How to Make Birria Ramen

Birria ramen sounds like a joke, right up until you taste it. Then you’re hooked forever, believe me. The chile-braised beef broth from a traditional birria has so much depth, body and spice that it stands toe to toe with any tonkotsu or shoyu base you have ever had.

This incredible fusion emerged from food truck culture, where cooks started swapping tortillas for noodles and discovered that birria consomme, with its guajillo and ancho chile backbone, wraps around fresh ramen noodles as naturally as if the two traditions had always been connected. It is a bowl of food that makes complete sense the moment the first bite hits. This recipe builds the broth on beef short ribs, which contribute collagen and marrow that give the liquid a rich, almost velvety body. Toasting the dried chiles before soaking them is a small step that pays off in smokiness and complexity.

After the short ribs braise for nearly three hours, the meat shreds effortlessly and the broth is deep, spicy, and mahogany red. Really. Assemble each bowl with fresh ramen noodles (not the dried instant kind), ladle the hot broth over. Top with a halved soft-boiled egg, sliced green onions, cilantro, and a bit of lime. The broth is a strong candidate for making a day ahead: it refrigerates well, the fat lifts off easily when cold, and the flavor only deepens overnight. Serve with chili oil on the side for anyone who wants more heat.

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How to Make Birria Ramen

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Toast Chiles, Char Vegetables, and Blend Into Paste

Toast dried guajillo, ancho, and de árbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed.

Soak in boiling water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, char Roma tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic in the same skillet or under a broiler until blackened in spots.

Peel the garlic.

Drain the chiles and blend with the charred vegetables, cumin, oregano, cloves, vinegar, and one cup of beef broth until very smooth. This paste is the foundation of the entire broth.

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Braise Short Ribs Low and Slow

Season beef short ribs generously with salt.

Place in a Dutch oven and pour the chile paste and remaining beef broth over the top. The liquid should come about halfway up the ribs.

Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest heat for two and a half to three hours.

Check occasionally to ensure the liquid hasn’t evaporated.

The meat is done when it falls off the bone with minimal effort.

Remove the ribs, shred the meat, and discard the bones. Skim excess fat from the broth.

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Cook Noodles and Assemble Bowls

Cook fresh ramen noodles according to package directions – usually just two to three minutes in boiling water.

Divide among four bowls.

Ladle the hot birria broth over the noodles, making sure each bowl gets plenty of liquid.

Top with shredded beef, a halved soft-boiled egg, sliced green onions, and fresh cilantro.

Serve with lime wedges and chili oil on the side.

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