Best Beef Birria Recipe

4.72 from 7 votes

My Beef Birria Recipe is a rich, deeply flavorful Mexican Beef Stew using beef chuck roast, two types of chiles, and plenty of seasoning! Every bite will leave you wanting more.

Prep Time50

Cook Time3

Total Time3 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef birria, beef birria recipe, birria recipe, mexican beef recipes

Servings: to 5

Calories: 636kcal

Author: Isabel Laessig

Equipment

Dutch oven
Blender or food processor
Kitchen scissors
Medium pot

Ingredients

2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried ancho chiles
2 roma tomatoes quartered
1 medium onion halved
3 cloves garlic
1 ½ inch cinnamon stick up to 2-inch
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cumin seeds or ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 to 2 cups beef broth

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Instructions

Place a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When hot, season beef with salt and pepper and add to pot. Sear on all sides. Add half of the onion to the pot and cook two minutes more. Remove dutch oven from heat and set aside while you make the sauce.
2 to 2 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 medium onion
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers.
3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles
In a medium pot, add the chiles, tomatoes, half onion, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Pour in enough water to cover all ingredients, about 4 to 5 cups. Place on stove over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
3 dried guajillo chiles, 2 dried ancho chiles, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 medium onion, 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves garlic
Add remaining seasonings to the sauce pot: dried oregano, cumin seeds, dried thyme, and salt and peppercorns. Give it a stir and simmer for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt
Strain the contents of the sauce pot into a large wire-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Remove the bay leaf and cinnamon stick and discard. Place remaining solids into a blender.
Add 2 cups of the broth from the sauce into the blender, plus 1 cup of beef broth. Whirl until well blended. Taste and add more salt if needed and blend just until mixed in.
Place the pot with the beef and onion back on the stove at medium heat. Pour the contents of the blender over the beef. If the sauce is not enough liquid to cover the beef, pour in enough beef broth to cover. Bring to a simmer, then cover and lower heat. Simmer until meat is tender and shreds easily, about 2½ to 3 hours.
1 to 2 cups beef broth

Notes

For more heat, try adding dried chiles de árbol. These hot peppers add a sharp flavor to birria stew that's just perfect for matching with the earthy flavors of the rest of the dish.

Nutrition