Go Back
Top view of beef birria in a bowl, garnished with chopped cilantro and onion.

Beef birria recipe

This traditional beef birria recipe is easy to make at home. Tender beef chuck roast are slow-simmered in a rich guajillo chile consomé  for maximum flavor!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast
  • 10 guajillo chiles rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp groud cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • salt to taste
For Serving & Garnish
  • white onion finely chopped
  • cilantro finely chopped
  • lime wedges

Method
 

  1. Place the guajillo chiles and garlic in a small pot. Fill with water to cover them.
  2. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the chiles are soft and changed to a red color.
  3. Remove the chiles and garlic from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
  4. Let the chiles and garlic cool down for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. While the chiles and garlic cool down, salt the beef on all sides.
  6. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  7. Once the chiles and garlic are cool, transfer them to a blender along with 1 cup of their cooking liquid, oregano, cumin, black pepper,  and apple cider vinegar.
  8. Blend until smooth.
  9. Transfer the beef to a large pot and pour all of the marinade over the meat.
  10. Add enough water so that the the beef is almost fully submerged. Only the very top surface of the meat should be a bit exposed.
  11. Transfer to the oven and cook for three and a half to four and a half hours or until meat is very tender and is easily shredded with a fork.
  12. Remove the beef from the pot and transfer to a bowl. If necessary let it cool down and then shred or chop the meat into smaller pieces.
  13. Return the chopped or shredded meat to the pot. Turn the heat on the stove to medium low. Heat meat for a few minutes to warm back up if needed.
To Serve
  1. Serve the meat along with the consomé  in medium bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped onion and cilantro. Squeeze fresh lime juice and serve with tortillas for dipping into the consomé or for making tacos.

Notes

  1. You can also use beef short ribs or country style ribs for this recipe. Cuts of beef that have plenty of fat and connective tissue work well, which when you cook at low temperatures and for several hours they  become tender.
  2. When adding the water to the pot, stop as soon as the meat is almost fully submerged and only the top surface is exposed a bit. If the meat is fully submerged it's ok, you will just have more consomé left over from the cooking.
  3. Check after three hours if the meat is tender when shredded with a fork. If it shreds easily, it’s ready. If it’s not ready yet, continue cooking and check every 30 minutes or until the meat is fork tender.
  4. Patience is important, if it is not easily shredded with a fork, it's not ready yet. Keep slow cooking until the meat is fork tender.
  5. Spoon some of the consomé or broth that's made during the slow cooking onto your birria when serving. It will provide an extra layer of rich flavor to the meat.