Melissa Wells holding a bowl of birria (left). A bowl of birria with a side of tortilla chips (right).
Melissa Wells/Insider
Birria is beef slow-cooked in a red-chile broth known as consomé until it is tender and juicy.
Trader Joe's has a version that is surprisingly authentic.
With a few easy additions, you can create a 10-minute dinner for two people for less than $12.
Raised in an Afro-Mexican family, I grew up eating pozole, frijoles, and birria — staples in the colder seasons.
Birria, in particular, found its place on our dinner table throughout the year, but especially as the air grew cool in the autumn. It's a stew of beef that's slow-cooked in a red-chile broth known as consomé and then topped with onions, cilantro, and squeezes of lime.
It is a nostalgic meal that has become my go-to 10-minute Mexican dinner. Here's how I enhance it with just a few ingredients for a simple, quick meal.
Birria is originally from Jalisco. My mom was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and although she moved north to Sinaloa, birria is something that she and my abuela incorporated into the cuisine I had growing up.
Landmark Cathedral located on the central plaza of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
eskystudio/Shutterstock
A birria stew topped with onions, cilantro, and lime is a flavorful, filling meal, but it takes hours to make from scratch.
Two bowls of birria.
Melissa Wells/Insider
Trader Joe's sells a $7.99 version that takes less than 10 minutes to make. My mom and I think it's an authentic and easy take on one of our favorite meals.
Trader Joe's bag in front of Trader Joe's grocery store sign.
Melissa Wells/Insider
You'll need a few ingredients to enhance the birria's rich flavors: a white onion, which cost me $1.29 at Trader Joe's, cilantro ($1.79), and a lime ($0.39). This makes two servings.
Beef birria and other ingredients.
Melissa Wells/Insider
The birria comes frozen, but for best results you should thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Beef Birria package.
Melissa Wells/Insider
I chop half of the white onion and the whole package of cilantro. I also slice the lime to eventually squeeze on top.
Bowls and diced ingredients.
Melissa Wells/Insider
Then I heat the stew in a medium-sized pot over medium heat on the stove, stirring every so often for the next five or six minutes. I turn off the heat when the stew begins to boil.
Melissa pouring the birria in a pot on the stove.
Melissa Wells/Insider
Once it's warmed through and separated into bowls, I squeeze half a lime into each serving.
Squeezing lime into a bowl of birria.
Melissa Wells/Insider
Then I add a handful of white onion on each, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
Sprinkling cilantro into a bowl of birria.
Melissa Wells/Insider
When I was growing up, birria was frequently served with my mama's homemade corn tortillas and lots of melted cheese in what we call quesabirria tacos. But the stew was also delicious with just a side of corn tortilla chips.
Birria with side of tortilla chips.
Melissa Wells/Insider
And there you have it: a mouthwatering, simple, yet authentic Mexican dinner so easy to make, you'll be having it all season.
