Birria de Res

Name: Birria de Res
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Mexico
Ingredients: 4 lbs beef chuck roast; 5 dried guajillo chiles, seeded; 3 dried ancho chiles, seeded; 2 chiles de arbol; 1 onion, quartered; 6 cloves garlic; 2 tomatoes; 1 tsp cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 bay leaves; 1 cinnamon stick; Salt, to taste; Corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and lime, for serving

8 servings30 min prep180 min cookMedium Mexico

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Birria de Res

Story updated September 17, 2026

Birria originated in Jalisco, developed after the Spanish introduced goats to Mexico, where the animals bred so successfully that cooks devised a richly spiced adobo braise to tame their strong flavor. Beef birria became popular later, and quesabirria tacos surged to fame out of Tijuana and Los Angeles in the 2010s.

Ingredients

Scale:· 8 servings

4 lbs beef chuck roast
5 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
3 dried ancho chiles, seeded
2 chiles de arbol
1 onion, quartered
6 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Salt, to taste
Corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, and lime, for serving

Instructions

1Toast the dried chiles, then soak in hot water 15 minutes until softened.
2Blend the chiles with onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, and oregano until smooth.
3Sear the beef in a large pot, then pour the blended sauce over it.
4Add bay leaves, cinnamon, and enough water to nearly cover the meat.
5Cover and simmer 3 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
6Shred the beef and skim the flavorful broth for dipping.
7Serve the shredded beef with tortillas dipped in the broth, topped with onion, cilantro, and lime.

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