Make a deeply rich and smoky Birria Stew in just 5 easy steps with this recipe! The meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and the broth is flavorful and filling with lots of chiles and warm spices.
Topped with fresh cilantro, onions and lime juice and a side of warm tortillas, this is the perfect cozy stew! Try also our Cheesy Birria Tacos and Chicken Birria Tacos!
Stovetop, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot instructions included.
Birria Stew
This Birria is the perfect cozy beef stew from Jalisco, Mexico. It’s deliciously smoky and filling, perfect for cold weather and the best part? You can turn any leftover into Birria Tacos!
This Birria Stew is:
- Smoky and flavorful with lots of spices and chiles.
- Filling with fall-apart beef.
- Rich but perfectly balanced with fresh lime juice, onions and cilantro.
- Cozy and comforting.
- Perfect for leftovers: turn into our cheesy Birria Tacos.
- Weeknight-friendly: whip out your slow cooker or instant pot!
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free!
Birria Stew Ingredients
Beef. The traditional pick for Birria is goat, beef or lamb but lots go for a classic chuck roast nowadays because it cooks into the perfect tender pot roast-like texture! You can also do a mix of short ribs + oxtail.
Onion, white onion. Make sure you have enough white onion to top the Birria Stew before serving!
Garlic, fresh.
Chiles: Guajillo chiles, Ancho or Pasa chiles, and Chiles de Arbol. You want to do a mix of different chiles for that traditional rich and smoky flavor. Chile de Arbol is the only spicy one so feel free to add as much as you want or skip it.
Spices: cinnamon, peppercorns, oregano, cloves, cumin, coriander, bay leaves. I prefer using whole spices for best flavor: you can infuse the broth then remove the spices before blending. I’ll provide both whole and ground amounts in the recipe card below!
Vinegar, to add brightness to this rich stew, vinegar also makes the beef even more tender! I recommend white or apple cider vinegar!
Cilantro, fresh, for topping.
Limes, for topping.
How to make Birria Stew
STEP ONE: Sear the meat. Pat the meat dry with some paper towels then season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned, do not move the meat while it's searing. Once you're done remove from the pot and set aside.
STEP TWO: Char the veggies. In the same pot, add another splash of oil, then add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes and onions have charred a bit. Add any ground spices and chiles towards the end so they don’t burn. Add the water, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
STEP THREE: Blend. Add the charred veggies and spices with the liquid to a blender, discarding whole cinnamon, then the vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth then pour back into the pot through a strainer for a smooth texture.
STEP FOUR: Cook. Add the meat into the liquid with the remaining water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender then turn off the heat.
STEP FIVE: Serve the stew with the broth (consomé) and meat (whole or shredded) and top with fresh cilantro, onion, and lime juice and a side of warm tortillas!
Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Birria
Slow Cooker Birria Recipe: Sear the meat in a separate pan, following the instructions in Step 1, char the veggies in the same pan as the meat, following Step 2, then follow the recipe through Step 4 and cook for 6-7 hours in a slow cooker and serve.
Instant Pot Birria Recipe: Sear the meat and char the veggies (step 1 and 2) in your instant pot then follow the recipe through step 4 and set to “High Pressure” and select “Stew Meat” and cook for about 50 minutes then do a natural release and serve.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Storing Instructions: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days. Birria is one of those dishes that will taste even richer as it sits so it’s also a great make-ahead dish. The fatty layer of the broth will harden in the fridge, it’s okay. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions: You can reheat Birria in a pot over medium-high heat until hot again (5-10 minutes) or in the microwave. If reheating from frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
HAPPY COOKING!! I hope you'll love this Birria Stew Recipe as much as we do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
More Mexican Recipes you’ll love:
- Cheesy Birria Tacos (Quesabirria Tacos)
- Refried Bean Tostadas
- Baja Fish Tacos
- … or check out all of our Mexican Recipes!
Birria Stew
Ingredients
For The Beef
- 4 lbs (1.8 kg) chuck roast (or short ribs and oxtail)
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil (for searing and charring)
For The Stew
- 1/2 large white onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 stick Mexican cinnamon (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns (or 2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (3/4 teaspoon ground cumin)
- 7 chiles guajillos
- 1 chile pasa (or 3-4 achos)
- 3 chiles de arbol (these are spicy, you can add as many as you want or skip them)
- 1 cup (250 ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt (or to taste)
- 3 bay leaves
For Topping
- White onion (diced)
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Lime juice (fresh, to taste, we like 1 lime per serving but we use very small limes called "limon sutil", if your limes are bigger 1/2 lime is perfect)
Instructions
- Sear the meat. Pat the meat dry with some paper towels then season with salt and pepper to taste. Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add a splash of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meat and sear on all sides until browned, do not move the meat while it's searing. Once you're done remove from the pot and set aside.
- Cook the veggies. In the same pot, add another splash of oil, then add the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the tomatoes and onions have charred a bit and the spices are fragrant. Add any ground spices and chiles towards the end so they don't burn. Add the water, cover, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Blend. Add the charred veggies and spices with the liquid to a blender, discarding whole cinnamon, then the vinegar, and salt. Blend until smooth then pour back into the pot through a strainer for a smooth texture.
- Cook. Add the meat into the liquid with about 5 to 6 cups of water (about 1.2 to 1.5 liters) and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender then turn off the heat.
- STEP FIVE: Serve the stew with the broth (consomé) and meat (whole or shredded) and top with fresh cilantro, onion, and lime juice and a side of warm tortillas!
Notes
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