Birria Ramen Recipe

Toast chiles and aromatics

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the guajillo, ancho and optional pasilla chiles and toast each side 10–20 seconds until fragrant but not burned. Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, add the quartered tomato and onion, cut side down, and char 2–3 minutes until softened and slightly blackened. Peel the papery skin from the garlic if necessary and lightly char the cloves for 30–60 seconds.

Soak chiles

Place toasted chiles in a bowl and cover with 1 cup of hot water. Let sit 15 minutes to rehydrate until pliable. Reserve soaking liquid.

Blend chile purée

In a blender add rehydrated chiles (discard seeds if desired), charred tomato, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, black pepper and apple cider vinegar. Add 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid and blend to a smooth purée. If too thick, add up to 1/4 cup more soaking liquid. Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing solids to extract flavor. Reserve solids for another use or discard.

Build the broth

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour the strained chile purée into the pot and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes to mellow raw flavors. Add bay leaves and the beef broth (8 cups). Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Season and simmer

Taste the broth and add 2 teaspoons kosher salt (adjust later). Simmer gently uncovered 45–60 minutes to allow flavors to meld while you prepare the meat and other components. Keep the heat low so it does not reduce too quickly.

Season and sear beef

While broth simmers, pat beef pieces dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. In a heavy skillet or the same pot with a touch of oil over medium-high heat, sear beef in batches until browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer seared beef to the simmering broth.

Braise beef until tender

Continue simmering the broth with the beef submerged (add more water or broth if needed to cover) for 1.5–2 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and shreddable. Occasionally skim any foam or excess fat from the surface. Once tender, remove beef pieces to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Keep the braising liquid simmering and adjust salt.

Reduce for concentrated consomé (optional)

If you want an intensely flavored consomé for dipping, remove about 2 cups of the hot broth and simmer it separately to reduce by half. Reserve both the full broth for bowls and the concentrated dipping consomé if desired.

Cook noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions until just tender (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh, 4–6 for dried). Drain and briefly rinse under hot water to remove excess starch and prevent clumping. Toss noodles with 1 teaspoon sesame oil to prevent sticking.

Reheat shredded beef

Place shredded beef into the hot broth to warm for 2–3 minutes. If using concentrated consomé for dipping, set aside a small bowl for each diner.

Assemble bowls

Divide noodles evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle the birria broth and pieces of shredded beef over the noodles (reserve a ladle of meat and broth for dipping if serving consommé).

Finish and garnish

Top each bowl with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, radish slices, bean sprouts and a sprinkle of shredded cheese if using. Add a squeeze of lime and a drizzle of chile oil or hot sauce to taste. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges and the concentrated consomé on the side for dipping tacos-style.