Birria is a deeply seasoned Mexican meat dish traditionally associated with Jalisco and commonly prepared today with goat, lamb, beef, or combinations of meats. This version uses beef chuck, dried chiles, tomatoes, warm spices, and broth in a pressure cooker.
Serve the tender beef and chile broth in bowls or shred the meat for tacos. Cilantro, onion, lime, avocado, and fresh chile can be added at the table.
Ingredients
Chile Sauce
- 3 dried ancho chiles
- 3 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 to 3 dried chiles de árbol, according to desired heat
- 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 4 cups beef stock, divided
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
Beef
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
For Serving
- Warm corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro
- Chopped white or red onion
- Lime wedges
- Avocado or sliced jalapeños, optional
Prepare the Dried Chiles
Remove the stems and most of the seeds from the dried chiles. Toast them briefly in the pressure-cooker insert on sauté mode or in a dry skillet until fragrant, taking care not to burn them. Transfer the toasted chiles to a blender.
Cook the Aromatics
Add a little oil and sauté the onion until softened. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook for several more minutes. Transfer the mixture to the blender with the chiles.
Garden-grown paste tomatoes can work well in the sauce. If you are choosing varieties specifically for cooking, San Marzano tomato is a meaty paste type suited to sauces and stews.
Blend the Sauce
Add 2 cups of beef stock, vinegar, cumin, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to the blender. Vent the lid appropriately for hot ingredients and blend until smooth.
Sear the Beef
Season the beef with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chunks in oil on sauté mode. Browning is optional but adds roasted flavor to the finished broth.
Pressure Cook Until Tender
Return all beef to the cooker. Add the blended chile sauce, bay leaves, and remaining 2 cups of stock. Follow your pressure cooker manufacturer’s instructions and cook at high pressure for about 45 minutes, then release pressure according to the appliance directions. The beef should be very tender and easy to shred.
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends using a food thermometer and safe handling practices for meat and leftovers. Its safe minimum temperature chart lists 145°F with a three-minute rest for whole beef cuts; long-cooked birria will normally reach a substantially higher temperature as the connective tissue becomes tender.
Shred and Serve
Discard the bay leaves. Leave the beef in chunks or shred it with two forks and return it to the broth. Taste and adjust salt before serving.
If you grow your own hot peppers, our fresh pepper recipe and handling guide includes reminders for working safely with capsaicin-rich peppers.
Use Fresh Herbs at the Table
Cilantro, oregano, and other fresh herbs can brighten the rich chile broth. Our culinary herb garden guide covers oregano and several other useful kitchen herbs.
Store Leftovers Safely
Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Reheat leftovers thoroughly before serving again. Birria also freezes well in meal-sized portions with enough broth to keep the shredded meat moist.