Lamb Birria

Ingredients

• 500 gdiced lamb
• 200 mlbeef or chicken stock
• 2 large sprigsrosemary
• 1dried bay leaf
• 2dried guajillo chillies
• 1dried ancho chilli
• ½ tbspchipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tspapple cider vinegar
• 1 tspflaky sea salt
• ½ tspdried oregano
• ½ tspcumin
• ⅛ tspground allspice
• ⅛ tspground cloves
• 1 smallonion
• 3 large clovesgarlic
• 100 mlboiling water, for soaking the chillies
• To servecorn or soft flour tortillas
• To serveroughly chopped coriander
• To servesliced red onions or pink pickled onions
• To servediced avocado

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 150°C.

2. 2

   Soak the chillies

   Put the dried chillies in a shallow dish, cover them with 100 ml boiling water and leave them to soak for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Blend the sauce

   While the chillies soak, add the remaining sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender cup or small food processor. Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic before adding them.

4. 4

   Add the chillies

   Remove the stems and roughly chop the soaked chillies, taking out the seeds if you prefer less heat. Add them to the blender with their soaking liquid, then blend to a smooth paste.

5. 5

   Coat the lamb

   Pour the paste into a small lidded casserole dish and add the lamb. Stir to coat the meat thoroughly.

6. 6

   Add the herbs

   Pour in the stock and add the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Stir again so the ingredients are submerged.

7. 7

   Slow-cook the lamb

   Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes, checking occasionally that there is enough liquid. If the lamb is not falling apart, continue cooking for up to 3 hours.

8. 8

   Remove the herbs

   Take out and discard the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf before serving.

What is lamb birria?

Birria is a Mexican stew traditionally made with meat cooked slowly in a spiced chilli sauce. This version uses lamb and a blend of dried chillies, warm spices and aromatics.

The low oven temperature gives the lamb time to become tender while the sauce develops a deep, savoury flavour. Serve it as a stew or tuck the meat and sauce into tortillas.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 800 calories, 47g protein, 34g carbs, 49g fat.

The lamb provides most of the protein and much of the fat, while the tortillas contribute most of the carbohydrate if you serve them. Avocado adds fat, and the sauce ingredients contribute flavour with relatively little energy compared with the meat and tortillas. Balance the plate with plenty of coriander and pickled onion, and choose the number of tortillas to suit your appetite.

Building the chilli sauce

Dried chillies: soaking them softens their skins and makes them easier to blend into a smooth paste. Keep the soaking liquid, as the method uses it to loosen and flavour the sauce.

Spices and aromatics: cumin, oregano, allspice and cloves bring warmth, while onion, garlic and chipotle add savoury depth. Remove the chilli seeds if you want to temper the heat.

Choosing and coating the lamb

Lamb: diced stewing lamb suits the long cooking time, which allows the pieces to soften in the sauce. Keep the pieces fairly similar in size so they cook at a similar pace.

Coating: stir the lamb through the chilli paste before adding the stock. This helps distribute the sauce around the meat from the start.

Slow-cooking cues

Liquid level: check the casserole occasionally and make sure there is still liquid around the lamb. The stock and sauce should keep the meat submerged as it cooks.

Doneness: the lamb is ready when it falls apart easily. If it still feels firm after 2 hours 30 minutes, continue cooking, checking until tender, for up to 3 hours.

Aromatics and finishing

Whole herbs: rosemary sprigs and a bay leaf flavour the cooking liquid, but are not meant to be eaten. Fish them out before serving.

Fresh toppings: coriander, diced avocado and sliced red or pink pickled onions add freshness and contrast to the rich lamb. Put them on the table so everyone can finish their own tacos.

How to serve it

Tortillas: warm corn or soft flour tortillas and fill them with tender lamb and some of the sauce. A spoonful of pickled onion and avocado makes a simple taco topping.

On the side: serve extra sauce for dipping or spooning over the tacos. The recipe also works as a slow-cooked stew alongside the same fresh garnishes.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a small casserole dish so the lamb sits snugly in the sauce and stock.
• Blend the sauce until smooth so it coats the lamb evenly.
• Keep the chilli soaking liquid and add all of it to the blender as directed.
• Check the casserole during cooking to make sure the liquid has not run too low.
• Taste the cooked sauce before serving and adjust the toppings to balance its richness.

Variations

• Milder sauce: remove the chilli seeds before blending to reduce the heat.
• Chicken stock: use chicken stock instead of beef stock for a lighter-tasting sauce.
• Taco spread: serve the lamb with both sliced red onion and pink pickled onion for contrasting sharpness.
• Stew-style serving: serve the lamb and sauce in bowls with the garnishes on the side.
• Extra fresh finish: add more chopped coriander at the table.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the soaking liquid: add it to the blender with the chillies as directed so the sauce has enough liquid to blend.
• Leaving chilli stems in: remove the stems before blending for a smoother sauce.
• Cooking by the clock alone: continue cooking if the lamb is not falling apart, up to 3 hours.
• Letting the casserole dry out: check occasionally and make sure there is enough liquid around the meat.
• Serving with whole herbs: remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf before bringing the dish to the table.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly, then refrigerate the lamb and sauce in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan until piping hot, adding a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened; store tortillas and fresh toppings separately.

Frequently asked questions