Description
This Savory Birria Ramen is a bold and spicy fusion dish combining traditional Mexican birria flavors with comforting Japanese ramen noodles. Slow-simmered beef chuck roast in a rich, smoky chili-tomato broth is paired with tender ramen noodles and garnished with fresh onion, cilantro, lime, and optional soft-boiled eggs for a flavorful and satisfying bowl of comfort food.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef and Broth
- 2.5–3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, seeds removed
- 3 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups beef broth (low sodium)
- 1½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (for searing)
Ramen and Garnishes
- 4 servings ramen noodles
- ½ cup chopped white onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 2–4 soft-boiled eggs (optional)
- Optional: sliced jalapeños, radish, or avocado
Instructions
- Toast the Chiles: Preheat a dry skillet and toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles for 1–2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Soak the Chiles: Place the toasted chiles in hot water and soak for 10–15 minutes until they become soft and pliable.
- Heat Oil for Searing: In a Dutch oven, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat to prepare for searing the beef.
- Sear the Beef: Brown the beef chuck roast chunks on all sides in the hot oil, then remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Make the Chili Sauce: In a blender, combine the drained soft chiles, tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic cloves, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and ½ cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth to create the rich birria sauce.
- Add Sauce to Pot: Pour the blended chili sauce into the Dutch oven with the oil leftover from searing.
- Combine Ingredients: Return the seared beef to the Dutch oven. Add bay leaves and the remaining beef broth, then stir everything together.
- Simmer the Birria: Cover the Dutch oven and let the mixture simmer on low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours until the beef is tender and easily falls apart.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef from the pot, shred it using forks, and then return the shredded beef back to the broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cook Ramen Noodles: In a separate pot, prepare ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble Bowls: Divide the cooked ramen noodles evenly into serving bowls.
- Add Birria Broth and Beef: Ladle the hot birria broth with shredded beef over each bowl of noodles.
- Garnish and Serve: Top each bowl with chopped white onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and optional soft-boiled eggs. Add optional sliced jalapeños, radishes, or avocado as desired. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Adjust the salt to your taste after simmering to balance the flavors.
- Soft-boiled eggs are optional but add a creamy texture and protein boost.
- For extra heat, include sliced jalapeños as a garnish.
- The birria broth can be made a day ahead; flavors improve after resting.
- If unavailable, dried chiles can sometimes be substituted with smoky chipotle for a different flavor profile.
- Use low sodium beef broth to better control the saltiness of the dish.
