Braised Beef In Red Chile Broth (Mexican Birria de Res)

mexican-birriaderes2 Birria is a rich and flavourful stew loaded with hearty, fall-apart tender beef that’s slowly braised in a deeply fragrant broth. The broth is made from authentic Mexican ingredients like dried chiles, spices, herbs and more. Enjoy this signature, authentic Mexican dish as a stew or make the popular, Birria Tacos. This recipe feeds a crowd and the serving possibilities are truly endless.

2 lbs beef chuck roast, boneless, cut into 3″ chunks
2 lbs beef short ribs, English cut, bone-in
sea salt
3 dried Guajillo chiles, stems cut and deseeded
3 dried Ancho chiles, stems cut and deseeded
2 dried Pasilla chiles, stems cut and deseeded
4 dried Árbol chiles, stems cut and deseeded
1 large white onion, cut in half
1 stick Mexican cinnamon (canela)
2 tsp. black peppercorns
6 cloves garlic
3 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
4½ cups beef stock or broth, divided
2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried marjoram
½ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. coriander seeds
4 bay leaves

To Serve:
Birria Tacos
fresh chopped cilantro
chopped white onion
lime wedges for squeezing

Season and rest the beef. On a large plate or medium-rimmed baking sheet, generously season the beef with salt on all sides. Set the beef aside to rest and allow it to come up to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. While the beef is resting, let’s boil the peppers + aromatics.

Prep the chiles and boil aromatics. Take all of the Mexican chiles and deseed them by cutting off their stems and then removing as much of the inner seeds as you can, discarding the stems and seeds.

In a large Dutch oven/pot; add the dried peppers, onion, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns and cloves garlic together. Then fill the same pot with enough water to cover everything. Bring the peppers/aromatics to a boil over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes. The onion should be tender and the peppers should be soft and pliable. Afterward, remove 1 cup of the boiling liquid and set aside.

Blend and develop the red chile broth. Use a slotted utensil to transfer the onions, peppers and garlic into the body of a high-powered blender. Then discard the remaining boiling water and bits left in the pot. Add the chipotle peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, the reserved 1 cup of boiling liquid and 3 cups of beef stock/broth into the blender. Blend the mixture very well until completely combined and silky-smooth. Then set aside while you brown the beef.

Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C/130°C fan, Gas Mark 2).

Brown the beef. In a large, oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (at least 5 qts in capacity) over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp. of oil. When hot, gently swirl the pot around to evenly coat the bottom. Add a few pieces of beef into the pot, working in batches, careful not to overcrowd. Sear the beef on all sides until a deep brown crust appears, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned beef onto a clean vessel and repeat the process until all the beef is browned- adding the additional 1 Tbsp. of oil if your pot looks dry in between browning the beef.

Assemble the birria braise. Add all of the browned beef with residual juices back into the pot along with the reserved red chile liquid in the blender. Then add in the remaining 1½ cups of beef stock/broth, vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, ground cumin, marjoram, ground cloves, coriander seeds and bay leaves. Carefully stir to combine.

Braise the birria. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer the pot into the oven. Allow the beef to braise for 3-3½ hours until the beef is meltingly tender and falling apart.

Shred the beef and combine. After braising, use a slotted utensil to transfer the braised meat to a rimmed baking sheet and shred the beef with two forks. Discard any fatty pieces and bones (if you used short ribs). Then add the shredded beef back into the braising liquid and stir well to combine- discard the bay leaves.

Serve birria. You can enjoy this birria in several ways. Our favourite way to devour this dish is to make iconic Birria Tacos, yummm. Alternatively, feel free to serve this dish as a stew with fresh chopped cilantro, chopped white onion and lime wedges for squeezing, if desired. Quesadillas, ramen, or bowl-style with rice, lettuce, beans and/or other toppings are other creative options, too.

Makes 8 servings.

Cook's Notes:

While toasting the chilis turn on your kitchen fan and open a window as it can create a very spicy aroma in the air.

If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a large skillet to brown the beef and onions and sauce. After blending the sauce, transfer the contents to a large baking dish, add the beef, covered tightly with aluminum foil and cook according to instructions. Check on the sauce halfway through and add 1 more cup of stock if it seems to be evaporating too quickly.
A note on beef: I like the combination of using beef chuck roast and beef short ribs for texture and flavour. However, you can surely use all beef chuck roast (~ 4 lbs) for this recipe if you’d like.
Is Birria spicy? The spice level here is medium, not mild and not super spicy.
Blending: I recommend using a high-powered blender to blend the aromatics because we want a super smooth consistency. I have this blender and it is super powerful. The red chile sauce needs to be silky smooth mmkay.
Make-Ahead birria: I highly recommend making your birria ahead of time especially if you plan to use it for birria tacos. The Birria de Res can be made a day in advance (deepening those flavours.) since it requires hours of braising. The next day, make your birria tacos. This makes the overall process easier rather than getting it all done in one day, yay.
More ways to use up your birria: Use this recipe to make nachos, omelettes, burritos, ramen, frittatas and any other delicious ways you can think of.

Storage:

Keep the birria stored inside an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Alternatively, freeze it for 2-3 months.
Reheating: Let the birria thaw overnight in the fridge. I recommend reheating in a pot on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through or you can microwave it if you like.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I Make Birria In the Instant Pot? Yes. Follow the same instructions in the recipe card below to season the beef, prep/boil the aromatics on the stovetop and blend the red chile broth. Brown the beef in your pressure cooker. Then continue to follow the instructions by adding all ingredients into the pressure cooker vessel.
Cover the IP with lid to seal and set it to the manual high-pressure function- set the time for 50 minutes. After the cooking cycle is complete, let pressure release naturally in the “vent” position or according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until all steam has ceased. Continue to follow instructions for shredding the beef and finishing.
Can I Make Birria In the Slow Cooker? Also yes. Follow the same instructions in the recipe card below to season the beef, prep/boil the aromatics on the stovetop and blend the red chile broth. Next, brown the beef on the stovetop. Then continue to follow the instructions by adding all ingredients into the slow cooker vessel. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours- until the beef is cooked through and fall-apart tender. Continue to follow instructions for shredding the beef and finishing.