Description
Tender, juicy Mexican birria made with beef chuck roast slow-cooked in a rich sauce of guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, roasted vegetables, and warm spices. Serve this comforting birria de res with its flavorful consommé, fresh cilantro, onion, and lime, or use the shredded beef for tacos.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef Birria
- 4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
Birria Sauce
- 10 guajillo chiles
- 5 ancho chiles
- 3 arbol chiles
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 bay leaves
For Serving, Optional
- Chopped white onion
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Warm corn tortillas
Instructions
- Prepare the chiles: Cut the stems from the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles. Shake out and discard the seeds, then quickly rinse the chiles.
- Soften the chiles: Place the chiles in a medium saucepan and cover completely with water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until softened. Reserve 1 cup of the chile cooking water.
- Broil the vegetables: Place the tomatoes, quartered onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a small sheet pan. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes, until lightly charred. Let the garlic cool slightly, then remove the peels.
- Blend the birria sauce: Add the softened chiles and 1 cup reserved cooking water to a high-powered blender. Add the roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, or until completely smooth.
- Slow cook the birria: Place the beef chunks in the slow cooker. Pour the birria sauce over the beef and add the bay leaves. Gently toss with tongs to coat.
- Cook until tender: Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The beef is ready when it is fork-tender and pulls apart easily.
- Shred the beef: Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the beef to a cutting board or large dish and shred it using two forks.
- Return to the consommé: Add the shredded beef back to the slow cooker and stir it into the cooking liquid. Let it rest for a few minutes so the meat absorbs more of the consommé.
- Serve: Spoon the Mexican birria and consommé into bowls and garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, and fresh lime. Alternatively, use the shredded beef for tacos and serve the consommé on the side for dipping
Notes
- Adjust the heat: Arbol chiles provide most of the heat. Reduce them for a milder birria.
- Don’t rush the beef: If the chuck roast doesn’t shred easily, continue cooking until fork-tender.
- Keep the consommé: The cooking liquid is packed with flavor. Serve it with the beef or alongside birria tacos for dipping.
- Make ahead: Birria tastes fantastic the next day and works well for meal prep.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers with some consommé in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled birria with its consommé in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until thoroughly heated.
- Serving suggestion: Fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, and warm corn tortillas pair beautifully with the rich beef.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner`
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (⅛ of recipe)
- Calories: 490 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 48 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg