Beef Birria

This delicious Beef Birria Recipe is a flavor-packed, slow-cooked beef stew made with chuck roast and short ribs simmered with guajillo chiles, garlic, onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. Seasoned with chilies and warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and cloves, this dish is sure to make your taste buds dance.

Serve stew the first night and use the remaining beef for Birria tacos. Believe me, it just does not get much better than this.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.

• Chuck roast: This is by far my favorite cut of beef for this recipe, followed by rump roast.
• Short ribs: They are a bone-in cut of beef taken from the brisket, chuck, or rib. Included is a short portion of the rib bone, which is covered by varying thicknesses of meat. You can also use boneless. Bone-in beef shanks, which are hind shanks or leg sections of the cow, are suitable substitutes for short ribs.
• Guajillo chiles: These are dried mirasol chiles. They are a common pepper in Northern Mexico. They are a relatively mild pepper with a 2500-5000 ranking on the Scoville chart. They add rich, deep flavor to marinades, sauces, and stews. They are with the other dried peppers in most grocery stores.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes: You can substitute any diced tomatoes, but the fire-roasted ones add flavor.
• Smoked paprika: Not to be confused with sweet paprika. The red peppers are smoked over an oak fire before grinding.
• Beef broth: Preferably low-sodium

How to Make Beef Birria

This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.

1. Trim and cut the chuck roast into large chunks. Add the chuck roast and short ribs to a large Dutch oven or heavy pot.
2. In a food processor, add the softened peppers, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and ground cloves. Pulse until blended and smooth.
3. Pour it over the meat and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.
4. Hydrate the dried guajillo chiles. Remove the stems, seeds, and veins.
5. Cook the onions in a bit of olive oil. Add the cooked onions, beef broth, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the pot.
6. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
7. Remove the bay leaves, then serve the stew in a bowl with chopped onion (white or red), chopped fresh cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.

Use the Beef Birria To Make Quesabirria Tacos

To make quesabirria tacos, add a layer of queso quesadilla cheese, Oaxaca cheese, Mexican cheese blend, or even mozzarella, and a layer of beef Birria to each corn tortilla. Use tongs to drain most of the broth from the Beef Birria before adding.

Heat a little olive oil or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the taco open-faced in the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom. Then fold it over and flip, cooking for about 1 minute, or until everything is golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Preparation Tips for Success

• Marinate the beef covered in the refrigerator for 2 hours up to overnight.
• This recipe cooks low and slow. The liquid will reduce significantly, giving the stew a lot of flavor.
• Use the leftover stew meat to make fried corn Birria Tacos.

More Recipes to Try

Beef Birria Recipe

This Beef Birria recipe is bursting with flavor from guajillo chiles, garlic, onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, ground cloves, and cinnamon. Eat it with minced onion and chopped cilantro as a stew or in pan-fried tacos with queso quesadilla cheese. 

5 from 27 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: stew/soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 462kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Beef Birria

• 3-4 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 ½ lbs short ribs
• 6-8 guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
• 6 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Birria Stew

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 6 cups low sodium beef broth
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• Chopped onions yellow or red
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Birria Tacos

• Vegetable oil
• White or yellow corn tortillas
• Queso quesadilla cheese or a Mexican blend cheese

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to boil, then turn the heat off. Add the dried guajillo chiles and cover with a lid. Soak them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain in a colander. Cut off the stem and slit the pepper open with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Remove the seeds and veins. 
• Meanwhile, cut your chuck roast into large cubes, trimming away large portions of fat. Add the chuck roast and short ribs to a large Dutch oven or large pot.
• In a food processor, add the softened peppers, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and ground cloves. Pulse until blended into a smooth paste. Add the marinade to the pot with the beef and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight. 
• Remove the beef from the refrigerator. Add a little olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the cooked onions, chicken broth, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the pot with the beef. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender. 
• Remove the bay leaves and serve the stew in a bowl with chopped onion (either white or red), chopped fresh cilantro, and fresh lime wedges. 
• To make Birria Tacos add a layer of cheese and a layer of beef Birria to each corn tortilla. Use tongs to drain most of the broth from the beef before adding. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2-3 tacos open-faced in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Fold it over, covering the beef and cheese, and flip, cooking for about 1 minute or until everything is golden brown and the cheese is melted. For best results, serve promptly. 

Notes

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
• To freeze the beef, first fully cool it. Spoon the meat into zipper freezer bags or a sturdy freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 1131mg | Potassium: 919mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 6mg

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