Birria Soup Recipe

Two bowls of birria soup in wooden bowls with a golden spoon, ready to serve.

5 from 2 votes

This hearty birria soup is loaded with fresh veggies and noodles for a filling complete meal. Simple to prepare and the perfect comfort food for the cold weather months.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: birria soup, easy birria tacos, easy soup recipes, hearty soup recipes

Servings: Servings

Calories: 635kcal

Author: Julia Mueller

Equipment

large pot such as a Dutch oven

Ingredients

3 dried ancho chilis
3 dried arbol chilis
2 dried guajillo chilis
2 Tbsp avocado oil
2 to 3 lbs chuck roast
1 large yellow onion
8 cloves garlic minced
6 cups beef broth
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 tsp sea salt to taste
8 ounces pasta noodles or ramen noodles of choice

Optional Vegetables

1 large hot house tomato
1 zucchini squash diced
2 large carrots diced
5 ounces baby spinach

Instructions

Transfer the dried chilis to a medium saucepan full of water and heat on the stove top to a full boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a gentle boil for 15 minutes, or until the chilis have softened. Remove the chilis from the heat and set the pot aside.
Cut the chuck roast into large chunks on a cutting board using a sharp knife. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large thick-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes until it is sizzling hot.
Use tongs to carefully transfer the chunks of beef to the pot in a single layer, brown for 3-4 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms. Flip to the other side and brown for another 3-4 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate using tongs and set it aside.
Keeping the pot on the stove top over medium high heat or medium heat, add the chopped onion. Use a wooden spoon to sauté the onion until softened, scraping the browned bits from the meat off the bottom of the pan.
Remove the stems from the reconstituted chilis and place them in a high powered blender with one cup of the chili water and two cups of beef broth.
Blend on a high speed for 1 minute, or until the mixture looks deep red.
Pour the rest of the broth into the pot with the sautéed onion and stir well to deglaze. Transfer the seared beef back into the pot using your tongs. Holding a fine mesh sieve with one hand, pour the chili broth mixture through the strainer into the soup pot to strain out the chili pulp. Discard the pulp.
Transfer the black pepper, coriander, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, ground cumin, and dried oregano to the large pot and stir well. Cover the pot and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking at a very gentle boil for 1-2 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.
Use a slotted spoon or tongs to move the beef to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the beef to your desired consistency. Transfer the shredded meat back into the soup pot and stir well.
Stir in the noodles and any vegetables you like and return the soup to a gentle boil. Cook until the noodles and vegetables have softened but are still somewhat al dente, about 15 minutes.
Serve Birria soup in large bowls, and enjoy!
If you’d like, serve the soup with any of your favorite toppings, such as grated cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, sliced avocado, etc.

Notes

If adding vegetables, add the chopped carrots and tomato at the beginning of boiling. Add the zucchini and baby spinach when adding the noodles.

Nutrition