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Authentic Birria (Consomé) for Tacos or Stew

Authentic birria delivers deep red consomé with tender, fall-apart shredded beef and a rich spiced broth. This traditional method blends toasted chiles into a silky sauce, then simmers the roast until spoon-tender for tacos or stew.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef roast and broth
  • 4 lb beef chuck roast Cut into chunks
  • 8 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste
Dried chiles and aromatics
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried chipotle chiles
  • 1 onion Halved
  • 1 garlic Head, crushed
Serving for tacos or stew
  • 1 corn tortillas Diced for serving
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 lime Wedges for stew

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Toast and blend the chile sauce
  1. Toast the dried guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles, and dried chipotle chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darkened.
  2. Soak the toasted chiles in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain them well.
  3. Blend the soaked chiles with the halved onion, crushed garlic, cumin, oregano, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
  4. Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids and keep the consomé silky.
Simmer the birria
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then cook the strained chile sauce for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.
  2. Add the beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  3. Add the beef chuck roast chunks and return to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 90-120 minutes, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let the flavors settle for a few minutes before serving.
Serve as tacos or stew
  1. For tacos, shred the tender meat, dip corn tortillas in the consomé, then fill with meat and top with diced onion and cilantro.
  2. For stew, ladle the meat and consomé into bowls and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: strain the blended chile sauce for a smoother, restaurant-style consomé. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months—reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. For a lighter option, use less olive oil and skim any excess surface fat after simmering.