Birria Enchiladas (Printable Version)
Tender shredded beef wrapped in corn tortillas with rich consommé and melted cheese.
# What You 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 - Drain the soaked chiles and combine with the roasted vegetables, apple cider vinegar, oregano, thyme, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chuck chunks and short ribs on all sides until deeply browned.
05 - Pour the blended sauce over the browned beef. Add the 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 the meat is fork-tender and easily shreds.
06 - Remove the beef from the pot and shred using two forks, discarding bones and excess fat. Skim any excess fat from the birria consommé, reserving a small amount for frying the tortillas.
07 - Preheat oven to 375°F. 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.
08 - Fill each tortilla with shredded birria and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
09 - Pour extra birria consommé over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10 - Serve hot, garnished with diced white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and lime wedges on the side.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The combination of tender, spice-infused beef and melted cheese creates this incredible comfort food hug that hits different on cold nights
- Leftovers somehow taste even better, and the consommé freezes beautifully for future lazy dinner wins
02 -
- Skip skimming the consommé fat and your enchiladas will be overwhelmingly rich—learned this the hard way
- Don't skip toasting the chiles first because that 30 seconds makes a massive difference in the final depth
- Frying the tortillas after dipping prevents them from disintegrating into a sad mushy situation
03 -
- If your consommé seems too thin, simmer it uncovered after removing the meat until it reduces and concentrates
- Add a dried chile de árbol if you want extra heat—just remove it before blending if you're spice-sensitive