Birria de Chivo (Mexican Goat Birria) Recipe

Birria de Chivo is a traditional Mexican goat stew from Jalisco, made by slow-braising goat in a smoky red chile adobo until it turns fall-apart tender. Dried ancho and guajillo chiles are blended with tomato, garlic, onion, vinegar, and warm spices to create a deep, tangy, earthy sauce that doubles as consomé for sipping or dipping. The shredded goat is served in bowls or tucked into tortillas with cilantro, onion, and lime, giving you rich, restaurant-style birria tacos right at home.

Birria de Chivo (Mexican Goat Birria) Recipe

Slow-braised goat in a rich red chile adobo, served with its own consomé for classic Mexican birria tacos or hearty bowls.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Marinate Time: 12 hours hrs

Servings: 8

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 500

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For The Adobo Marinade

• 5 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
• 7 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried cascabel chiles stems and seeds removed (optional for extra depth)
• 6 Roma tomatoes halved
• ½ white onion peeled
• 6 garlic cloves peeled
• ½ cup white vinegar
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or ground cumin
• 8 whole black peppercorns or ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 4 whole cloves or ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¼ tsp dried marjoram
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1½ tbsp salt

For The Goat

• 5 lb goat meat bone-in chunks (shoulder or leg)
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

For Cooking And Serving

• 6 cups water or low-sodium beef broth
• ½ white onion finely chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Warm corn tortillas

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Dutch oven
• Medium saucepan
• Blender
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

Prep The Chiles And Veggies

1. Set a cutting board on the counter and use a chef’s knife to remove stems and most seeds from the ancho, guajillo, and cascabel chiles.
2. Place the cleaned dried chiles into a medium saucepan and cover them with water using a measuring cup.
3. Put the saucepan on the stove over medium heat and simmer the chiles for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice with a wooden spoon, until they are soft and pliable.
4. While the chiles soften, place the tomatoes, ½ onion, and garlic cloves on the cutting board and lightly coat them with 1 tbsp vegetable oil using a measuring spoon and your hands.
5. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oiled tomatoes, onion, and garlic, turning them with tongs every few minutes until they are lightly charred and soft.

Make The Adobo Marinade

1. Use tongs to transfer the softened chiles from the saucepan into a blender and add the charred tomatoes, onion, and garlic from the pot.
2. Pour 1 cup of chile soaking liquid into the blender with a measuring cup, then add vinegar, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and salt.
3. Blend on high until the adobo sauce is very smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spoon if needed so no pieces of chile remain.
4. Set a fine-mesh strainer over the now-empty large mixing bowl and pour the adobo from the blender through it, using a spoon to press the sauce so it falls smooth into the bowl.

Marinate The Goat

1. Place the goat chunks on the cutting board and trim any very hard pieces of fat with the chef’s knife, leaving some fat for flavor.
2. Put the goat pieces into the large mixing bowl with the strained adobo and stir well using a wooden spoon so every piece is completely coated.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 12 hours so the goat absorbs the chile and spice flavors.

Brown And Braise

1. The next day, set the Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil with a measuring spoon.
2. Use tongs to lift goat pieces from the adobo and place them in the hot pot in a single layer, cooking a few minutes per side until browned, then repeat with remaining meat.
3. Pour all remaining adobo from the bowl into the pot over the browned goat and add 6 cups water or broth with a measuring cup, stirring with the wooden spoon to combine.
4. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to low, cover with the lid, and let the goat simmer for 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes so nothing sticks.

Shred And Serve

1. After the goat has simmered, use tongs to pull out a piece and check with a fork on the cutting board; it should shred easily and the meat should fall from the bone.
2. Move all goat pieces to the cutting board with tongs and let them cool briefly, then shred the meat off the bones using two forks, discarding bones and large hard fat pieces.
3. Return the shredded goat to the pot of hot consomé and stir with the wooden spoon so the meat soaks up the broth and stays juicy.
4. Serve Birria de Chivo in bowls by ladling meat and consomé with a ladle, topped with chopped onion and cilantro, and pass lime wedges and warm tortillas on the side.

Notes

• Use Mexican-style dried chiles like ancho and guajillo for authentic flavor and color; avoid very hot chiles if you want mild birria so the stew stays rich but not overwhelming.​
• Always blend hot chile mixture in a blender with the lid slightly vented and a kitchen towel held over the top to avoid steam buildup and splatter burns.​
• Marinating the goat overnight in adobo helps tenderize the meat and gives that deep Jalisco-style flavor that makes the consomé rich and complex.​
• Brown the goat in batches so the pot is not crowded; this browning step builds flavor and keeps the broth from tasting flat later.​
• Skim excess fat from the top of the consomé with a spoon if it feels too greasy, or save some of that fat in a small bowl to crisp tortillas for birria tacos or quesabirria.​
• Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet or comal before serving so they stay soft and flexible when you stuff them with shredded birria and dip them into the consomé.