Slow-Braised Beef Birria (Birria de Res)
This slow-braised beef birria is made with chuck roast that is slow-cooked in a rich chile broth with toasted spices, onion, and garlic. The result is fall-apart beef with plenty of flavorful birria consomé for dipping or using in tacos, nachos, and more.
I use separate chile soaks in some recipes, like my Beef and Chorizo Chili, but for this birria I prefer to keep things as close to one-pot as possible. The dried chiles soften right in the braising liquid with the beef, onion, and garlic for the first hour. Once they're tender, I blend the chiles and aromatics with some of the braising liquid, then add everything back to the pot to finish the braise.
Use this birria to make my Quesabirria Tacos with Oaxaca cheese and consomé for dipping, or pile it onto Loaded Birria Nachos with queso, corn salsa, crema, and pickled onions.
Quick Look: Beef Birria
- Prep Time: About 30 minutes
- Cook Time: About 30 minutes
- Braising Time: 2½-3 hours (hands off)
- Total Time: About 4 hours
- Servings: About 8
- Flavor Profile: Rich, savory, earthy, warmly spiced, and slightly smoky
- Heat Level: Mild to medium
- Difficulty: Intermediate
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fall-apart tender: Chuck roast braises until juicy and easy to shred.
- Rich consomé: Dried chiles, toasted spices, and beef create a deeply flavorful dipping broth.
- Big chile flavor: Guajillo, ancho, and chipotle bring plenty of depth without overwhelming heat.
- Plenty of ways to use it: Pile it into homemade corn tortillas for tacos, or use it for nachos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls, and more.
Beef Birria Ingredients
The ingredient list is a little long, but each piece builds the deep, layered flavor that makes birria worth the extra prep. Once everything is in the pot, most of the cooking time is hands-off.
- Beef chuck roast: Ideal for a long braise because it stays juicy and becomes easy to shred once tender.
- Dried chiles: Guajillo and ancho bring deep chile flavor, chipotle adds smokiness, and chile de árbol brings the heat. I also use whole dried chiles to build the broth in my Braised Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Whole spices: Toasted peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon add warmth and depth to the broth.
- Beef stock: This becomes the base of the consomé, so use a good low-sodium stock.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity to balance the rich beef and chile flavors.
Refer to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Cut of beef: Chuck roast is my first choice, but beef shank or short ribs can also work. Expect some variation in cook time and richness.
- Mexican oregano: Regular dried oregano works if that's what you have.
- Dried chiles: For less heat, reduce or omit the chile de árbol. For more heat, add extra chile de árbol to taste. I don't recommend cutting back on the guajillo, ancho, or chipotle since they contribute much more to the overall flavor.
How to Make Slow-Braised Beef Birria
Follow the steps below for tender beef birria and a rich, flavorful consomé.
Step 1 - Brown the Beef: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cut the chuck roast into large pieces, season with salt, then sear in batches over medium-high heat until deeply browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 2 - Toast the Spices: Toast the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon until fragrant, then bundle them in cheesecloth with the oregano and bay leaves.
Step 3 - Cook the Aromatics and Chiles: Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven, then stir in the tomato paste and dried chiles. Cook until everything begins to soften and deepen in color.
Step 4 - Deglaze: Pour in the beef stock and vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Step 5 - Start the Braise: Return the beef and any juices to the pot, add the spice packet, and bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover, transfer to the oven, and braise for 1 hour.
Step 6 - Blend the Chile Sauce: Remove the softened chiles, onion, and garlic and blend them with about 1 cup of the braising liquid until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the pot.
Step 7 - Finish the Braise: Return the pot to the oven, partially covered for another 1½-2 hours, until the beef is very tender and pulls apart easily. The beef should be around 200-205°F internally, but tenderness matters more than the exact number. If it still feels tough, keep cooking.
Step 8 - Shred the Beef: Remove the beef and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Stir in a little consomé to keep it juicy, then season to taste.
Serve the birria with warm homemade corn tortillas or beef tallow flour tortillas, diced onion, cilantro, lime, Mexican Crema, and your favorite toppings.
Top Tips for Perfect Birria
- Brown the beef in batches. Give the pieces room to develop a deep crust instead of steaming.
- Watch the spices. Toast them just until fragrant. Whole spices can turn bitter if they burn.
- Cook the tomato paste. Let it darken for a few minutes to deepen the flavor before adding the stock.
- Blend the sauce well. Give the softened chiles and aromatics a full 1-2 minutes for a smooth consomé.
- Cook until truly tender. Keep the braise at a gentle simmer and aim for about 200-205°F internally. If the beef still won't shred easily, keep cooking-tenderness matters more than the exact number.
- Save the birria fat. Keep the chile-infused fat from the top of the consomé for crisping birria tacos.
Storing and Making Birria Ahead
Birria is great for making ahead of time and reheats very well.
- Refrigerate: Let the beef and consomé cool, then store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Keep the shredded beef with a little consomé so it stays juicy.
- Save the fat: Once chilled, the rendered fat will firm up on top of the consomé. Save some if you're making quesabirria tacos-it's perfect for crisping the tortillas.
- Freeze: Freeze the beef with enough consomé to keep it moist for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of consomé if needed and stirring until warmed through.
Birria FAQ
Birria originated in Jalisco, Mexico, where it is traditionally made with goat. Lamb and beef are also common, and this version uses beef chuck roast for its rich flavor and tender, shreddable texture.
This version lands around mild to medium. Guajillo and ancho chiles bring most of the flavor, while chipotle and chile de árbol add more of the heat. For a milder batch, reduce or leave out the árbol.
Both are slow-cooked meat dishes, but birria is braised in a chile-rich broth and served with the consomé. Barbacoa is typically seasoned and cooked differently and doesn't have that same rich chile broth.
More Mexican and Tex-Mex Favorites
Whether you're using this birria for tacos or nachos, or looking for more Mexican and Tex-Mex favorites, these are a few recipes worth checking out next!
Did you make this Beef Birria?
Let me know how yours turned out in the comments below, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Beef Birria (Birria de Res)
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or Heavy-Bottomed Pot
- Small skillet
- Cheesecloth
- Kitchen Twine
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless beef chuck roast
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
- 1½ teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large onion peeled and quartered
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried chipotle pepper stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried chile de árbol stemmed and seeded - add more for extra heat
- 2 quarts beef stock low sodium preferred
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cut the chuck roast into 2-3-inch pieces and season with kosher salt.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned, about 8-10 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
- Toast the peppercorns, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon in a small skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Place them in cheesecloth with the oregano and bay leaves and tie securely with kitchen twine.
- Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the dried chiles and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the beef stock and apple cider vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven and add the spice packet. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and braise in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the softened chiles, onion, and garlic and transfer them to a blender with about 1 cup of the braising liquid. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Pour the chile mixture back into the Dutch oven and stir to combine.
- Return the pot to the oven, partially covered, and braise for another 1½-2 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily and reaches about 200-205°F internally. If the beef is still tough, continue cooking until tender.
- Remove the beef and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the spice packet. Stir several spoonfuls of consomé into the shredded beef to keep it moist, then season the beef and consomé with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
- If the beef won't shred easily, keep braising until tender. Aim for 200 - 205°F internal temperature.
- Reduce or omit the chile de árbol for less heat.
- Regular dried oregano can substitute for Mexican oregano.
- If the consomé reduces too much, add a little water or beef stock to thin it back out.
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