Birria with Tomato Rice
Ingredients
Birria:
- 2 dried ancho chili peppers
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 cups sodium-reduced beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
Tomato Rice:
- 2 cups Mahatma® White Rice
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tbsp sazon seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup puréed tomatoes (passata) or canned tomato purée
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
Instructions
Make any day a celebration with this seasoned beef birria stew served with tomato-infused Mahatma® White Rice.
Birria:
Step 1
Place ancho chilies on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute or until toasted and fragrant. Let cool completely. Remove seeds and stem from chilies; soak toasted chilies in 1 cup boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes or until rehydrated. In a blender, purée rehydrated chilies, soaking liquid, onion, vinegar and garlic until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
Toss together beef, oil, adobo seasoning, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, pepper and cinnamon to coat well; add to chili mixture, mixing well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 300°F. In a Dutch oven, combine broth, beef with marinade and bay leaves; bring to boil over medium heat. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove bay leaves. Remove meat from pan; shred with 2 forks. Stir back into the sauce.
Tomato Rice:
Step 4
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat; cook onion, sazon seasoning and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in water, puréed tomatoes and tomato paste; bring to boil.
Step 5
Stir in white rice. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and absorbs most of the liquid. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.
Step 6
Serve birria over rice. Garnish with diced onions, cilantro and lime wedges.
Cooking Tip
Mix together any leftover birria and rice to turn into burritos, enchiladas, tacos or quesadillas.
Recipe Video
What is Birria?
Birria is an authentic Latin American stew made with beef or other meat such as lamb and vegetables. The meat or vegetables are cooked until tender to be shredded and served as a soup or stew with rice. This version uses all kinds of delicious seasonings like adobo seasoning, oregano, cumin, brown sugar, pepper and cinnamon along with a blend of chile peppers.
The tasty beef is complemented with flavorful white rice that has been cooked in sautéed onions and tomatoes to balance everything out perfectly.
How to Serve Birria
Serve it as a stew over rice or in other common variations like a filling for tacos, burritos or enchiladas. However you serve it, you’ll need a bit of fresh cilantro and lime to go with it. With its origins in Mexico, it’s perfect for serving at a Cinco de Mayo fiesta. If you are looking for another fun Mexican cuisine recipe check out how to make tacos dorados.
Latin American Staple
With ancho chile peppers, adobo seasoning and tomatoes, this dish has more than a few staple ingredients that are common in Latin American cooking. For more similar dishes, you’ll want to try Spicy Chicken Tinga Tacos, a Peruvian Lamb Stew (Seco de Cordero), Jasmine Coconut Rice (Arroz con Coco), or our authentic Mexican Rice recipe.
Continue exploring international cuisine with Mahatma® Rice including Asian recipes such as sushi, as well as a Spanish-inspired Vegan Paella, or Italian risotto.
If you are looking for a dessert idea try our Puerto Rico arroz con leche.
