Birria Ramen Recipe

Toast and rehydrate chiles

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burned. Remove stems and seeds (discard seeds). Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak 20 minutes until softened, then drain, reserving a little soaking liquid.

Char aromatics

In the same skillet, add 1 tbs vegetable oil. Char the halved tomato, quartered onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves until blackened in spots, about 3–5 minutes per side. Remove and let cool slightly; peel garlic.

Make chile paste

Add the rehydrated chiles to a blender with the charred tomato, peeled garlic, quarter of the onion (reserve remaining onion for braise), chipotle in adobo, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of the chile soaking liquid or stock. Blend to a smooth paste, adding up to 1/2 cup stock as needed. Taste and adjust salt or chipotle heat.

Brown the meat

Heat a heavy Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high and add 1 tbs vegetable oil. Pat the beef pieces dry and brown in batches until deeply caramelized, 3–4 minutes per side. Remove browned beef and set aside.

Assemble and braise

Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbs oil if needed and sauté the reserved onion quarter until translucent, 3–4 minutes. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes to bloom the spices. Return the beef to the pot, add bay leaves, remaining stock (about 8 cups total including any used to thin paste), and the blended mixture. Bring to a simmer, skim any foam, then cover and braise gently for 2 to 2½ hours until meat is fork-tender. Alternatively, braise in a 325°F (163°C) oven for the same time.

Shred and reduce consommé

Remove the beef and shred with two forks, discarding bay leaves and any excess fat. Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing solids to extract flavor; reserve 2 cups of clear consommé for serving. Simmer the remaining liquid over medium-high heat for 10–15 minutes to concentrate flavors, if desired. Taste and season with remaining salt and black pepper. Stir in lime juice and hot sauce if using.

Prep eggs (optional ajitsuke tamago)

Soft-cook eggs for ramen: bring a pot of water to a gentle boil, lower eggs in and cook 6–7 minutes for jammy yolks. Immediately transfer to an ice bath 5 minutes. Peel. For ajitsuke flavor, marinate peeled eggs in 1/2 cup soy sauce + 1/2 cup water + 2 tbs mirin (or substitute 1 tbs sugar + 1 tbs rice vinegar) for 2–6 hours.

Crispy tortilla / wonton topping

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a skillet to about 350°F (medium-high). Cut corn tortillas into strips or triangles or use wonton wrappers. Fry in batches until crisp and lightly golden, 30–60 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Set aside to top bowls later.

Cook ramen noodles

Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the fresh or dried ramen noodles and cook according to package directions until just tender (typically 2–4 minutes for fresh, 4–6 for dried). Drain well and divide between bowls.

Assemble toppings

Divide shredded birria meat among bowls with noodles. Add halved soft eggs, sliced green onions, cilantro, radish slices, bean sprouts, and cheese if using. Place a few pieces of crispy tortilla or wonton on top for texture.

Heat the reserved consommé until simmering. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, lime juice, or hot sauce. Pour hot consommé over the noodles and toppings in each bowl to fill (about 1 to 1½ cups per bowl), or serve consommé on the side in small cups for dipping dumplings/tortillas (as traditional birria style). Garnish with additional cilantro and green onions, and serve lime wedges on the side.

To serve the birria ramen like a starter: offer small bowls (4–6 oz) of consommé as a dipping course along with the full ramen bowls, or portion the finished ramen into smaller appetizer bowls (4 servings make 4 starter bowls).