Birria Consomé.
Deep, dark, restorative. The broth on its own — served in a bowl with lime and cilantro. This is the soul of birria in liquid form.
The broth is the point.
Ask anyone who grew up eating birria and they'll tell you: the consomé is the reason. Yes, the tacos get all the attention on Instagram — but the broth is what your abuela would ladle into a bowl on a cold Sunday morning, or press into your hands after a long night. It's medicine, comfort, and dinner all at once.
This recipe treats the consomé as the main event. You still cook the beef — you have to, that's where the body comes from — but we'll show you how to serve the broth on its own and turn the meat into a week of meals.
A brief history.
Birria comes from Jalisco, Mexico, born in the 1500s when Spanish colonizers introduced goats to the region. Local cooks braised the tough meat in a chile-and-spice adobo, slow-cooking it until it fell apart. The result was so rich that the rendered juices — the consomé — became a dish of its own, ladled into bowls and sipped alongside the meat.
In Jalisco, consomé is still traditionally served in a small cup on the side, meant to be sipped slowly between bites. In Tijuana and beyond, it evolved into a full bowl — hearty enough to be dinner. Whichever way you serve it, this is the oldest, purest form of birria: no tortilla required.
Ingredients.
- •1 Birria Packet
- •3–4 lbs beef chuck roast (cut into large chunks) or beef shank for extra body
- •6 cups water
- •1/2 white onion, finely diced (for serving)
- •1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (for serving)
- •2 limes, cut into wedges
- •Optional: 1–2 dried chiles de árbol for extra heat
You'll also need
- A slow cooker, Dutch oven, or Instant Pot
- A slotted spoon and a ladle
- A fine mesh strainer (optional)
- Deep bowls or mugs for serving
How to make it.
- 1
Combine and simmer
Add 6 cups of water, the beef, and one Birria Packet to a heavy pot, Dutch oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. Stir once. No searing needed.
- 2
Cook low and slow
Slow cooker: low for 6–8 hours. Stovetop / Dutch oven: covered simmer for 3–4 hours. Instant Pot: high pressure for 60 minutes, then a 15-minute natural release. The longer it goes, the deeper the broth.
- 3
Pull the meat
Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside — you'll serve some in the broth and reserve the rest for tacos, burritos, or the ideas below.
- 4
Skim and taste
Skim the bright red-orange fat off the top and reserve it (that's liquid gold for griddling tacos later). Taste the consomé and adjust with a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime.
- 5
Serve
Ladle hot consomé into bowls. Top with a small pile of shredded beef, diced onion, chopped cilantro, and a big squeeze of lime. Eat with warm tortillas on the side.
Ways to enjoy just the broth.
The consomé is versatile — treat it like a great stock and it'll carry a whole week of dinners.
Straight-up bowl
Just consomé, shredded beef, onion, cilantro, lime. The classic Sunday move — pair it with warm tortillas for dipping and tearing.
Sipping cup
Skip the meat and serve the consomé in a mug or small cup alongside quesabirria tacos. Dip aggressively.
Birria ramen
Simmer ramen noodles right in the consomé. Top with scallions, a soft-boiled egg, chile oil, and a squeeze of lime.
Rice or beans base
Pour hot consomé over a bowl of white rice or pinto beans. Instant one-bowl dinner with almost zero effort.
Braising liquid
Use it to braise potatoes, mushrooms, or greens. Everything cooked in this broth ends up tasting better than it has any right to.
What to do with the meat.
One pot of birria = 4–5 different meals. Here's how we stretch it.
Quesabirria tacos
The obvious move. Dip corn tortillas in the reserved fat, stuff with cheese and beef, griddle until crisp. See our full quesabirria recipe.
Birria burritos
Flour tortilla, rice, beans, birria, cheese, salsa. Wrap tight and sear on a hot pan for a crispy shell.
Loaded fries or nachos
Pile shredded birria over hot fries or tortilla chips with melted cheese, crema, pickled onion, and cilantro.
Birria quesadillas
Buttery flour tortillas, Oaxaca cheese, and beef. Cut into wedges and dip in warm consomé.
Breakfast hash
Crisp the beef in a hot skillet with diced potatoes and onion. Top with a fried egg.
Freeze it
Portion into freezer bags with a splash of consomé to keep it juicy. Reheats beautifully for up to 2 months.
Final word.
Consomé is proof that the simplest version of a dish is often the best. One packet, one pot, a few hours of patience — and you get a broth that carries you through the whole week. Sip it, dip in it, cook noodles in it, pour it over rice. It's hard to mess up and impossible to get tired of.
Made it? Tag @birriapacket — we love seeing your bowls.
Birria Consomé
Slow-cooked birria broth served in a bowl with lime and cilantro.
Ingredients
- • 1 Birria Packet
- • 3–4 lbs beef chuck (or shank)
- • 6 cups water
- • Onion, cilantro, lime for serving
Instructions
- Combine water, beef, and packet in one pot.
- Slow-cook 6–8 hr (or 60 min Instant Pot).
- Pull the meat and reserve for other meals.
- Skim the red fat off the top (save for tacos).
- Ladle broth into bowls. Top with onion, cilantro, lime.