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Authentic Birria Recipe for Tacos or Stew

Authentic birria delivers deep red consomé with tender shredded beef and a rich, spiced broth. Simmered low and slow, it’s ready as tacos with dipped corn tortillas or as a hearty Mexican stew.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 850
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Birria beef and broth
  • 4 lb beef chuck roast Cut into chunks.
  • 8 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 onion onion Halved.
  • 1 head garlic Crushed.
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.
Chile sauce base
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried chipotle chiles
  • 1 hot water For soaking the dried chiles.
Serving for tacos or stew
  • 1 servings corn tortillas Diced for serving/taco assembly as needed.
  • 1 diced onion For serving.
  • 1 cilantro For serving.
  • 1 lime wedges For stew; add lime to tacos as desired.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Toast, soak, and blend chiles
  1. Toast the dried guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles, and dried chipotle chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes, watching closely for a toasted red aroma.
  2. Soak the toasted dried chiles in hot water for 10 minutes, until pliable and darker in color, then drain well.
  3. Blend the drained chiles with the onion, crushed garlic, cumin, oregano, and apple cider vinegar until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the blender as needed.
  4. Strain the chile sauce through a fine mesh sieve, pushing with a spoon so you get a silky, pourable deep-red sauce.
Simmer birria into tender beef
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot (Dutch oven) over medium heat until shimmering, then add the strained chile sauce.
  2. Cook the chile sauce for 5 minutes, stirring, until slightly thickened and fragrant with a darker brick-red color.
  3. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, stirring until the tomato paste is incorporated.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat until you see steady bubbling across the surface.
  5. Add the beef chuck roast chunks, then return to a boil so the liquid bubbles again around the meat.
  6. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 90–120 minutes until the beef is fall-apart tender, with the broth taking on a deeper red hue.
  7. Season the consomé with salt and pepper to taste, then taste again for balance.
Serve as tacos or stew
  1. For tacos, shred the tender beef and dip corn tortillas in the hot consomé briefly, then fill with shredded meat.
  2. Serve the tacos with diced onion and cilantro, keeping the filling and tortillas warm so the consomé flavor clings.
  3. For stew, ladle the meat and consomé into bowls, then serve with lime wedges for bright acidity.

Notes

Pro tip: strain the chile sauce for a smoother, restaurant-style consomé and skim any excess oil near the end of simmering if you want it less heavy. Refrigerate birria in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months. For a dietary swap, use low-sodium beef broth and adjust salt to keep the consomé flavorful without extra sodium.