Birria Ramen.
Ramen noodles in rich birria consomé, topped with shredded beef, scallions, and a jammy egg. The mash-up that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
Two comfort foods in one bowl.
Birria ramen sounds like a novelty until you take the first slurp. Then it just makes sense — a deep, chile-rich Mexican broth carrying springy noodles and shredded beef, finished with the kind of jammy egg you'd get in a proper tonkotsu bowl. It's greater than the sum of its parts.
The trick is treating the consomé like ramen broth: keep it clear, keep it hot, and don't drown the noodles. Ten minutes of assembly and you've got a bowl that eats like a two-hour project.
A brief history.
Birria was born in Jalisco, Mexico in the 1500s — slow-braised meat in a chile-and-spice adobo, with the rich broth (consomé) served alongside. It traveled north to Tijuana in the 20th century, where it took on beef and started showing up as tacos.
Birria ramen is a more recent invention — a product of Los Angeles's tangled food geography, where Mexican and Japanese cooking traditions share the same block. Food trucks and pop-ups in the late 2010s started pouring consomé over ramen noodles, and the internet did what the internet does. This is our tribute to that lineage: fully rooted in birria, plated like ramen, better than either one alone.
Ingredients.
- •1 Birria Packet
- •2–3 lbs beef chuck roast (cut into large chunks)
- •6 cups water
- •2 packs fresh or dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packets)
- •2 soft-boiled eggs, halved
- •3 scallions, thinly sliced
- •1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- •1 lime, cut into wedges
- •Optional: chile oil or salsa macha, sesame seeds, sliced radish
You'll also need
- A slow cooker, Dutch oven, or Instant Pot
- A separate pot for boiling noodles
- A small saucepan for the eggs and an ice bath
- Deep bowls and chopsticks (or a big spoon)
How to make it.
- 1
Build the birria
Add 6 cups of water, the beef chuck, and one Birria Packet to a heavy pot, slow cooker, or Instant Pot. Stir once — no searing needed.
- 2
Slow-cook the meat
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.
- 3
Shred and skim
Pull the beef out and shred with two forks. Skim off the bright red-orange fat from the top of the consomé and reserve a spoonful for drizzling — that's your finishing oil.
- 4
Soft-boil the eggs
Lower eggs into boiling water for exactly 6 minutes 30 seconds, then transfer to an ice bath. Peel and halve just before serving so the yolks stay jammy.
- 5
Cook the noodles
Boil the ramen noodles separately according to the package — usually 2–4 minutes. Drain and divide between two deep bowls. Don't cook the noodles in the consomé or they'll turn the broth cloudy and starchy.
- 6
Ladle and build
Ladle hot consomé over the noodles until they're just submerged. Pile shredded birria on top, then add the egg halves, scallions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- 7
Finish and serve
Drizzle with the reserved red fat and a spoon of chile oil or salsa macha if you want heat. Eat immediately — slurp the noodles, spoon the broth, tear into the beef.
Final word.
Birria ramen is proof that great cooking isn't about tradition or novelty — it's about knowing when two good things belong together. The packet handles the broth, the noodles handle the comfort, and you get one of the most satisfying bowls of anything you'll make this year.
Made it? Tag @birriapacket — we repost the good ones.
Birria Ramen
Ramen noodles in birria consomé, topped with shredded beef and a jammy egg.
Ingredients
- • 1 Birria Packet
- • 2–3 lbs beef chuck
- • 6 cups water
- • 2 packs ramen noodles
- • 2 soft-boiled eggs
- • Scallions, cilantro, lime
Instructions
- Slow-cook beef, water, and packet 6–8 hr.
- Shred beef. Skim red fat, reserve a spoon.
- Soft-boil eggs 6:30, then ice bath.
- Boil noodles separately. Drain into bowls.
- Ladle hot consomé over noodles. Top with beef, egg, scallions, cilantro, lime.