Birria de Res, Beef Braised in Guajillo Chile Adobo

Frisky Flaxseed @frisky-flaxseedSep 10, 2026

23 ingredients

12 steps

Birria de Res, Beef Braised in Guajillo Chile Adobo, illustrated

What you need

2 kg (4 1/2 lb) beef chuck, cut into 7-8 cm (3 in) chunks
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp neutral oil
10 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
4 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 dried arbol chiles, stemmed, fewer for less heat
2 roma tomatoes, halved
1 white onion, halved
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
60 ml (1/4 cup) apple cider vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
8 black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
2 l (8 cups) water, divided
1 white onion, finely diced, for serving
1 handful cilantro, chopped, for serving
2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving
16 corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1
Season the beef all over with the salt and black pepper.
2
Warm the oil in a large heavy pot until shimmering. Brown the beef in batches, turning the chunks until every side is deeply coloured, 4-5 min per batch.
3
Return all the beef to the pot with 1.5 l (6 cups) of the water, one onion half, 2 garlic cloves and the bay leaves. Once it boils, cover and turn the heat down to a low simmer.
4
Toast the guajillo, ancho and arbol in a dry frying pan over medium heat, pressing them flat, until fragrant and pliable, 20-30 seconds a side. Do not let them blacken.
5
Soak the toasted chiles in hot water until soft, about 15 min, then drain.
6
In the same dry pan, char the tomatoes, the other onion half and the remaining garlic until blistered in spots, 6-8 min. Peel the garlic.
7
Blend the chiles, charred vegetables, vinegar, cumin, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, whole cloves, peppercorns and the remaining 500 ml (2 cups) of water until completely smooth, 2-3 min.
8
Press the chile sauce through a sieve into the pot of beef and discard the pulp left behind.
9
Simmer, covered, over low heat until the beef is fall-apart tender, 2 1/2-3 hours. Stir now and then and add a little water if the level drops below the meat.
10
Skim off some of the red fat from the surface and keep it if you plan to fry tortillas. Fish out the bay leaves and onion pieces.
11
Taste the broth and season with more salt.
12
Serve the beef in bowls with plenty of the broth, topped with diced onion and cilantro, with lime wedges and warm tortillas on the side.

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About birria

Goat or beef stewed in a sauce of dried chiles, cooked until tender enough to shred, often served with its broth for dipping tortillas.

What cooks argue about

Cooks argue over goat, the traditional meat, against beef, which is easier to find outside Mexico, and over serving the meat dry with a side of consommé versus keeping it submerged in the broth.

What usually goes in