Dish guides
What is birria?
Birria is meat, traditionally goat, marinated in a paste of dried chillies, vinegar, garlic and spices, then slow-cooked until it falls apart. It comes from Jalisco in western Mexico and is served in a bowl of its own red broth (consomé) with onion, coriander, lime and tortillas, or in tacos that you dip into a cup of the broth.
- At a glance
- Birria
- Goat or beef braised in a dried-chilli adobo, eaten as a stew or in tacos with its broth.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like BEER-yah (rolled r) · IPA /ˈbirja/
- Also written as
- birria de chivo, birria de res, birria de borrego, tacos de birria, quesabirria, birria tatemada, consomé de birria, tacos rojos
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- goat, beef or lamb
- adobo of dried chillies (guajillo, ancho and others)
- vinegar
- garlic
- spices and herbs such as cumin, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, clove and cinnamon, sometimes toasted sesame seeds
- the cooking broth (consomé)
Often added
- corn tortillas
- chopped white onion and coriander (cilantro)
- lime
- melted cheese in the taco (quesabirria)
- tortillas dipped in the fat and griddled (tacos rojos)
- hot salsa of chile de árbol
- tomato in the broth (some regions)
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Dairy | Often contains |
| Gluten | Sometimes contains |
| Sesame | Sometimes contains |
| Sulphites | Sometimes contains |
| Celery | Rarely contains |
| Peanuts | Rarely contains |
| Tree nuts | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Soy | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Pescatarian | No |
| Halal | Depends — Goat and beef are the usual meats and pork isn't part of the classic recipe, but the meat is rarely halal-certified in Mexico; ask. |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | Depends — The meat, adobo and corn tortillas are normally gluten-free, but some places outside Mexico serve birria in flour tortillas, and the griddle may be shared. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What goes into birria
The meat is rubbed with an adobo, a thick paste of soaked and blended dried chillies, vinegar, garlic and spices such as cumin, oregano, thyme and clove; some cooks add toasted sesame seeds. It then cooks slowly for hours, traditionally in a pit or a sealed oven, until it pulls apart. The juices and fat that collect become the consomé, a brick-red, lightly spiced broth.
In Jalisco, goat (chivo) is the classic choice and the reason some people find birria strongly flavoured. Beef (res) is now very common, and lamb or mutton (borrego) appears in some regions. Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Colima, next to Jalisco, make their own versions.
Stew, tacos and quesabirria
At a birriería you can usually order birria en plato (a bowl of meat in broth, eaten with tortillas) or en tacos. In Tijuana, beef birria served with plenty of consomé dates back to the 1950s, and the city's taco style, where the tortilla is dipped in the red fat and crisped on the griddle, spread across the United States in the 2010s. Add melted cheese and it becomes a quesabirria.
Tacos usually come with a small cup of consomé for dipping or sipping, plus onion, coriander and lime. In western Mexico birria is often eaten as a late breakfast at weekends, and it's also cooked for weddings, baptisms and holidays. See the Mexico menu guide for more dishes from Jalisco.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Una orden de tacos de birria con consomé, por favor. | An order of birria tacos with a cup of broth, please. |
| ¿La birria es de chivo o de res? | Is the birria goat or beef? |
| ¿Los tacos llevan queso? | Do the tacos have cheese in them? |
Not to be confused with
- Barbacoa — Lamb, goat or beef slow-cooked in a pit or steamer, usually without the red chilli adobo; birria began as Jalisco's name for a style of barbacoa.
- Tacos al pastor — Also red, but it's pork marinated in chilli and achiote and shaved from a vertical spit, served without broth.
- Carne en su jugo — Another Guadalajara speciality: thin beef cooked in its own juices with bacon and beans; no chilli adobo.
Frequently asked questions
What meat is birria made from?
Traditionally goat. Jalisco's classic birria is birria de chivo, and some regions use lamb or mutton. Beef (birria de res) is now very common too, especially in Tijuana-style tacos and in the United States. If the menu doesn't say, ask "¿Es de chivo o de res?" (Is it goat or beef?) before ordering.
Is birria spicy?
Usually only mildly. The dried chillies in the adobo give colour and a deep, earthy flavour more than heat, so the meat and broth are warming rather than fiery. The real heat comes from the salsa served on the side, often made with chile de árbol, which you add yourself.
What's the difference between birria and quesabirria?
Quesabirria is a taco made with birria and melted cheese. The tortilla is dipped in the fat from the consomé, griddled with cheese and meat until crisp, and served with a cup of broth for dipping. Plain birria tacos and birria served as a stew have no cheese.
How do you pronounce birria?
Say BEER-yah, with a rolled r and the stress on the first syllable: in IPA, [ˈbirja]. The double r is trilled, as in perro, but a single tap is easily understood. A restaurant or stall that specialises in it is called a birriería (bee-ryeh-REE-ah).
