Birria Enchiladas (Printable)
Tender beef birria enchiladas with rich consommé and melted cheese.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Birria
01 - 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
02 - 1 lb beef short ribs
03 - 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
06 - 1 large white onion, quartered
07 - 5 cloves garlic
08 - 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
09 - 4 cups beef broth
10 - 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 1 tsp dried oregano
14 - 1 tsp dried thyme
15 - 1 tsp cumin seeds
16 - 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
17 - 1/2 tsp cloves
18 - 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
19 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
→ For the Enchiladas
20 - 12 corn tortillas
21 - 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
22 - 1/2 cup diced white onion
23 - 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 - Lime wedges, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened.
02 - In the same skillet, roast the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and halved Roma tomatoes until slightly charred, about 5 minutes.
03 - Transfer softened chiles, roasted vegetables, apple cider vinegar, oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
04 - In a large Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear beef chuck chunks and short ribs on all sides until well-browned.
05 - Pour the blended sauce over the beef. Add remaining beef broth, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2.5–3 hours until meat is very tender and falling apart.
06 - Remove beef from the pot. Shred with two forks, discarding bones and excess fat. Skim excess fat from the birria consommé, reserving a small amount for frying tortillas.
07 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
08 - Dip each corn tortilla in the warm birria consommé, then fry briefly in a hot skillet with a little reserved fat until pliable, about 10–15 seconds per side.
09 - Fill each tortilla with shredded birria and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
10 - Pour extra birria consommé over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
11 - Bake for 10–15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
12 - Serve hot, garnished with diced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The slowcooked beef becomes impossibly tender, practically falling apart at the mere suggestion of a fork
- That consommé-soaked tortilla situation creates the most incredible texture, somewhere between soft enchilada and crispy taco
- Your entire kitchen will smell like the most inviting Mexican restaurant you've ever visited
02 -
- The consommé will look very dark and almost intimidating, but that's exactly right—it should be the color of deep red wine
- Tortillas will tear if they're too cold or if you skip the quick fry step, so work with warm tortillas and be gentle
- This dish actually tastes better the next day, so don't stress if you want to make components ahead of time
03 -
- If your sauce seems too bitter after blending, add a teaspoon of brown sugar to balance it out
- The beef is done when you can easily pull it apart with just your fingers
- Line your baking dish with parchment paper for the easiest cleanup ever