This delicious Beef Birria Recipe is a flavor-packed, slow-cooked beef stew made with chuck roast and short ribs simmered with guajillo chiles, garlic, onions, fire-roasted tomatoes, and fresh cilantro. Seasoned with chilies and warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and cloves, this dish is sure to make your taste buds dance. Serve stew the first night and use the remaining beef for Birria tacos. Believe me, it just does not get much better than this.
How to make Beef Birria and Beef Birria Tacos
First, bring a large pot of water to boil, then turn the heat off. Add the dried guajillo chiles and cover with a lid. Soak them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are soft, and drain in a colander. Cut off the stem and slit the pepper open with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Remove the seeds and veins.
Meanwhile, cut your chuck roast into large cubes, trimming away large portions of fat. Add the chuck roast and short ribs to a large Dutch oven or large pot. In a food processor or blender, add the softened peppers, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and ground cloves. Pulse until blended into a smooth paste. Add marinade to the pot with the beef and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.
Remove the beef from the refrigerator. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the onions and cook until soft. Add the cooked onions, chicken broth, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
Remove the bay leaves and serve the stew in a bowl with chopped onion (either white or red), chopped fresh cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.
How to make Quesabirria Tacos
To make quesabirria tacos add a layer of queso quesadilla cheese, oaxaca cheese, Mexican cheese blend, or even mozzarella and a layer of beef Birria to each corn tortilla. Use tongs to drain most of the broth from the Beef Birria before adding. Heat a little olive oil or vegetable in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the taco open-faced in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Then fold it over and flip, cooking for about 1 minute or until everything is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Helpful Recipe Tips
- Bone-in beef shanks, which are hind shanks or leg sections of the cow, are good substitutes for short ribs.
- Guajillo chiles are dried mirasol chiles. They are a common pepper in Northern Mexico. They are a relatively mild pepper with a 2500-5000 ranking on the Scoville chart. They add rich deep flavor to marinades, sauces, and stews.
- Dried Guajillo chili pepper can be found with the other dried peppers in most grocery stores.
- Marinate the beef covered in the fridge from 2 hours up to overnight.
- This recipe cooks low and slow. The liquid will reduce quite a bit, which gives the stew a lot of flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
- Use the leftover stew meat to make fried corn Birria Tacos.
How to freeze Beef Birria
To freeze the beef, first fully cool then. spoon the beef into zipper freezer bags or a sturdy freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
More Recipes to Try
Best Beef Birria and Birria Tacos
Ingredients
Beef Birria
- 3-4 lbs beef chuck roast
- 1 ½ lbs short ribs
- 6-8 guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
- 6 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 can 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Birria Stew
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- Chopped onions yellow or red
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Birria Tacos
- Vegetable oil
- White or yellow corn tortillas
- Queso quesadilla cheese or a Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, then turn the heat off. Add the dried guajillo chiles and cover with a lid. Soak them for about 15-20 minutes or until they are soft. Drain in a colander. Cut off the stem and slit the pepper open with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Remove the seeds and veins.
- Meanwhile, cut your chuck roast into large cubes, trimming away large portions of fat. Add the chuck roast and short ribs to a large Dutch oven or large pot.
- In a food processor, add the softened peppers, garlic, fire-roasted tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and ground cloves. Pulse until blended into a smooth paste. Add the marinade to the pot with the beef and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours up to overnight.
- Remove the beef from the refrigerator. Add a little olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the cooked onions, chicken broth, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves to the pot with the beef. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve the stew in a bowl with chopped onion (either white or red), chopped fresh cilantro, and fresh lime wedges.
- To make Birria Tacos add a layer of cheese and a layer of beef Birria to each corn tortilla. Use tongs to drain most of the broth from the beef before adding. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place 2-3 tacos open-faced in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Fold it over, covering the beef and cheese, and flip, cooking for about 1 minute or until everything is golden brown and the cheese is melted. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- Beef shanks, which are hind shanks or leg sections of the cow, are good substitutes for short ribs.
- Guajillo chiles are dried mirasol chiles. They are a common pepper in Northern Mexico. They are a relatively mild pepper with a 2500-5000 ranking on the Scoville chart. They add rich, deep flavor to marinades, sauces, and stews.
- Dried Guajillo chili pepper can be found with the other dried peppers in most grocery stores.
- Marinate the beef covered in the fridge from 2 hours up to overnight.
- This recipe cooks low and slow. The liquid will reduce quite a bit, which gives the stew a lot of flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
- Use the leftover stew meat to make fried corn Birria Tacos.
- To freeze the beef, first fully cool it, then spoon the beef into zipper freezer bags or a freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat.
- Nutritional information is for the birria beef and stew.
Nutrition
On the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Catalina
Hands down the best beef birria I have ever made. So much flavor. It was well worth the effort.
Monica
The beef birria recipe you shared is simply amazing! I’ve always been a fan of this dish, and your version is top-notch. The flavors are on point, and the step-by-step instructions make it super easy to follow. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Monica!
Paula
The combination of guajillo chiles, warm spices, and the technique of slow-cooking surely promises a mouthwatering stew. Thanks for sharing such a detailed and flavorful recipe
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Paula!
kat
This was so hearty and delicious!! It has such great flavor and perfect with your cilantro lime rice.
Karen
oh myyyy!!! This was out of this world good! Such a delicious beef recipe. It takes a little time but it was so worth it. Great Sunday recipe.
Erin
This was incredibly delicious! I will make it again.
Amanda
So full of flavor and perfect for those cold months. It will warm you right up!
Beth Pierce
So true!
Ross
This truly is the BEST beef birria I’ve ever tried! We had it for dinner last night in tacos.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Ross! I am so glad that you liked the beef recipe. We love it too!
Brandi
Taco Tuesday just got so much better! This has so much flavor and will please everyone.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Brandi!
Andrea
What marvelous flavors in this beef birria. I loved that it uses 2 different types of meat and that you let the slow cooker do all the work. The family wants me to make it again. This time I am going to make birria tacos.
Ashley
This is such a delicious recipe! It’s so flavorful!
Kushigalu
LOve the flavors in this recipe. SImple and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Sharon Chen
The flavors here were deep and every bite was just an amazing experience! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Sharon!
Charla
It’s bitterly cold over here so this recipe is very timely, thanks for sharing!
Shadi
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It was so flavorful and it made the house smell amazing. I also made the birria tacos and they were amazing.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Shadi. I am so glad that you liked the birria beef and the birria tacos.
Angela
This one of my my favorite Mexican recipes! It’s perfect for cold days and tastes even better the next day!
Beth Pierce
So true, Angela!