I made birria from Trader Joe's. With a few easy additions, it's the best 10-minute Mexican dinner for fall.
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.
When my Mexican mama and I tried out different Mexican products from Trader Joe's, we found its birria to be one of its most authentic Mexican items.
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.
A birria stew topped with onions, cilantro, and lime is a flavorful, filling meal, but it takes hours to make from scratch.
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.
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.
The birria comes frozen, but for best results you should thaw it in the fridge overnight.
I chop half of the white onion and the whole package of cilantro. I also slice the lime to eventually squeeze on top.
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.
Once it's warmed through and separated into bowls, I squeeze half a lime into each serving.
Then I add a handful of white onion on each, and a sprinkle of cilantro.
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.
And there you have it: a mouthwatering, simple, yet authentic Mexican dinner so easy to make, you'll be having it all season.
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