This Birria Ramen is a rich and hearty stew made with tender birria beef and ramen noodles slow cooked in a flavorful birria broth.
This birria ramen recipe combines two of my favorite things – tender, slow-cooked birria and ramen. I used the cheap ramen packets to make this a quick and easy dish, as I did with my ramen noodle salad and ramen chicken noodle soup recipes. Beef stew meat is usually one of the cheapest options so overall, this is a pretty affordable dinner to make in general. It’s also super tasty, hands-off, and loved by pretty much everyone.
Why I Love This Birria Ramen Recipe
If I could, I would make this birria ramen a weekly dinner in my house! I just love it so much. Here are a few reasons why.
- Hands-off recipe. This is truly one of the most hands-off recipes I have on my site. I just dump everything but the noodles into the slow cooker, come back 4-6 hours later, add the ramen, and dinner is ready 20 minutes later. It’s hard to make dinner easier than that!
- Rich, savory broth. The birria sauce for this ramen is incredibly rich and savory, thanks in part to the beef slow-cooking in it all day. For an even richer flavor, I sometimes start with beef stock instead of water.
- The toppings! My favorite part of any ramen bowl is the toppings. I like to let everyone add their own toppings but some of our family favorites include soft-boiled eggs, cilantro, onion, and jalapeno. I also usually add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten up the dish.
What Is Birria?
Birria is a popular Mexican dish, originally from the Jalisco region. In the traditional version, meat is slow cooked in a savory broth with dried chilies until tender. It’s rich and savory, though it can have some heat to it as well. In Mexico, lamb, goat, and beef are all used to make birria but in the United States, it’s almost always made with beef stew meat.
There are lots of ways to serve birria though birria tacos are the most popular option in the United States.
This birria ramen is definitely an American twist on classic birria but it still maintains that rich, savory flavor and ultra tender meat!
Recipe Ingredients
This ramen recipe is made with just a handful of ingredients, including beef, ramen, and birria seasoning. The exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Stew beef – I like to use stew beef because it’s already pre-cut so I don’t have to worry about it. It’s important to choose a cut of beef that does well being slow cooked and becomes more tender the longer it cooks, like beef chuck roast.
- Aromatics – Onion and garlic add more flavor to the meat.
- Birria seasoning – To keep things simple, I used an envelope of birria seasoning. This can now be easily found in most stores.
- Water – Beef stock can also be used, which will add a richer flavor to the meat.
- Ramen noodles – I used a 10.75 ounce box of instant ramen noodles. If those aren’t available, 3 of the regular little packs of ramen noodles work too.
- Toppings – I like to top my birria ramen with a soft boiled egg, cilantro, onion, lime, and jalapeno.
How To Make Birria Ramen
Since this recipe is made in the slow cooker, it requires several hours to cook – but the hands-on time is minimal! Scroll down to the recipe card below for the printable version of the instructions.
- Slow cook. Add the beef, onion, garlic, birria seasoning, and water to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until the birria meat is tender.
- Add the ramen. 20 minutes before serving, add the ramen to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or so, until the ramen is tender.
- Enjoy. Portion into bowls and add the desired toppings.
Tips & Variations
There are a few important things to keep in mind when making this birria ramen recipe.
- Use the right beef. Some beef gets tough when slow cooked, so be sure to choose a cut that gets tender as it cooks. I like to use a package of beef stew meat for simplicity but other cuts like beef chuck roast or beef shank work too.
- Cook low and slow. Unlike some slow cooker recipes, this birria ramen is not one where you can reduce the cook time by increasing the heat level. I don’t recommend cooking the beef on high as it really needs that longer cooking time to break down and tenderize.
- How do I know when it’s done? The exact time it takes to cook the stew meat will depend on the slow cooker and the size of the meat. 4 hours is the fastest I’ve ever had it done. It’s ready when the beef can be easily shredded with a fork.
- Wait to add the noodles. It’s easy to overcook ramen noodles so be sure to wait to add them until just before serving. It takes about 20 minutes for them to become tender in the slow cooker. Even if the beef is done ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the noodles.
- Add for heat. For a little bit of spice, feel free to add in some sriracha. It can be added to the slow cooker to season the beef or added to the bowls before serving.
Serving Suggestions
One of my favorite parts of serving this birria ramen, and ramen bowls in general, is the toppings! Soft-boiled eggs are a common ramen topping and I do like them on these bowls. Cilantro, onion, lime, and jalapeno are popular birria toppings so I added them as well. Feel free to pick and choose the toppings based on your preferences. I usually let everyone add their own to customize their birria stew.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover birria ramen in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep any toppings separate.
- Reheat. The easiest way to reheat this ramen is on the stovetop. Just bring it to a gentle simmer. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave too.
More Easy Dinner Ideas
Birria Ramen
Ingredients
- 2 pounds stew beef
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ounce envelope birria seasoning packet
- 4 cups water or beef stock
- 10.75 ounce box ramen noodles
- Toppings soft boiled egg, cilantro, onion, lime, jalapeno
Instructions
- To your slow cooker add the stew beef, onion, garlic, birria seasoning packet and water.
- Slow cook on low for 4-6 hours until the stew beef is tender.
- 20 minutes before serving add the ramen and cover and cook until the ramen is tender.
- Serve in bowl and top with your favorite toppings.
Last Step:
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2 comments on “Birria Ramen”
Delicious and savory
Thanks Tammy!