Dinner · Main Course · Slow Cooking · Mexican

Slow-Braised Beef Birria Adobo

Name: Slow-Braised Beef Birria Adobo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1.5 kg beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks; 1 tbsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 5 dried Guajillo chilies, stemmed and deseeded; 3 dried Ancho chilies, stemmed and deseeded; 2 dried Morita chilies; 3 medium tomatoes, halved; 1 large white onion, quartered; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1 tbsp dried Mexican oregano; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger; 3 whole cloves; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 liter beef bone broth

A deeply flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth Mexican beef stew infused with dried chilies and aromatic spices, perfect for tacos or hearty bowls.

5(349 reviews)

·By Ethan Brooks·June 28, 2026

Slow-Braised Beef Birria Adobo — Mexican Dinner served and photographed from above

Prep

30 min

Cook

3 h

Difficulty

Medium

Serves

Preparation

Get these tasks done before you start cooking.

Before you start

How to Make Slow-Braised Beef Birria Adobo

Total time: 3 h 30 min · Yields 6 servings

1
Sear the Beef
Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches until deeply browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Remove meat and set aside.
2
Prepare the Chili Sauce
In the same pot, lightly toast the dried chilies for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cover with 2 cups of water and simmer for 10 minutes until chilies are soft. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the vinegar and all spices, and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if desired.
3
Braise the Beef
Return the seared beef to the Dutch oven. Pour the blended chili sauce and beef broth over the meat, ensuring it is mostly submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
4
Shred and Serve
Remove the beef from the pot and shred using two forks. Skim the excess fat from the top of the remaining liquid (consommé). Return the shredded beef to the liquid to keep moist, or serve it on the side with a bowl of the warm broth for dipping.

Chef's Tips

For the best flavor, make this a day in advance to let the spices fully permeate the meat.
Do not skip searing the meat; the Maillard reaction adds essential depth to the final stew.
If the sauce is too spicy, add a teaspoon of brown sugar to balance the heat.

What to Serve with Slow-Braised Beef Birria Adobo

The garlic butter sauce is the star — pick sides that soak it up or balance the richness.

Serve in warm corn tortillas with diced white onion and cilantro.
Pair with a side of Mexican red rice and lime wedges.
Use the broth to make 'Quesabirria' by dipping tortillas in the fat before frying with cheese.