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Beef Birria Recipe

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Birria is a classic dish from the State of Jalisco, and as a matter of fact, two of the most popular dishes on the blog are also from Jalisco: Pozole and Menudo. Birria is usually made with goat’s meat or even with lamb or a combination of several types of meat. The use of a combination of meats is common in restaurants or local Birria eateries known as “Birrierias”. Beef Birria is more like a homemade version since beef is more accessible everywhere.

This is a partnership with RUMBA MEATS, Recipe and opinions are 100% mine.

Beef Birria

Easy to make Beef Birria Recipe

I like to make this with a combination of oxtail and beef shank from RUMBA MEATS; the bone-in meat renders a very flavorful Birria broth. You can also use Beef cheek and oxtail (the cheek has a lot of meat). You can make your own combination, too, just make sure you add a cut of meat with some bone in it.

An easy Beef birria recipe, cooked with the traditional ingredients.
There are so many different recipes for birria, but all of them use a combination of dried peppers and herbs. Some cooks will add beer or Pulque instead of vinegar. Some also add a little piece of ginger. The way this dish is usually served is in a bowl (similar to a soup) and garnished with chopped onion and cilantro or oregano. The meat is also served with tacos.

Whichever way you make it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

How to make Beef Birria Recipe

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Beef Birria recipe, easy and delicious Mexican dish.

Notes:

  • Some cooks also like to add a ¼ of and an inch of ginger root.
  • You can also cook this dish in a slow cooker if you do not want to make the oven version.
  • You can even make it in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker (cooking times will vary depending on the cooking method).

DIRECTIONS:

Beef Birria recipe, this traditional mexican recipe is easy and delicious.

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
  • Clean and devein the peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat. Soak peppers in a cup of hot water.  Roast the onion and garlic and place in your blender.
Beef Birria recipe, this traditional mexican recipe
  • Toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns. Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, onion, cinnamon and the vinegar.
  • Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Season the sauce with salt.
  • Pour the sauce over the meat, making sure it is covered all over with the salsa.  Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake the meat for about 4 hours.
Easy to make Beef Birria recipe
 Serve the warm meat with its broth in bowls and garnish with chopped onion and cilantro.

Beef Birria Recipe

Birria is usually made with goat’s meat or even with lamb or a combination of several types of meat. Cooking time using the Instant Pot or Pressure cooker. The use of a combination of meats is common in restaurants or local Birria eateries known as “Birrierias”. Beef Birria is more like a homemade version since beef is more accessible everywhere.
4.62 from 57 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Calories: 474kcal
Author: Mely Martínez – Mexico in my Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Beef Oxtail from RUMBA MEATS
  • 2 lbs. Beef Cheek*
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 Ancho Peppers
  • 6 Guajillo Peppers
  • 2 Large roasted tomatoes
  • 4 Whole cloves
  • ½ Teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ Teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 Teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • ½ Teaspoon Marjoram
  • ½ Medium-size white onion sliced
  • 1- in of stick of Mexican cinnamon
  • ½ Cup white vinegar
  • Salt to taste

GARNISH

  • 2/3 Cup chopped Cilantro or 1/4 Cup of dried oregano
  • 2/3 Cup chopped white onion
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Season the meat with salt and pepper, then place in a large baking dish.
  • Clean and devein the peppers. Slightly toast them over a medium heat, making sure you do not burn them (burned peppers make the dish taste bitter). Soak peppers in a cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Roast the onion and garlic and place in your blender.
  • Toast the whole cloves, cumin seeds, and black peppercorns (this is a quick step that only takes a few seconds). Place them in your blender along with the roasted tomatoes, herbs, onion, cinnamon and the vinegar.
  • Once peppers are soft, drain, add to the blender and puree until you have a smooth sauce. Add a few tablespoons of water only if your blender is having a hard time processing it. Season the sauce with salt.
  • Pour the sauce over the meat, making sure it is covered all over with the salsa. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow all the meat to absorb the flavors.
  • Preheat the oven to 350º F. Bake the meat in the baking dish covered with the aluminum foil for about 4 hours or until it is fork-tender.

Serve the warm meat with its broth in bowls and garnish with chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with warm tortillas and a hot salsa.

    Notes

    • Some cooks also like to add a ¼ of an inch of ginger root.
    • You can also cook this dish in a slow cooker if you do not want to make the oven version. It will take 6-8 hours in the slow cooker. 
    • COOKING TIMES: Baking time 4 hours. You can even make it in an Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. For the Instant Pot, cook for 45 minutes, and add the sauce to the meat. Cook for 5 more minutes in the manual setting. Check meat tenderness, if it is easy to shred then you are set to go. But, if the meat is still a little hard to shred, extend the cooking time to 10-15 minutes more.  If using a Slow Cooker, cook for 6 hours in the low setting. The one hour time given above is using the instant pot or pressure cooker.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 265mg | Sodium: 930mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4520IU | Vitamin C: 12.8mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 10.7mg
    Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @mexicoinmykitchen and hashtag me #mexicoinmykitchen!
    Recipe in spanish https://www.mexicoenmicocina.com/birria-de-res/
    I hope you make this dish and take advantage of the coupon RUMBA MEATS is offering to buy your meats, so you can enjoy a nice warm bowl of Beef Birria. Get your coupon HERE to go buy your meat at Kroger.   I’m very selective with whom I partner up with as I don’t want to overwhelm my readers with products & sponsorships. Therefore, if you see a company or product I’m working with, it’s because they rock! They help this little blog of mine keep producing delish recipes and showing you the things I love.
    I hope you prepare this delicious dish and come back to let me know your experience with it.
    Buen Provecho!
    Mely Martinez,
    Recipe in spanish Birria de Res.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

        • Kyla

          Is this dish spicy? I get Order birria all the time & it’s never been spicy. I would love to start making it for my family but a concerned it’s going to be spicy for my little ones with the peppers.

          Reply

    3. Fran @ Gday Souffle

      Looks delicious Mely. I think I would make this with lamb, since that is my favorite meat. I have seen goat meat sold at my local farmer's market (they even sell crocodile meat there!).

      Reply

    4. Lorena Valencia

      Hola Mely
      Looks soooo yummy! Would you recommend other meats with the recipe?
      Thank you
      A big fan! ��

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Great! The slow cooker or the Instant Pot render the same delicious results.
        Thank you for stopping by and letting us know. I'm sure other readers will find it helpful.

        Provecho!

        Reply

    7. Ariana

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! This was my first time making Birria, followed the instructions… and came out perfect!

      Excited to try more of your amazing simple recipes!

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello, Ariana,

        Thank you for trying the recipe, I hope you check the other recipes on the blog.
        Happy cooking and provecho!

        Reply

    9. Brenda

      Making this today as we are celebrating Thanksgiving on Saturday with the family.

      My daughter is excited. I will let you know what they think.

      Reply

    10. Cyndikay

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh girlfriend , this turned out wonderful ! With the left overs, the next morning we strained the meat and served an egg over easy, on top of the beef, then drizzled some of the sauce over it ..served with warm corn tortillas..it was awesome ..my husband loved it, and then volunteered to do kitchen dishes after breakfast !

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello Desi,
        You can skip it, the flavors will still be there in that stew. Not as strong but still a very rich flavor.

        Reply

    12. Chris

      I really want to make this , but where can I find those peppers? My supermarket doesn’t sell them. Please help. C Wight

      Reply

    16. Teresa V,

      What is the total cook time? Directions say 4 hrs in the oven but in the recipe card it says total time 1 hour?
      Also, if I were to do this in the crock pot what cooking setting and time do you recommend?

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello, Check the notes section, please. If using the oven for 4 hours, if using the instant pot for 1 hour, using a pressure cooker for 1 hour. A slow cooker 6 hours on low setting. Enjoy!

        Reply

    17. Miriam

      I just have a quick question…why do some people strain the mixture of salsa before adding it to the meat? Is this necessary?? Thank you. Looks delicious and I would love to try making this for my family.

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello Miriam,
        If dried peppers are not well blended, or the blender that is used to make the sauce is not powerful enough, the pepper skins are not pulverized, and that is why some cooks use a strainer to pour the sauce. That also depends on how old are the peppers and the type of peppers. Some had thicker and though skins.

        Reply

    18. Rhonda

      I am really excited to try this recipe! I am in love with the pics that show the peppers and onions being roasted on a metal pan. What is this tool called and where can I find it! So want this! Thank you for all of your hard work!

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello Rhonda,
        Thank you for visiting. That one is a small Carbon steel comal (griddle). You can buy it on Amazon. Here the link: https://amzn.to/2PcDsda
        It is very thin and needs to be cared for as a cast iron pan. Very popular in Mexico, great to make tortillas. Saludos!

        Reply

    19. Nicole

      5 stars
      I have this in the oven right now. The smell is incredible. My mouth is watering! We are having a holiday party today. My husband requested I make birria, we can’t wait to try it!.

      Reply

    20. James

      5 stars
      Amazing recipe! I used beef shank and a slow cooker, and it turned out great. Beautiful red broth and tender meat, and the bones provided so much flavor! We took it to a Christmas party, and it was such a hit. As soon as I mentioned birria people started lining up, and they were not disappointed. In fact the broth was so wonderful that next time I might add some more beef broth just to stretch it out. I think the vinegar is a crucial detail that I haven’t seen in some other recipes. That plus having fresh limes at serving time really helps to cut through the extreme “beefiness” of beef shank. I’m in love with this recipe, and I’ll be making this again and again. Thank you, Mely!

      Reply

    21. dennisthefoodie

      5 stars
      This recipe worked out great for me in the Instant Pot (DUO60). I used a combination of beef shank steaks and thick-cut shortrib. 45 minutes, high pressure, on the “stew” setting, plus 15 minutes NR (natural release). The thickness of the marinade might’ve caused my Instant Pot to take a bit longer to come to pressure and seal. It already started counting down from 45 mins and eventually sealed at 31 minutes, so I compensated by tacking on another 10 minutes after it was done. The meat came out fork-tender! Perfect for putting in tacos. I was concerned that the liquid in the marinade was mostly vinegar but the end product didn’t taste vinegary at all! Just lightly tangy. I’ll season with salt more aggressively next time (to suit my own personal taste) but this is a great recipe! I’ve posted a photo of the result here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BriSMg3B3Gg/

      Reply

    22. Christine

      5 stars
      We made this for Nochebuena in the instant pot with goat at my brother-in-law’s request. Some of us at as stew, others as tacos with a few special salsas. All thought it was delicious! Will make again.

      Reply

    23. Imelda

      5 stars
      I really love it ., I just add bay leaf. My first time cooking birria. My husband is from Guadalajara Jalisco and he love it . Thank you !

      Reply

    24. Kerry

      Hi! I’m here and using your recipe to fix what I’m missing in mine! (Thanks!)

      You’re missing a word, I’m trying to figure out what. Its the first bullet point in the section titled Notes. “Some people add 1/4…”
      That’s the word I’m missing.

      😊
      Thanks again. I did fix my Birria!

      Reply

    25. Daniel

      Made this for he first time last week, made 4 pounds of it and it didn’t even last two days this time I’m making 5 pounds and hopefully have some leftovers for the rest of this hurricane season. Delicious and much appreciated

      Reply

    26. s3105

      5 stars
      I see that this recipes asks for roasted tomatoes.
      Are these store bought or is there any specific way to follow to roast tomatoes?

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello s3105,
        You are right some cooks like to add roasted tomatoes. Usually, the tomatoes are roasted in a hot griddle. You place the tomatoes in the hot griddle and rotate them from time to time to make sure they have an even roasting.

        Reply

    29. Don Campbell

      Hi, I am excited to try this recipe. I don’t have a proper Mexican butcher near me. What other beef cuts can you recommend? Thank you in advance! Don

      Reply

      • mmartinez

        Hello Don,
        You can use cut a mix of beef cuts like beef shank, beef chuck, ribs, flank steak, and even brisket. Just make sure to add some cuts with bone in to add flavor.

        Reply

    30. Diane

      4 stars
      Made this recipe today. I was expecting a broth at the end of the cooking time (did the oven version) but ended up with none. I followed the english version of the recipe and after seeing that my end result wasn’t what I expected, I reviewed the spanish version to see where I went wrong. In the spanish version, it states to add 6 cups of water separately. It would be helpful to have that note in the english version. Overall, the flavor was great and the meat was great for tacos. I will attempt again! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.

      Reply

      • Mely Martínez

        Hello Diane,
        Thank you for trying the recipe. I’ll make sure to add that note to this version too. Thank you for pointing that out.

        Reply

    31. Carmen

      Hello Mely, I just pre prepared the birria sauce to be ready for Nochebuena. It’s just like my mother used to make RIP.
      She was from Jalisco.
      Q: I saw the comment regarding adding water. When do you add the water please . I’ll be cooking this next week.
      Gracias and Feliz Navidad!
      – Carmen

      Reply

    33. N. Amarante

      5 stars
      I used this recipe for my family’s Christmas Eve dinner, reminded me so much of my dad’s and everyone loved it! I had planned on using the leftovers for tacos Christmas Day but, there was non left! The aromas that filled my house we’re just as amazing.

      Reply

    34. Christian

      Hi, this looks great. I can’t wait to try it. One question: if I use the InstaPot, do you marinate overnight? Or do you just cook the meat for 45 and then add the sauce for another 5 ? And or when does the 6 cups of water go in? Thank you!

      Reply

      • Mely Martínez

        Hello Christian,
        You will have a better flavor if you marinate the meat. But if you are short in time, it will still come out if you do not marinate. After the meat is ready, add the sauce and the water to keep cooking and all the flavors are blended.

        Reply

    36. LINDSEY

      5 stars
      Made this in the instant pot with soup bones and stew meat. I did not have time to marinate, but browned the meat and added everything including water up to the max line and cooked on stew setting for 45 minutes. Can’t believe how delicious this turned out! Very authentic and the meat was falling apart.
      Thank you for my new birria recipe!

      Reply

      • Mely Martínez

        Hello Lindsey,
        Thank you for trying the recipe and for coming back to share about the process you used to cook it using the Instant Pot. I know this will be very useful for many other readers. Happy Cooking!

        Reply

    37. Doreen

      I want to make the tacos that you dip in sauce .i been seeing on Instagram..so just add 6 cups of water with the marinade then cook in oven with meat??

      Reply

    39. Steven Pinsky

      4 stars
      I’m glad I looked at the comments before making this. I read that you omitted water from the English version after I had marinated the meat (beef short ribs and shank) but before cooking. This is huge. In any event it was absolutely spectacular!! I can’t wait to make it again once I can get my hands on a goat.

      Reply

      • Mely Martínez

        Hello Daniel,
        You can actually do that, you can even cook it in a large pot on your grill. To give it the smokey flavor. Just make sure the pot resists the heat.

        Reply

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