Beef Birria Rice Bowls
Birria takes real time, simmering a tougher cut of beef for a couple of hours until it shreds apart on its own. It's more of a weekend project than a quick weeknight recipe, but the payoff is a beef so tender it barely needs chewing.
A long simmer is non-negotiable here, since that's what breaks down the chuck roast into something that shreds instead of needing to be sliced. The braising liquid itself is worth saving, since it's packed with flavor from everything that simmered in it.
This takes longer than most of my other meal preps, but it's almost entirely hands-off once the beef goes into the pot. A spoonful of the braising liquid over the rice adds even more flavor to each bowl.
The recipe card has the full ingredient list and simmer time for the entire ten-portion batch. Let the beef cool before shredding and dividing everything into containers, then refrigerate what you'll eat within four days and freeze the rest. This birria bowl is worth the wait.
Nutrition note: This is general food information, not individualized medical or nutrition advice.
Beef Birria Rice Bowls
YIELD
10 portions
ESTIMATED NUTRITION
675 calories • 48g protein • 42g carbs • 33g fat per portion
What I really like about this recipe is how tender a tough cut of beef becomes after a long, slow simmer.
Ingredients
• 5 lb beef chuck roast, cubed
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 onions, diced
• 7 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp chili powder and cumin
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 bay leaves
Directions
1. Sear the beef in olive oil until browned on all sides.
2. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, and enough water to mostly cover; bring to a boil.
3. Cover and simmer 2 to 2.5 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
4. Shred the beef, then divide it evenly among 10 airtight meal-prep containers with rice and some of the braising liquid.
Meal-prep notes: Refrigerate promptly and use refrigerated portions within 3–4 days; freeze any portions you will not eat in that window. Reheat hot meals until steaming and 165°F internally. Nutrition is estimated per portion.
