Description
This Birria Enchiladas recipe features tender, slow-braised beef chuck roast simmered in a rich and flavorful chile sauce made from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. The shredded beef is then stuffed into corn tortillas along with gooey Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, lightly fried, and baked until bubbly. Served with fresh cilantro and diced onion, this dish offers an authentic taste of Mexican cuisine with a delightful combination of spicy, savory, and cheesy goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Broth
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 6 cups beef broth
- Salt, to taste
Chile Sauce
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried pasilla chile, stem and seeds removed
- 1 medium white onion, quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
Enchiladas
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Prepare the chile sauce: Soak the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in hot water for 20 minutes until softened. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender along with the quartered white onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend the mixture until completely smooth to create a rich chile sauce.
- Braise the beef: Season the beef chuck roast chunks with salt. Place them in a large pot or Dutch oven and pour the chile sauce over the meat. Add the bay leaves and the remaining 5 cups of beef broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let it cook gently for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the beef is very tender and easily shredded.
- Shred the beef: Carefully remove the beef from the pot and shred it using two forks. Keep the shredded beef immersed in the flavorful broth to retain moisture and flavor until ready to assemble the enchiladas.
- Prepare tortillas: Heat a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of vegetable oil. Dip each corn tortilla into the birria broth briefly to soak, then place it in the skillet and lightly fry until the tortilla becomes pliable but not crispy. Remove and keep warm.
- Assemble the enchiladas: Fill each soaked tortilla with a generous amount of shredded birria beef and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Fold the tortillas and place them seam side down in a baking dish. Spoon some of the birria broth over the enchiladas to keep them moist.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake the assembled enchiladas for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the enchiladas from the oven and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and diced white onion. Serve immediately with extra birria broth on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Serve the enchiladas with extra birria broth on the side for dipping for an authentic experience.
- This recipe can also be made using goat or lamb instead of beef for different flavor variations.
- Make sure to remove stems and seeds from dried chiles to avoid bitterness.
- Use fresh cilantro and diced onion as garnish for added freshness and texture.
