As requested, my version of tamal de birria. A shredded beef tamal filled with slow cooked beef in adobo with cheese. It was only a matter of time that I would be sharing a tamal de birria with you all!
I cannot explain the feeling!
I am as traditional as they come. That’s the way it was and we liked it! Lol! But that tamal de birria in that warm consommé! Oh my goodness! let me know when you try it please. If it’s not for you, I respect your decision. For me, it better than any fancy gourmet restaurant and even more satisfying knowing that I prepared it myself.
I am all about the salsa when it comes to savory tamales!
Some will not agree with me, but in our family there was always salsa on the table for garnishing tamales. I will still enjoy them without salsa, but I won’t be happy about it! Ha! Ha! Just kidding! This is the perfect opportunity to share, here goes my shameless plug! This girl, Sonia, La Piña en La Cocina has a new cookbook! SABOR Y FUEGO, The Art of Authentic Mexican Salsa is available for preorder on Amazon right now. Shipping is set for January 06, 2026.
The beef birria recipe is included in the new book! I am smitten with this recipe!
Before anything else we must prepare the adobo and cook the birria! Do this one or two days before for more flavor!
Birria Part 1. The Adobo
This is an easy formula for preparing most Mexican style adobos. There will be aromatics, such as onion and garlic. Spices can vary from recipe to recipe. And of course the dried chiles are must! Not only for beef, this adobo is delicious with chicken, pork and even seafood.
Birria Part 2. Cooking The Beef
You can approach cooking of the beef in a variety of ways. Some like to marinate the beef in the adobo overnight. Others simply cook the beef with some aromatics until tender and then incorporate the adobo to finish cooking it. My favorite way is to season and sear the beef then cook it it with some aromatics, the adobo and water. Adding the adobo early on, I feel, adds more flavor in the end.
Birria Part 3. Preparing the Filling & the Masa
Concentrating the flavors by cooking the shredded birria down in some of the consommé is how I prefer. I mean I love the idea of this saucy birria as a tamal filling, but feel I lose a lot of the sauce during the steaming of the tamales. Mixing in some of the strained consommé to the masa is never a bad idea. the idea is to build layers of flavor.
Birria Tamal Part 4. Assembling and Steaming the Tamales
I would rather enjoy 2-3 small tamales of different flavors than to eat one huge tamal. But that is just me. I see these huge tamales on social media, wow! Spoon in some of the extra adobo over the beef when filling the tamales will add more flavor. The cheese was a last minute decision because I felt that the birria reduced quite a bit and wanted to yield a bigger amount of tamales.
My Plating of the Tamales
In the past, I have received mixed reactions when people see me garnish my tamales with salsa. Mom always served tomatillo chile de arbol salsa with her tamales. My siblings and I love it! I say, embrace the different ways others enjoy the dishes and learn from it. Mom always served tamales with rice on the side.
Tamal de Birria
Granting many request to share a birria tamal recipe! If you have never tried tamales served in beef consommé, you are missing out!
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 20 medium tamales
Equipment
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1 12 Quart Steamer Pot
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Dutch oven pot
Ingredients
Beef Birria Filling
- 2 1/2-3 lbs. beef chuck roast, sliced into larger chunks look for a roast that has marbling and some fat
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tsps. Pepper
- 1/4 c Avocado oil
- 2 liters Water
- 1 medium Onion, sliced into strips
- 6-8 cloves of Garlic
- 3 c birria adobo, see link
- 4 bay leaves
Corn Masa For Birria Tamal
- 1 c Natural rendered Pork Lard or beef tallow
- 1 1/2 tsps Baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsps Salt, to start
- 2 c Masa harina for tamales
- 1 c yellow corn masa harina
- 1 c Strained consommé from cooking the birria
- 2 c broth
You Also Need
- 1 lb. Corn husks
- 12 oz monterrey jack, Oaxaca or queso Chihuahua sliced into 20 strips
Instructions
Beef Birria Filling
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Seasoned the beef chunks with salt and pepper all around. Set the meat aside.
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Preheat the 1/4 c of avocado oil in a large pot at medium heat for a few minutes. When ready sear the seasoned beef for 3-4 minutes per side. Sear the beef in two batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot. When done, add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.
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Pour in 2 cups of prepared adobo and 2 liters of water. Reserve the 1 cup of adobo for later. Add the bay leaves. Stir gently to combine the ingredients. Bring it up to a boil, reduce the heat slightly. Skim the foam off the top and discard. Also skim off the excess fat and reserve it separately. Cook at a steady simmer for 4 hours or until the beef is tender. Taste for salt as it cooks down.
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Once beef is tender, remove it from the pot onto a large plate or a baking dish. Using two forks, shred the beef while it’s warm. Transfer the shredded pork to a large skillet. Mix in 1/4 of the fat you reserved from cooking the birria. Also mix in 2 cups of the consommé. Cook at medium heat until the liquid cooks down and the birria becomes thick. Taste for salt as it cooks down. Cool to room temperature.
Masa
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If preparing tamales on this day, then go ahead and rinse and then soak the corn husk in hot water several hours ahead.
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As the beef cools to room temperature mix the masa using the stand mixer. Add the lard to the bowl of the stand mixer. Whip the lard for 3-5 minutes at medium speed. Mix in the baking powder and salt. Whip for 1 more minute. Gradually mix in the masa harina. Lastly you will mix in the 1 cup of consommé and 2 cups of broth. Mix for s good 7-10 minutes at medium speed until the mas looks fluffy. Taste for salt before you are done.
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Transfer to a bowl with a lid. Keep chilled until ready to use.
Assembling & Steaming Tamales
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Drain all of the water from the corn husk. I tear them down on one side so they are all one uniform size. It works better to have corn husk that fits in the palm of your hand and is not clunky and oversized. But, please do what works best for you and what you feel most comfortable doing. The width of the corn husk is roughly about 5 inches across.
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To each husk you will add about 1/4-1/3 cup of masa on the bottom half of the corn husk. Using a sturdy metal spoon, spread out the mas in an even thin layer going up almost halfway through. Spoon in 2-3 tablespoons of cooled birria and one strip of cheese and 1 1/2 tbsps. of reserved adobo. Fold in the sides and then fold the flap down. Arrange the filled tamales in a single layer on a baking sheet. Repeat until done. If using the deli sheets you will over wrap each tamal. Set aside.
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Prepare the steamer pot by filling with water 3/4 way up to the line indicated on the side of the pot. Insert the steamer. Take some of the torn pieces of the corn husks and arrange them on the bottom of the steamer insert. Arrange the tamales open side up. To keep the tamales standing straight up, I take some of the extra corn husks and wedge them on either side of the tamales. If needed you can use foil paper or the deli sheets. Cover the tamales with some extra corn husks. Cover with lid and turn heat to high.
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Once they begins to steam rapidly, reduce the eat to heat below medium. If you have a steamer pot that holds a good amount of water, set your timer for 1 hour, 10 minutes. If using a smaller steamer pot, you may have to pour in more hot water after 45 minutes. After 1 hour pullout one tamal and transfer to a plate, Let it cool for 3-4 minutes.
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When ready, remove the corn husk from the tamal, If it pulls way easily, then they are ready, If not steam for 5-6 more minutes. Serve the tamales with your favorite salsa recipes. Or you can serve unwrapped tamales with some warm consommé in a shallow bowl. Garnish with cilantro, onion and a spicy salsa. Store cooled tamales in a plastic storage back for up to 10 days.
Notes
If you are thinking of freezing the tamales, I would suggest freezing them uncooked. When using masa harina it to prepare masa it tends to dry out when the tamales are cooked and then frozen.
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