This Beef Birria is a new recipe from the revised edition of our bestselling cookbook, The Whole30 Fast & Easy. With hearty and delicious skillet meals, sheet-pan suppers, slow-cooker dinners, and cozy noodle bowls, The Whole30 Fast & Easy features dishes anyone can make. You’ll also find 35 all-new recipes in this updated version, all of which have simple ingredients, fast prep, easy clean-up, and time-saving tips.
Birria is a traditional Mexican dish with roots in the state of Jalisco, where it’s often made with goat or beef and slow-cooked in a richly-spiced chile sauce. Our Whole30-friendly version keeps the spirit of the original, using chuck roast simmered with dried chiles, tomatoes, and warm spices.
Serve the savory beef over tender sweet potatoes for a hearty, comforting meal. Birria can also be used in lettuce-leaf tacos, collard-green enchiladas, to top potato wedge “nachos,” with spiralized zoodles, or in a veggie and egg breakfast hash.
Tips
- Searing the meat before slow cooking creates a rich, brown crust and adds depth to the flavor of the beef. In a large skillet, preferably cast iron, heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over high heat until the oil is sputtering. Add the meat (the oil will sputter) and cook undisturbed until the meat easily releases from the skillet, about 5 minutes. Flip the meat over and repeat on the other side, then add to the slow cooker as directed.
- If you don’t have hot smoked paprika, you can use regular smoked paprika.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne for heat.
- Store leftover shredded meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
Photo credit: Ghazalle Badiozamani
Ingredients
FOR THE BEEF
- 1 chuck roast (about 3 lbs) cut into 3-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 dried guajillo or ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
- 16 oz Whole30-compatible beef broth
- 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 red onion quartered
- 5 chipotle chiles in adobo, or 2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika (see Tips above)
- 6 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES
- 3 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
- Salt
- Black pepper
FOR SERVING
- White onion diced
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Cook the beef:
- SEASON the meat with the salt and pepper and place in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
- PLACE the guajillo chiles in a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to blender or food processor.
- ADD the broth, tomatoes, vinegar, onion, chiles in adobo (or smoked paprika), garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to the blender. Cover and blend until smooth.
- POUR the sauce over the meat and stir to combine.
- COVER and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
- CAREFULLY transfer the meat to a cutting board.
- STRAIN the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.
- RETURN 1 cup cooking liquid to the slow cooker; discard the remaining liquid and the solids.
Make the sweet potatoes:
- PLACE the sweet potatoes in a covered microwave-safe dish and cook on high, stirring halfway through, for 4 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain any liquid.
- LIGHTLY season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
To serve:
- DIVIDE the sweet potatoes among six shallow serving bowls.
- TOP with some of the birria and sauce, then the diced onion and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Instant Pot Variation:
- FOLLOW the directions through the second step, using a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- LOCK the lid in place. Select Manual and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.
- USE natural release. Follow the remaining instructions.
