This Birria Ramen brings together bold Mexican flavors and slurpable Japanese-style noodles for a comforting, satisfying bowl. Tender shredded birria beef in a spicy, aromatic consommé serves as the base for ramen noodles, and the dish comes alive with fresh toppings like cilantro, radish, cabbage, soft-boiled egg, and lime.
Birria and ramen might seem like an unlikely pairing, but the fusion first appeared in Mexico City around 2010 and quickly became a beloved street-food mashup: rich birria broth and shredded meat paired with instant or fresh ramen noodles. The result is spicy, savory, and deeply comforting—perfect for anyone who loves tender beef and flavorful broth.
Table of Contents
- What is Birria Ramen?
- Ingredients for Birria Ramen
- How to Make Birria Ramen
- Recipe Tips
- More Ramen Recipes
- Birria Ramen Recipe
What is Birria Ramen?
Birria ramen is a flavorful fusion that combines Japanese-style ramen noodle soup with Mexican birria, a slow-cooked stew traditionally made for celebrations. While birria is often prepared with goat or mutton, beef is a common and delicious alternative.
The meat is simmered slowly in a richly seasoned broth made from rehydrated chiles, tomato, onion, vinegar, orange juice, and spices. Once the meat is tender and shredded, the broth is ladled over ramen noodles and the bowl is finished with shredded birria, cilantro, onion, lime, and other fresh toppings. The contrast between the spicy, savory consommé and the chewy noodles creates a uniquely satisfying dish.
Ingredients for Birria Ramen
- Birria stew: Use shredded birria beef and the flavorful consomé from your birria. A mix of bone-in short ribs, beef shank, and chuck gives great depth.
- Ramen noodles: Fresh ramen noodles are ideal for texture, but dry packaged ramen (discard the seasoning packet) or udon work well.
- Toppings: Customize the bowl with shredded cabbage, sliced radish, onion-cilantro salsa, lime wedges, soft-boiled eggs, cilantro, hot sauce, cheese, jalapeños, or crushed tortilla chips.
See the full ingredient list and exact amounts in the recipe card below.
How to Make Birria Ramen
Part 1: Make the Birria
1. Rehydrate and toast the chiles: Split dried chiles and remove seeds. Toast briefly in a skillet until fragrant, then soak in simmering water for 15–30 minutes until soft.
2. Sear aromatics and toast spices: Brown chopped onion, then briefly cook garlic and whole tomatoes in the skillet. Toast cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon in oil, then combine with the cooked vegetables and dried herbs off the heat.
3. Blend: Combine rehydrated chiles, some soaking liquid, the onions, tomatoes, garlic, and toasted spices in a blender and process until smooth.
4. Simmer with the meat: Add the blended chili sauce to a pot or Dutch oven, stir in orange juice, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and the beef. Simmer, covered, for several hours until fork-tender.
5. Shred the meat: Remove the beef, shred with forks, and reserve the birria broth (consomé).
Part 2: Assemble the Birria Ramen
1. Prepare the broth: In a pot, simmer birria consomé with water or chicken broth for 5–10 minutes and season to taste.
2. Cook the noodles: Boil ramen according to package directions, drain, and keep warm.
3. Assemble the bowls: Divide noodles among bowls, ladle the hot birria broth over them, then top with shredded birria, cabbage, radish, halved soft-boiled eggs, and the onion-cilantro-lime mixture. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce as desired.
Recipe Tips
- For a clearer consommé, strain the blended chile mixture before simmering with the meat.
- Use a mix of bone-in cuts (short ribs) and boneless cuts (chuck) for both flavor and richness.
- Make a large batch of birria once—the leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to five days or freeze for longer—and work great in tacos, quesadillas, bowls, and ramen.
More Ramen Recipes
- Kimchi Ramen Noodle Soup
- Asian Garlic Noodles
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Ramen Noodles with Spicy Chili Sauce
If you make this Birria Ramen, please leave a comment and share your experience—I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Birria Ramen Recipe
Jessica Randhawa
Ingredients
For the Birria Recipe
- 6 pounds beef (bone-in short ribs and chuck roast)
- 5 dried ancho chiles
- 5 dried guajillo chiles
- 6 dried chiles de arbol
- Olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 5 tomatoes
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 cups chili soaking liquid
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
For the Birria Ramen
- Shredded birria meat
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- 3 cups birria broth (consomé)
- 4 packets dried ramen noodles (discard seasoning)
- 4 eggs
- ½ white onion, minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup shredded cabbage
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
For the Birria Recipe
- Carefully remove seeds from dried chiles, toast until fragrant, then soak in simmering water 15–30 minutes to rehydrate.
- Brown the onion in oil, add garlic briefly, then remove. Cook tomatoes until charred on each side and set aside.
- Toast cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon in oil, then combine with the cooked vegetables and dried herbs off the heat.
- Blend the rehydrated chiles, some soaking liquid, the cooked aromatics, and toasted spices until smooth.
- Simmer the blended sauce with orange juice, apple cider vinegar, bay leaf, and beef in a large pot, covered, for at least 3–4 hours until meat is tender.
- Remove and shred the beef; reserve the birria broth.
For the Birria Ramen
- Bring birria broth and water (or chicken broth) to a simmer and heat for 5–10 minutes. Season to taste.
- Cook ramen in a separate pot according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
- Mix minced onion, cilantro, and lime juice to make a quick salsa.
- Divide cooked noodles among bowls and ladle hot broth over them. Top with shredded birria, cabbage, radish slices, halved soft-boiled eggs, and the onion-cilantro mixture.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce if desired.
Notes
- Store leftover birria in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Chiles de arbol are the spiciest in this mix; reduce their amount if you prefer a milder broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.