What Is Birria? Meaning, Ingredients and Origin

Birria is a Mexican meat stew from the state of Jalisco. The meat, usually goat or beef, is marinated in an adobo of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, herbs and spices, then slow-cooked until tender in its own broth.

That broth is called consomé, or consommé. Birria is served as a stew with tortillas, or packed into crisp, cheesy tacos for dipping. Goat is the traditional meat in Mexico, and beef is the usual choice in the United States.

This guide explains what the word means, where birria comes from, which meats are used, what goes into it and how people eat it. It also compares birria with barbacoa and other braised meats. To taste it before you read on, you can order the birria tacos served at Mi Casa in Breckenridge.

What Does Birria Mean?

Birria has no exact English translation. In English it is simply called birria, or described as a spicy Mexican goat or beef stew.

The word began as a regional name. In Jalisco and nearby areas, "birria" meant meat cooked in a pit or earth oven, the same food other parts of Mexico called barbacoa. Over time it came to mean the chile-stewed dish people know today.

The source of the word itself is debated. A popular account says it comes from an old Spanish word for something worthless or of poor quality. Dictionary writer Francisco J. Santamaría, in 1959, cited a scholar who argued the word had Indigenous Coca roots instead.

Older Mexican dictionaries show how the meaning shifted:

• 1898: Ramos y Duarte (how birria was described: Goat barbacoa in Mexico City)
• 1925: Rubio (how birria was described: A lower-class word for barbacoa)
• 1945: Islas Escárcega (how birria was described: A dish of Jalisco)
• 1959: Santamaría (how birria was described: Lamb or goat prepared like barbacoa)
• 1985: Mejía Prieto (how birria was described: "Soupy barbacoa" from Guadalajara)

Where Does Birria Come From?

Birria comes from Jalisco, a state in western Mexico. No one can date the first pot, but the dish grew out of the goats that arrived with the Spanish.

When Hernán Cortés and the conquistadors arrived, they brought European livestock, including goats. The goats multiplied quickly. Goat meat is tough and strong-tasting, so it needs long, slow cooking, and chiles and vinegar help tame the gamey flavor.

The Folk Stories

Two folk stories explain birria's birth. Neither can be proved.

1. The "worthless" meat story. After Cortés landed in 1519, the Spanish are said to have handed surplus goats to Indigenous cooks. The cooks marinated the meat in chiles, and the Spanish, who disliked goat, called the result "birria," meaning worthless.
2. The volcano story. A shepherd left his goats in a cave during a volcanic eruption. The steam cooked them, and birria was discovered by accident.

Tijuana and Beef Birria

Beef birria took shape in Tijuana. In 1950, taquero Guadalupe Zárate moved there from Coatzingo, Puebla, and opened a taco stand.

Goat cost more in Tijuana and was less fatty, so Zárate switched to beef. Someone then suggested adding more liquid. That change produced the soupy, consommé-rich style that later crossed the border.

Tijuana also gave the world quesabirria: a taco stuffed with birria and melted cheese, often served with consommé for dipping.

Birria in the United States

Quesabirria became popular across North America in the 2010s. Birria tacos took off in Los Angeles, where red tacos dipped in consommé became a street-food favorite.

Most US birria uses beef, because goat can be hard to find. To see how birria fits the long history of the taco, start with the tortilla itself.

What Kind of Meat Is Birria?

Birria is made with goat, beef, lamb or mutton. Goat is the traditional meat in Jalisco, and beef is most common in Tijuana and the US.

• Goat: Birria de chivo (where it is common: Jalisco, much of Mexico; notes: The classic version; gamey and rich)
• Beef: Birria de res (where it is common: Tijuana, United States; notes: Milder; chuck and short rib are common)
• Lamb: Birria de borrego (where it is common: Parts of Mexico; notes: Tender, a little gamey)
• Mutton: Birria de carnero (where it is common: Hard to find in the US; notes: Gamier than goat)
• Cow's head: Cabeza de res (where it is common: Mascota, Jalisco; notes: Cheeks and connective tissue add richness)

Red meats suit birria best. Food Network notes that chicken tends to turn dry and chalky in a long braise. Pork, it says, is better matched with other seasonings.

What Is Birria Meat Called?

Birria meat is called by the animal it comes from: chivo or cabra (goat), res (beef) or borrego (lamb). On a menu, "birria de res" means beef birria.

Most goat sold in the US is imported from Australia and New Zealand and comes from mature animals. That tougher, stronger meat is ideal for birria. Cabrito, or young goat, is milder and more tender.

What Is in Birria? Key Ingredients

Birria is built on meat, dried red chiles and vinegar. The rest varies from cook to cook and town to town.

• Dried chiles: Guajillo and ancho chiles are the most common. Guajillo is sweet and fruity; ancho, a dried poblano, is mild and deep. Some cooks add hotter chiles.
• Vinegar: It cuts the richness of the meat and brightens the adobo.
• Garlic and onion: The aromatic base.
• Tomato: Some recipes add it for color and acidity.
• Herbs: Mexican oregano, marjoram, thyme and bay leaves.
• Spices: Cumin, plus warm spices such as cloves and cinnamon in some versions.

The consommé should stay a clear, deep red. Birria is not thickened with seeds or nuts. Pumpkin seeds, sesame and nuts would push the sauce toward thick, nut-rich mole instead.

How Birria Is Made

Birria is made in three stages: marinate, cook slowly, then serve the meat with its broth.

1. Marinate. Cooks toast and soak dried chiles, blend them with garlic, spices and vinegar, and coat the meat. Goat is often marinated overnight.
2. Cook slowly. The meat braises or steams in a sealed pot for hours, on the stove, in the oven or in an earth oven. It is done when it falls from the bone.
3. Serve. The meat is shredded or served in pieces, and the cooking liquid becomes the consommé.

Traditional methods vary widely. Some cooks marinate first, some season the meat after it cooks, and some steam it dry in a covered pot. For amounts, timing and frying, follow our step-by-step birria taco recipe.

What Is Birria Consommé?

Birria consommé is the red, chile-seasoned broth the meat cooks in. It is served hot in a cup or bowl beside the meat or tacos.

People sip it, spoon it over the meat, or dip their tacos in it. A bowl usually comes topped with diced white onion, chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. It is rich with fat and chile, not thin like a plain stock.

Types of Birria

Birria has many regional and modern styles. These are the most common.

• Birria de chivo: Goat birria, the original style from Jalisco.
• Birria de res: Beef birria, the Tijuana and US standard.
• Quesabirria: Birria tacos with melted cheese, crisped on the griddle and served with consommé.
• Birria tatemada: Charred birria. After marinating and simmering, the meat goes into a hot oven until crisp.
• Birriamen: Birria broth with ramen-style noodles, credited to Mexico City chef Antonio de Livier and popular around Los Angeles.
• Regional birrias: Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Colima, neighbors of Jalisco, each have their own versions.

How to Eat Birria

Birria is eaten as a stew or in tacos, and the consommé is always part of the meal.

1. As a stew. Meat and broth come in a bowl with corn tortillas on the side. You tear the tortillas, fill them and spoon over consommé.
2. As tacos. Shredded meat goes into tortillas, often with cheese, and the tacos are fried crisp. You dip each bite into consommé.
3. On bread or by hand. Traditional birria is also eaten on bread or straight from the plate.

Classic toppings are diced onion, cilantro and lime. In Mexico, birria is a celebration food, served at weddings, baptisms, Christmas, Easter and even funerals. Restaurants and street carts that sell it are called birrierías.

Birria vs Barbacoa and Other Braised Meats

Birria is a soupy, chile-marinated stew. Barbacoa is meat steamed in its own juices, traditionally in an underground oven lined with agave or banana leaves.

Food Network puts it simply: birria is a type of barbacoa, but barbacoa is not birria. Birria is saucier and spicier.

• Birria: Goat or beef (how it is cooked: Braised or steamed in a sealed pot with chile adobo; signature flavor: Red chile, vinegar, warm spices; served with consommé)
• Barbacoa: Mostly beef; also lamb or mutton (how it is cooked: Steamed in a pit lined with agave or banana leaves; signature flavor: Tender and juicy, less sauce)
• Carnitas: Pork (how it is cooked: Simmered in lard, then crisped; signature flavor: Rich pork, crisp edges)
• Al pastor: Pork (how it is cooked: Marinated and roasted on a vertical spit; signature flavor: Chile, achiote, pineapple)

Carne asada sits apart from all of these. It is fast-grilled, not braised; see the guide to grilled carne asada. For the spit-roasted style, read about spit-roasted al pastor pork.

What Does Birria Taste Like?

Birria tastes rich, savory and gently spicy, with a sharp edge from vinegar. The dried chiles add a deep, slightly fruity flavor rather than raw heat.

Goat birria tastes gamier and stronger. Beef birria is milder and meatier. Warm spices like cloves and cinnamon add a faint sweetness, and the consommé ties it together.

Birria is one of many classic Mexican dishes built on dried chiles, and its slow-cooked depth is what sets it apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is birria goat or beef?

Birria can be either. Goat is the traditional meat in Jalisco, while beef is the common choice in Tijuana and the United States. Lamb and mutton are also used.

What is birria in English?

Birria is usually left untranslated in English. It is described as a spicy Mexican stew of goat or beef, slow-cooked in a chile adobo and served with its broth.

Is birria spicy?

Birria is usually mild to medium. Guajillo and ancho chiles give flavor and color more than heat. Some cooks add hotter chiles, and salsa on the side lets each person turn up the heat.

Is birria the same as barbacoa?

No. Birria began as a regional name for barbacoa in Jalisco, but today it is its own dish. Birria is a soupy chile stew; barbacoa is meat steamed in its own juices.

What is a birriería?

A birriería is a restaurant or street stand that specializes in birria. They are found across Mexico, especially in Jalisco and Michoacán.

Birria at Mi Casa in Breckenridge

Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina serves short rib birria tacos, one of the most ordered dishes in the house. We braise the beef in an ancho guajillo chile adobo until it falls apart, then add asadero jack cheese, cilantro and diced onion, with rich consommé on the side.

Everything is made from scratch in our kitchen, from the slow-braised meats to the salsas. Find birria and the rest of our tacos on the full Mi Casa menu, daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm, steps from the base of Peak 9.