredients

6 dried guajillo chiles (about 45 g), stems and seeds removed
3 dried ancho chiles (about 30 g), stems and seeds removed
1 dried árbol chile (about 1 g), optional, for extra heat
2 cups hot water (480 ml), for soaking the chiles
3 lb boneless beef chuck (1.36 kg), cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
1½ lb bone-in beef shank (680 g), cut into pieces; ask the butcher to cut it if needed
1 large white onion (about 250 g), cut in half, with one half roughly chopped and the other half cut into wedges
6 garlic cloves (about 30 g), peeled
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (60 ml)
1 tablespoon ground cumin (6 g)
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano (2 g), or regular dried oregano
1 teaspoon black peppercorns (2 g)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1 g), or one small cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves (about 0.5 g)
2 bay leaves (about 1 g)
2 teaspoons fine salt (10 g), plus more to taste
3 cups water or unsalted beef stock (720 ml), plus more as needed
2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), for browning the meat
For serving: 12 to 18 corn tortillas (about 300–450 g), ½ cup chopped white onion (75 g), ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (15 g), and 2 limes (about 120 g), cut into wedges

Instructions

Soften the chiles. Put the guajillo and ancho chiles, plus the árbol chile if using, in a heatproof bowl. Pour over 2 cups (480 ml) hot water, submerge them with a small plate if needed, and soak for 20 minutes, until pliable. This is the only timed soaking period in the recipe; the active trimming and measuring can be done while the chiles soften. Reserve the soaking liquid.
Blend the chile sauce. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add the roughly chopped onion half, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and 1 cup (240 ml) of the reserved soaking liquid. Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If the sauce will not move, add more soaking liquid a tablespoon at a time. For a particularly silky broth, pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and press it through with a spoon; straining is optional but removes any stubborn chile skins.
Season and brown the meat. Pat the beef dry and season it lightly with a little extra salt. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches so the pieces are not crowded, brown the meat on several sides, about 15 minutes total. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate as you work. Browning builds savory flavor; it does not need to cook the meat through.
Coat the meat with sauce. Lower the heat to medium. Carefully add the blended chile sauce to the pot and stir for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Return the beef and any collected juices to the pot. Add the onion wedges, bay leaves, and 3 cups (720 ml) water or stock. The liquid should come partway up the meat; add a little more water if needed, but do not dilute the sauce more than necessary.
Simmer until tender. Bring the pot just to a gentle simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 hours 45 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice, until the beef is very tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. Keep the liquid at a quiet simmer rather than a hard boil, and check occasionally that the bottom is not scorching. Add a splash of water if the liquid level drops too far. Check a thick piece of beef with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for whole cuts of beef; for this stew, continue simmering beyond that point until the meat is fork-tender.
Finish the broth and meat. Lift out the bay leaves. Remove the meat and shank bones to a board or bowl. If the broth has a thick layer of fat, skim off some with a spoon, leaving enough for flavor. Shred the chuck and any meat from the shank, discarding bones and excess connective tissue, then return the meat to the broth. Taste and adjust the salt. If you prefer a more concentrated consommé, simmer uncovered for a few minutes; if it tastes too strong, stir in a little hot water.
Serve. Ladle the meat and broth into bowls, or transfer the broth to small cups for dipping. Set out warm tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and lime wedges so everyone can finish their portion at the table.

Tips

Choose chiles for color and heat. Guajillos bring a mild, fruity chile flavor, while anchos add a deeper, raisin-like note. The árbol chile is optional and can be hot; leave it out for a gentler stew. If you cannot find Mexican oregano, regular oregano works, though its flavor is a little different.
Use a heavy pot and a low simmer. A thin pot can develop hot spots and scorch the chile sauce. If the stew is bubbling vigorously, lower the heat. Gentle cooking helps the connective tissue soften without the meat drying out.
Do not discard all the chile-soaking liquid automatically. It carries flavor and loosens the sauce, but it can taste bitter if the dried chiles were dusty or old. Taste a little before adding it; if it is unpleasant, use warm water or stock in the blender instead.
Adjust the fat to your preference. Shank and chuck make a flavorful broth, and some fat is part of its character. Skim only the excess after cooking. If the broth is very greasy, chill it and lift off the solidified fat before reheating, or skim it while warm with a shallow spoon.

Serving Suggestions

For a bowl of birria, serve the shredded meat in a generous ladle of broth with onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet until flexible, then use them to scoop up the meat and soak up the consommé. Rice, beans, or a simple cabbage salad can round out the meal without competing with the chile sauce.

For birria tacos, keep the meat separate from the broth briefly so the tortillas do not become soggy before they reach the pan. Dip one side of each tortilla lightly in the broth’s surface fat, if there is enough, then cook it in a hot skillet, fill it with meat, and fold it over. Toast both sides until crisp and serve with a small cup of hot consommé for dipping. Add cheese if desired, but it is an optional variation rather than a requirement for the stew.

Variations

Make it with goat. Goat shoulder is a traditional and flavorful option in many birria preparations. Substitute 4½ lb (2 kg) bone-in goat shoulder for the beef, cut into manageable pieces. Goat can take a little longer to become tender, so judge by texture rather than the clock and add hot water if needed to keep the pot from drying out.

Use all beef chuck. If shank is unavailable, use 4½ lb (2 kg) chuck. The broth may be less gelatin-rich, but the chile sauce still gives it plenty of flavor. Beef short ribs can also replace some of the chuck; they add richness and bones, so skim the broth to taste.

Make the stew milder or hotter. Omit the árbol chile for mild birria, or add another small árbol chile for more heat. Avoid adding several without tasting the chile sauce first, since dried chile heat can vary. A small splash of vinegar at the end can sharpen a broth that tastes heavy, but add it gradually so it does not become sour.

Choose a smoother or rustic broth. Straining the blended sauce gives the broth a more polished texture. Leaving it unstrained keeps more chile solids in the pot and makes a thicker, more rustic stew. Either approach works; the important point is to blend the sauce thoroughly so it coats the meat evenly.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover birria within 2 hours of cooking, storing the meat and broth together in a covered, shallow container. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The flavor often melds as it sits, and the chilled broth makes it easy to remove excess fat from the surface before reheating.

For longer storage, freeze the cooled stew in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave a little room at the top for expansion and label the container with the date. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator rather than on the counter. Reheat a portion in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 165°F (74°C); add a splash of water if the broth has reduced. You can also reheat it in a microwave-safe dish, covered and stirred partway through, checking the temperature in more than one spot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is birria traditionally made with beef or goat?
Goat is traditional in many Jalisco-style preparations, while beef is now widely used and is convenient to find in many places. Pork versions and different combinations also exist. This recipe uses beef chuck and shank, but goat shoulder can be substituted as described above.

What is consommé in birria?
Consommé is the seasoned cooking broth served with the meat, either in the bowl or in a small cup for dipping. Here it is made by simmering the chile sauce, beef, bones, and aromatics together. It is not a separate stock that must be prepared in advance.

Can I make birria without a blender?
A blender gives the smoothest sauce, but a food processor can work if you blend in batches and scrape the bowl. If using an immersion blender, blend the sauce ingredients with enough soaking liquid in a tall container. A mortar and pestle is possible but labor-intensive; chop the softened chiles very finely and expect a more textured broth.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Yes. Brown the meat and prepare the chile sauce as written, then transfer everything to a slow cooker with the onion, bay leaves, and liquid. Cook on low until the meat pulls apart easily, usually about 7 to 8 hours, though the exact time depends on the cooker and cut. The slow-cooker timing is an alternative and is not included in the recipe facts above.

Why is my birria broth bitter?
Old or scorched dried chiles, burnt garlic, or overly bitter soaking water can affect the broth. Remove chile stems and seeds, soften the chiles in hot rather than boiling water, and do not let the sauce scorch when it goes into the pot. If bitterness is mild, add a little more broth and adjust salt; strong bitterness is difficult to correct, so taste the soaking liquid before using it.

Can I prepare the chile sauce ahead?
Yes. Blend it up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can also brown the meat and assemble the pot earlier in the day, then refrigerate it promptly and cook later. Do not leave raw meat or the assembled stew at room temperature while waiting; refrigerate it and allow extra time for the pot to return to a simmer when cooking.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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