Description
A traditional Mexican birria recipe using beef chuck roast or goat meat slow-simmered until tender, then combined with a rich and flavorful adobo sauce made from dried chiles, spices, and tomato paste. This hearty stew is perfect served with warm corn tortillas and garnished with fresh cilantro, onions, lime wedges, and radishes for an authentic taco experience.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meat:
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast or goat meat (bone-in or boneless)
- 1 onion, quartered
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water (enough to cover the meat)
For the Sauce (Adobo):
- 3-4 dried guajillo chiles
- 2-3 dried ancho chiles
- 1-2 dried pasilla or mulato chiles (optional)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 5-6 whole cloves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 small tomato (optional)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup beef broth (for blending)
For Garnish and Serving:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Diced onions
- Lime wedges
- Corn tortillas (for tacos)
- Sliced radishes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat: In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the beef chuck or goat meat, quartered onion, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours until the meat is tender and easily shreds. Skim off any impurities from the surface as the meat cooks to keep the broth clear.
- Make the Sauce: While the meat cooks, remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Then, soak the toasted chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes to soften them.
- Blend the Sauce: Once softened, blend the drained chiles with tomato paste, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, whole cloves, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup beef broth, and the optional small tomato until smooth. This forms the rich and flavorful adobo sauce base.
- Combine the Meat and Sauce: When the meat is tender, carefully remove it from the pot and shred it using two forks. Discard any bones if using bone-in meat. Strain the cooking broth to remove solids, then return the broth to the pot. Add the shredded meat back into the broth, and stir in the blended adobo sauce thoroughly. Simmer the combined mixture for an additional 20-30 minutes to meld the flavors perfectly.
- Serve: Serve the birria hot with its flavorful broth in bowls, or use the shredded meat to fill warm corn tortillas to make delicious tacos. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, diced onions, and a squeeze of lime. Optionally, add sliced radishes on the side for a crisp contrast.
Notes
- Using bone-in meat adds more depth of flavor to the broth but requires discarding the bones after cooking.
- Adjust the number of dried chiles to control the heat level of the birria.
- Soaking the chiles properly is essential to get a smooth and rich sauce.
- For an extra smoky flavor, consider toasting the chiles slightly longer but avoid burning.
- This recipe can be made a day ahead to allow the flavors to deepen and improves the taste.
- Leftover birria can be refrigerated and used to make birria quesadillas or birria ramen.
