When I say my kitchen lights up with excitement every time birria ramen is on the menu, I’m not exaggerating. This dish has quickly become one of those warm, slurpable, ultra-satisfying bowls that everyone in my house looks forward to—especially when there are leftovers from a batch of birria. It’s rich, cozy, spicy (but customizable!), and wildly comforting. Basically, it’s everything you want in a noodle bowl and more.
Why You’ll Love This Birria Ramen
This recipe is where Mexican birria and Japanese ramen meet in the best way. It’s got deep, bold flavors from the slow-cooked birria broth (that consommé is liquid gold), paired with chewy ramen noodles and tender shredded beef. If you’re a fan of comforting one-bowl meals that make you feel like you’re getting a hug from your dinner, this one’s for you.
Honestly, I started making this as a fun way to use up leftover birria. But now? I make birria just so I can have this ramen the next day.
Helpful Tips
Use the birria broth as the noodle base.
Skip the water entirely—just boil your noodles right in the consommé. It soaks up that smoky, chili-rich flavor beautifully. If your broth is on the thicker side, you can thin it out with a little water or low-sodium chicken broth. I sometimes do this when I want a more “slurpable” soup for dinner.
Don’t skip the soft-boiled egg.
That silky yolk melts into the broth and adds a luxurious touch that makes this feel just a little fancy. I usually cook mine for about 6 minutes for a jammy center, then plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Toppings make the bowl.
Crisp radish slices, chopped cilantro, green onions, and a good squeeze of lime add brightness and crunch. Sometimes I’ll add shredded cabbage or sautéed mushrooms if I have them in the fridge—it bulks up the bowl and makes it feel more complete.
Watch the heat.
Birria can pack some spice, depending on your chili blend. If I’m serving kids or spice-sensitive guests, I’ll reduce the dried chiles in the original birria or stir in a dollop of sour cream just before serving. A few avocado slices also work wonders to balance the heat.
Make It Your Own
Switch up the noodles:
Classic instant ramen works perfectly, but udon noodles or even rice noodles make a great twist.
Try another protein:
No birria leftovers? Carnitas, barbacoa, or even rotisserie chicken can work in a pinch. Just simmer the meat in the consommé briefly to help it absorb that flavor.
Add veggies:
I love sneaking in some sliced cabbage or baby bok choy toward the end of the cooking process for a little extra nutrition and texture.
Serving Ideas
Serve this ramen piping hot with extra lime wedges and maybe some warm tortillas on the side for dipping. It’s hearty enough to stand on its own, but sometimes I’ll make a simple Mexican street corn salad or a crunchy slaw if I want to round it out.
And yes, if you have leftover birria ramen (it happens rarely!), it reheats beautifully the next day. Just keep the noodles and broth separate so they don’t get too soft.
Final Thoughts
Birria ramen is the kind of meal that feels like the best of both worlds. It’s cozy, bold, and satisfying in a way that hits all the right notes. Whether you’re making it with leftovers or cooking birria just to make this the next day (guilty), this is one recipe you’ll be coming back to again and again.
Birria Ramen
This cozy bowl of birria ramen brings together rich, flavorful birria broth, tender shredded meat, and classic instant noodles
Ingredients
- 2 packets ramen noodles discard seasoning packages
- 4 cups birria broth
- 1 cup birria meat
- 2 large eggs
- 1 green onion sliced
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring the birria broth and meat to a boil. If you prefer a slightly lighter soup, stir in a cup of water or beef broth to thin it out.
- Once the broth is simmering, drop in the ramen noodles and cook them according to package directions. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs for 5 minutes so the yolks stay perfectly soft.
- Divide the hot ramen and broth mixture into two bowls. Slice each egg in half and nestle it into the soup. Finish with a sprinkle of sliced green onions before serving.
Notes
- TO STORE. You can refrigerate the leftovers, covered, for 2-3 days.
- TO FREEZE. I don’t advise freezing noodles as they tend to lose their structure upon thawing. But you can freeze the birria meat and broth separately in ziplock bags for later use.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 782Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 262mgSodium 2629mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 3gSugar 9gProtein 47g
Easy Shrimp Recipes.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although allchickenrecipes.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
