If you’ve never tried making birria consomé at home, you’re in for such a treat. This Birria Consomé Recipe is my go-to when I want a meal that’s rich, comforting, and full of bold flavors. The magic comes from slow-cooked beef infused with a complex blend of dried chiles and spices, simmered in a broth that s as delicious to sip as it is to dunk your tacos in.
When I first tried birria consomé, I was amazed how something so deeply satisfying could come from simple ingredients that you might already have in your pantry. Whether you’re making it for a weekend gathering or a cozy night in, you ll find this recipe worth every minute of simmering. Plus, it s perfect for making ahead and reheating, so you can enjoy leftovers that taste just as amazing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich, Deep Flavors: Slow cooking with ancho, guajillo, and arbol chiles creates a broth that’s smoky, spicy, and perfectly balanced.
- Versatile Serving Options: You can enjoy the shredded meat in tacos, over rice, or with warm tortillas dipped in the luscious consomé.
- Great for Meal Prep: This recipe reheats beautifully, so you can savor the flavors for days or freeze for later.
- Authentic Yet Accessible: Uses accessible ingredients and straightforward steps that anyone can follow for delicious results.
Ingredients You’ll Need
All the ingredients work together to build that classic birria consomé depth, with the dried chiles playing hero. When shopping, make sure your chiles are fresh and vibrant-they really make a difference here.
- Chuck roast: This cut is perfect for slow cooking; it becomes wonderfully tender and flavorful.
- Bone-in short ribs: Adding short ribs gives the broth extra richness and a lovely gelatinous texture.
- Olive oil: Use good quality for browning the meat and onions.
- Large onion: Adds sweetness and depth; splitting it between browning and simmering layers flavor nicely.
- Whole head of garlic: Roasted garlic softens the sharpness and adds mellow richness.
- Dried guajillo chiles: Mildly spicy with a fruity sweetness, they form the backbone of the chile flavor.
- Dried arbol chiles: Provides heat; remove seeds unless you want it extra spicy.
- Dried ancho chilies: Smoky and slightly sweet, these deepen the sauce s complexity.
- Roma tomatoes: Bringing acidity and brightness to balance the chiles.
- Ground cinnamon: A subtle warm note that ties the spices together.
- Dried oregano: Adds herbal earthiness that complements the beef.
- Smoked paprika: Boosts the smokiness and color of the consomé.
- Ground cumin: A touch of earthiness to round out the flavor profile.
- Bay leaf: Classic aromatic that s a must-have for slow-simmered dishes.
- Black peppercorns: Fresh cracked is best for bright spice notes.
- Salt: Essential to bring all the flavors into focus-season carefully.
- Beef broth: Use a rich broth for simmering the meat and blending with the chile sauce.
Variations
This Birria Consomé Recipe is wonderful as-is, but I love to tweak it sometimes depending on what I have or craving I m chasing. Feel free to make it your own by playing with spice levels and side pairings!
- Mild Heat: When I want a gentler spice, I remove all the arbol chile seeds or even skip them entirely to suit kids or sensitive palates.
- Vegetarian Version: I ve experimented using roasted mushrooms and vegetable broth with similar spices for a rich, earthy stew that s meat-free.
- Extra Smoky Flavor: Adding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce amps up the smoky heat for when I want a bolder profile.
- Serving Styles: Sometimes I turn the shredded meat into quesabirria tacos, which my family goes crazy for!
How to Make Birria Consomé Recipe
Step 1: Brown the Meat and Build Flavor
Start by seasoning your chuck roast and short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed dutch oven or large stockpot over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides-this step locks in juices and creates rich, caramelized flavor. Add half of the onion during the last couple minutes to soften it slightly and build a deeper base taste. Then, remove the meat and onion and set aside while you make the chile broth.
Step 2: Prepare the Chile Broth
In a separate pot, combine the remaining onion, garlic, guajillo, arbol, and ancho chiles, diced tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, paprika, cumin, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt. Add enough water to cover-about 4 to 5 cups-and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing those dried chiles to rehydrate and infuse their flavors into the broth.
Step 3: Blend the Sauce and Combine
Once the chile mixture has simmered, strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids like the bay leaf. Transfer the solids to a blender, add 2 cups of that strained liquid plus 1 cup of beef broth, and blend until very smooth. Pour this rich sauce back into the pot with your browned meat, adding more beef broth if necessary so the meat is well-covered. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for about 3 hours, until the meat is meltingly tender and flavors meld beautifully.
Pro Tips for Making Birria Consomé Recipe
- Toast Your Chiles: I like to lightly toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet before soaking to wake up their flavors.
- Don t Skip Browning: Browning the meat adds caramelized flavor that really makes the consomé taste next level.
- Use a Blender With a Lid: When blending the hot chile sauce, make sure the lid is secure and vent the steam carefully to avoid splatters.
- Simmer Gently: Keep the heat low during the slow cook to avoid drying out the meat or boiling off too much liquid.
How to Serve Birria Consomé Recipe
Garnishes
I m a big fan of simple garnishes that add freshness and contrast. Chopped white onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime bring brightness against that deeply savory broth. Some crumbled queso fresco or a dash of Mexican crema works great if you want creaminess, too.
Side Dishes
Serving the shredded birria over fluffy white rice is such an easy winner. I also love warm corn tortillas for dipping into the consomé. Pickled jalapeños on the side add a vinegary kick that helps cut the richness.
Creative Ways to Present
For special occasions, I sometimes make quesabirria tacos by dipping tortillas in the consomé, filling them with shredded meat and cheese, then pan-frying until crispy. It s a crowd-pleaser every single time! Another fun idea is serving the consomé as a dipping sauce in little bowls alongside individual taco platters for a festive presentation.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
After cooking, I like to remove and shred the meat, then store it separately from the consomé in airtight containers. The broth thickens in the fridge, so if it seems too thick when reheating, just loosen it with a splash of beef broth or water.
Freezing
This recipe freezes beautifully! I portion out the shredded meat and broth separately in freezer-safe bags or containers. When I m ready to enjoy it, I thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove.
Reheating
Reheating low and slow is key. I use a heavy pot on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Adding a bit of broth ensures a smooth, vibrant consomé without drying out the meat.
FAQs
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What is birria consomé?
Birria consomé is the flavorful broth made from slow-cooked beef and dried chiles that accompanies birria, a traditional Mexican stew. It s rich, spicy, and delicious both as a soup and as a dipping sauce for birria tacos.
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Can I make birria consomé without dried chiles?
Dried chiles are key to achieving authentic birria flavors, but if you can t find them, you might experiment with chili powders or fresh chilies-though the flavor won t be quite the same. I recommend searching specialty or Mexican markets for the best results.
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How long does it take to cook birria consomé?
The whole process takes about 3 to 3½ hours, mostly to allow the meat to become tender and the flavors to develop fully. Patience here really pays off!
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Is birria consomé spicy?
It has a lovely warmth and a moderate spice level thanks to the arbol chiles, but you can adjust the heat by removing seeds or reducing the arbol chile quantity. I love the gentle kick that balances the rich meatiness.
Final Thoughts
I absolutely love how this Birria Consomé Recipe turns out every time – that satisfying aroma while it simmers is like a warm hug to the soul. I remember the first time I made it; the rich broth and melt-in-your-mouth beef had my whole family asking for seconds. You re going to enjoy this recipe no matter your skill level because the steps are straightforward, and the end result truly feels like something special. Trust me, once you make your own birria consomé, you ll want to make it again and again for gatherings or just to cozy up on any evening.
Print
Birria Consomé Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Rich and flavorful Birria Consomé featuring tender beef chuck roast and short ribs slowly simmered in a complex blend of dried chiles, aromatic spices, and a smooth blended sauce, served as a stew or for tacos with the flavorful broth as a dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Meat
- 3 pounds chuck roast cut into large pieces
- 2 pounds bone-in short ribs
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 large onion, sliced into wedges
- 1 head of garlic
- 2 roma tomatoes, diced
Dried Chiles
- 5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried arbol chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
Spices & Herbs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning the meat
Other
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- About 4–5 cups water (for simmering chiles and spices)
Instructions
- Season the meat: Generously season the chuck roast and short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper to enhance flavor before searing.
- Brown the meat and onions: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned meat pieces and brown them well on all sides to develop rich flavor. Add half of the sliced onion and cook for an additional 2 minutes to soften.
- Prepare chile and spice broth: In a separate medium pot, combine the remaining half of the onion, whole head of garlic, guajillo, arbol, and ancho chiles, diced tomatoes, cinnamon, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and salt. Cover with about 4 to 5 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes to soften the ingredients and meld the flavors.
- Strain the broth: Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the chile and spice liquid into a bowl, discarding solids and removing the bay leaf. Reserve the strained liquid for blending.
- Blend the sauce: Place the strained solids into a blender along with 2 cups of the reserved liquid and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend on high until the mixture is very smooth, creating a rich, thick sauce.
- Combine sauce and meat: Return the pot with the browned meat to the stove over medium heat. Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh sieve into the pot with the meat. Add additional beef broth if necessary to ensure the meat is covered by the sauce.
- Simmer the birria: Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer gently for 3 hours, allowing the meat to become tender and absorb the complex flavors of the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if desired before serving.
Notes
- Serving suggestion: Remove the meat from the sauce and shred it for serving. Birria meat is excellent over rice or inside tacos. Use the flavorful broth as a sauce poured over the rice or as a dipping sauce for tacos.
- Adjusting heat: Arbol chiles contribute noticeable heat to the stew. For a spicier dish, consider leaving the seeds in the arbol chiles when preparing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 tablespoons
- Calories: 554 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 573 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 51 g
- Cholesterol: 166 mg
