Spice up your dinner game with a bowl of Birria Ramen! Combining the deep, aromatic spices of traditional birria with the simplicity of ramen noodles creates a meal that’s both satisfying and easy to make. Perfect for anyone looking to elevate their noodle soup, it’s packed with Mexican flavor and guaranteed to be a winner.
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Why You Will Love Making Birria Ramen
Here’s why you’ll find this recipe irresistible:
- Flavor: The combination of dried Mexican chiles, herbs, and spices offers a powerful taste that transforms ordinary ramen into something extraordinary.
- Comforting: It’s the comfort food you know and love with an exciting twist that keeps things interesting.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether it’s a casual family dinner or a special gathering, birria ramen fits the bill.
- Customizable: You can tweak the spice levels and toppings, making it a dish that’s truly your own.
- Impressive Yet Easy: It might sound gourmet, but it’s surprisingly simple to prepare, even for beginners.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to Make Birria Ramen with Step-By-Step Instructions
Making birria ramen is totally worth the effort. Here’s how to make it:
Prepare the Meat and Chiles
Season your meat with salt and pepper. Next, handle the chiles with gloves, deseed them, and remove the stems. This is key to controlling the heat and integrating their flavor.
Blend the Ingredients
Combine the chiles, garlic, thyme, and oregano with some beef broth in a blender. Process it until you’ve got a smooth, fragrant spice paste.
Cook the Meat
Heat some oil in a Dutch oven until it’s sizzling. Brown the meat on all sides to seal in the flavors.
Then pour in your chile blend, add the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks, and let it simmer slowly. This slow cooking is crucial for tender, flavorful meat.
Shred and Strain
After the meat stews for a few hours, it should be tender enough to shred effortlessly. Pull it apart with two forks, strain your broth through a sieve, and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and sugar.
Cooking the Ramen Noodles
Bring your flavorful birria broth to a boil in the same pot you’ve used for cooking the meat. Drop the instant ramen noodles into the boiling broth, making sure they are completely submerged.
Turn off the heat and let the ramen noodles soak in the hot broth. This will allow them to cook gently and absorb the rich flavors without becoming mushy.
Serve and Enjoy!
After a few minutes, the noodles should be just tender and perfectly infused with the spicy, savory broth. Bring everything together in bowls: the cooked ramen noodles, broth, and shredded meat.
Serve hot and garnish with fresh onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime wedges for that perfect finish.
Birria Ramen
Add Preferred SourceIngredients
- 1 pound chuck roast and rib meat you can omit the rib if you want to use just roast, chopped in 2-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper
- Mix of dried Mexican chiles 2 dried guajillos, 2 dried ancho chiles, 4-6 chile de arbol – you can use your own mix
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 6-8 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 instant ramen noodles packages
To serve:
- White onion cubed
- Cilantro chopped
- Lime
Instructions
- Season the chuck roast and rib with salt and pepper.1 pound chuck roast and rib meat, Salt and pepper
- Using gloves to protect your skin, deseed the chiles and remove the stems.Mix of dried Mexican chiles
- Place the chiles, garlic, thyme, oregano, tomillo and 4 cups of beef broth in a blender and process until smooth.2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano, 6-8 cups beef broth, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven until very hot and add the meat. Brown the meat on all sides, once it’s browned, add the chili mixture, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks, reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and cook for 3-4 hours. Add more stock as needed.2 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Remove the meat from the pot and shred it with two forks.
- Strain the rest of the broth through a sieve and adjust salt and pepper (some people like to add a little sugar to this step, depending on how spicy you like the ramen).
- Add the ramen noodles to the broth and bring to a boil. Turn off and let the ramen noodles soak.2 instant ramen noodles packages
- Serve the ramen with broth, shredded meat, white onion, cilantro, and lime.White onion, Cilantro, Lime
Notes
- Don’t Rush the Simmer: Allow the meat to simmer slowly. This not only tenderizes the meat but also allows the flavors to meld and caramelize.
- Adjust the Heat: Depending on your spice tolerance, you can modify the amount and types of chiles. Removing seeds and veins will reduce the heat.
- Thyme: If you can’t find fresh thyme, dried herbs are fine, but use them sparingly as their flavors are more concentrated.
- Other Meat: Chicken can be a lighter alternative to beef, lamb, or goat, commonly used in traditional birria. Just adjust cooking times as chicken tends to cook faster.
- Add Eggs: Just like classic ramen, adding a soft-boiled egg is delicious in this recipe. Highly recommended.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Separate Components: Keep the noodles separate from the broth and shredded beef. This prevents the noodles from getting mushy.
- Refrigeration: Store the food in airtight containers in the refrigerator. They should last for up to three days.
- Reheating: When ready to eat, reheat the broth and meat together in a pot over medium heat until thoroughly warm. Cook fresh noodles or add the leftover noodles at the end to avoid overcooking them.
- Freezing: The birria meat and broth freeze well for up to a month. However, it’s best to add fresh noodles when you’re ready to serve after thawing.
Nutrition
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
Here are a few pointers to make sure your birria recipe turns out just right:
- Don’t Rush the Simmer: Allow the meat to simmer slowly. This not only tenderizes the meat but also allows the flavors to meld and caramelize.
- Adjust the Heat: Depending on your spice tolerance, you can modify the amount and types of chiles. Removing seeds and veins will reduce the heat.
- Thyme: If you can’t find fresh thyme, dried herbs are fine, but use them sparingly as their flavors are more concentrated.
- Other Meat: Chicken can be a lighter alternative to beef, lamb, or goat, commonly used in traditional birria. Just adjust cooking times, as chicken tends to cook faster.
- Add Eggs: Just like classic ramen, adding a soft-boiled egg is delicious in this recipe. Highly recommended.
How to Store Leftover Beef Birria Ramen
Storing your birria stew properly ensures you can enjoy this delicious dish for a few more days. Here’s the best way to keep it fresh:
- Separate Components: Keep the noodles separate from the broth and shredded beef. This prevents the noodles from getting mushy.
- Refrigeration: Store the food in airtight containers in the refrigerator. They should last for up to three days.
- Reheating: When ready to eat, reheat the broth and meat together in a pot over medium heat until thoroughly warm. Cook fresh noodles or add the leftover noodles at the end to avoid overcooking them.
- Freezing: The birria meat and broth freeze well for up to a month. However, it’s best to add fresh noodles when you’re ready to serve after thawing.
What to Serve with this Birria Ramen recipe
Pairing the right sides with birria ramen can turn a great meal into an unforgettable one. Here’s what works well:
Chilled Avocado Slices
Creamy avocado slices, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper or a drizzle of olive oil, can smooth out the spiciness while adding a rich, buttery texture to your birria ramen.
Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
This classic street food features grilled corn smothered in a creamy, spicy sauce made from mayonnaise, cotija cheese, lime, and chili powder. It’s a flavorful side that matches the bold spices in birria ramen.
Quesadillas
Simple cheese quesadillas, perhaps with a sprinkle of minced jalapeño for extra heat, can be a comforting addition. They’re great for dipping into the birria broth and can help balance the meal’s spice level.
