Keto-Friendly Birria: A Comprehensive Guide to Enjoying This Mexican Delicacy on a Low-Carb Diet

Birria, a flavorful and comforting Mexican stew, has taken the culinary world by storm. Traditionally made with goat meat and a blend of aromatic spices, birria has evolved into various adaptations, including the wildly popular birria tacos. But is birria keto-friendly? The answer is a resounding yes! With a few modifications and smart choices, you can savor the rich, savory goodness of birria while staying true to your ketogenic lifestyle.

What is Birria?

Birria is a Mexican dish, traditionally a slow-cooked stew made with goat meat and plenty of Mexican spices and flavors. Some versions may also be made with beef. The current viral street-food version involves dipping tortillas in the fat from the stew and frying the folded and filled quesadillas until crisp. They are also known as quesabirria tacos. Essentially they are a cross between a taco and a quesadilla when they are folded and fried.

Why Birria Can Be Keto-Friendly

Birria itself is inherently keto-friendly. The primary ingredients, such as meat (goat or beef) and spices, are naturally low in carbohydrates and high in fats. What makes traditional birria non-keto-friendly is the use of corn tortillas, which are high in carbs. However, by swapping out the tortillas for low-carb alternatives, you can easily transform this dish into a keto-compliant meal.

Birria is keto-friendly because it is both low in net carbs and high in fats. It is also free of non-keto ingredients such as sugar, artificial sweeteners, and highly refined oils.

Low in Net Carbs

Birria is good for keto because it is low in net carbs (2.85g of net carbs per 100g serving). It is important to limit your net carb consumption to 20g - 30g per day to stay in ketosis. You can calculate your ideal daily net carb allowance by using a keto macros calculator.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

High in Fats

Birria is a good source of fat because it does not contain any non-keto ingredients. However, most of your fats should still come from natural and minimally processed sources like virgin olive oil, MCT oil, and grass-fed butter. It is important to get your fats from healthy sources so your body can burn clean fuel while on ketosis.

Clean Ingredients

Birria is free of harmful ingredients like non-keto sweeteners, highly refined oils, and food additives. It is important to check both macros and ingredients of your foods to achieve a healthy weight loss on keto.

Keto Birria Tacos Recipe

Want to take your tastebuds for a ride? Here’s a keto birria tacos recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 lbs beef (shoulder or pot roast, fatty)
• 4-5 New Mexico Chiles (or California Chiles)
• 4-5 Ancho Chiles
• 3-4 Guajillo Chiles
• 1 whole onion
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 6-7 Whole Pepper
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp Clove or 4-5 Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Low carb tortillas (The Salsa Texan or Mr. Tortilla)
• Quesadilla cheese
• Cilantro
• Lime

Instructions:

1. Prep the Meat: Coat both sides of the beef with avocado oil or olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear both sides in a scorching hot pan for 2-3 minutes.
2. Prepare the Crock Pot: Chop the entire onion and place it in the crock pot. Fill the crock pot about halfway with boiling water, leaving room for the seasoning mixture.
3. Prepare the Chile Mixture: Boil another pot of water. Wash the chiles, cut them open, and remove as many seeds as possible. Rinse once again. After boiling for 4-5 minutes, remove the chiles and put them into a blender. Add garlic, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, whole pepper, oregano, clove, and cumin. Add the water you boiled the chiles in. Blend until smooth.
4. Combine and Cook: Pour the chile mixture into the crock pot over the meat and onions. Stir every few hours if possible. Otherwise, cook as is.
5. Shred the Beef: Once ready to serve, shred the beef with 2 forks.
6. Make the Tacos: Add a little oil to a skillet on medium heat. Dip a low carb tortilla into the crock pot, then place it in the frying pan. Add some of the shredded beef and quesadilla cheese to the tortilla. Fold and let crisp up on the first side, then flip. Remove once reached the desired crispness and plate.
7. Serve: Take a small bowl or ramekin and dip out some of the consommé. Use this to dip your taco in! Garnish with cilantro and squeeze some fresh lime.

Serving Suggestions for Keto Birria Tacos

Cauliflower Rice

Lightly seasoned cauliflower rice works beautifully to soak up extra birria broth or consomé.

Sour Cream or Crema

A drizzle of keto-friendly sour cream or Mexican crema tones down the spice while enhancing the tacos’ texture.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Bone Broth Consomé

The consomé from the birria is the ultimate side.

Tips for Enjoying Keto Mexican Food at Home

Here are some tips to help you enjoy keto Mexican food at home:

• Create your own seasoning blends: Premade taco or fajita seasoning packets often contain unnecessary carbs that you can avoid by making your own seasoning blends. Try combining chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
• Purchase low carb tortillas: You can still enjoy burritos and tacos as long as you buy low carb tortillas.
• Use cauliflower rice and black soybeans: In place of high carb foods such as rice and black beans, you can use cauliflower rice and black soybeans to save on carbs. Black soybeans are very rich in fiber, which slashes their net carb content .

Keto-Friendly Mexican Food Options at Restaurants

If you’re eating at a Mexican restaurant in the United States, keep these tips in mind:

• Ask that no chips be brought to the table: Tortilla chips are high in carbs, so it’s best to skip them completely.
• Order fajitas with no tortillas: Fajitas, like several other Mexican dishes, make an ideal keto meal as long as you skip the tortillas.
• Choose a simple meat entree: Choosing a high fat, high protein meat dish as your main course means you may not have to make many special requests to keep your meal keto-friendly.
• Replace rice and refried beans with salad and guacamole: Side dishes like rice and refried beans are loaded with carbs, so you should ask to swap them with non-starchy veggies.

Other Keto-Friendly Mexican Dishes

Besides birria, several other Mexican dishes can be easily adapted to fit a ketogenic diet. Here are some options:

1. Fajitas: Fajitas are a popular sizzling-hot dish that usually includes bell pepper and onion, along with a protein like chicken, beef, or shrimp. They’re served with tortillas, but you can skip those and just eat the fajita filling to keep it low carb. Still, because the carbs from onions add up fairly quickly, it’s best to cook a small portion or split your order into two meals .
2. Carne asada: Carne asada is a marinated, grilled steak dish. The steak itself has no carbs, but the marinade may provide a trace amount . This dish is available at many Mexican restaurants. You can purchase raw, ready-to-grill carne asada from many Mexican markets as well.
3. Ceviche: Ceviche originated in Peru, but you can find it on many Mexican restaurant menus. This cold dish is made from raw or precooked seafood - usually fish or shrimp - brined in citrus juice and mixed with veggies and herbs such as tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. All these ingredients are low in carbs. If you make it at home, you can cut the amount of tomatoes and onion in half to reduce the carb count .
4. Guacamole: Guacamole is a dip made from smashed avocado, which is naturally high in fat and fiber and low in net carbs - total carbs minus fiber, which your body doesn’t digest. In addition, guacamole may contain small amounts of lime juice, onion, jalapeño, tomato, or cilantro. Although you should avoid the chips it’s typically served with, guacamole is perfectly keto-friendly .
5. Carnitas: Carnitas is a dish of shredded slow-cooked pork. It’s usually made from a fatty cut like pork shoulder, and some of this fat melts during cooking to coat and flavor the meat. The meat itself contains no carbs, so it’s an excellent keto-friendly choice at Mexican restaurants or to make at home .
6. Camarones a la diabla: This spicy shrimp dish - a staple at many Mexican restaurants - uses a sauce made from various types of chiles (and possibly tomatoes). It’s low in carbs, but if it’s served with rice and beans, you may want to choose a salad or a side of guacamole instead - both are keto-friendly and may help temper the heat.
7. Al pastor pork: Tacos al pastor are made from al pastor pork, which is thinly sliced, marinated pork shoulder. You can forego the tortillas and eat the pork by itself or with a side salad for a keto-friendly meal.
8. Chorizo: Chorizo is a Mexican sausage made from beef or pork. It’s available either fresh (raw and ground) or dried (cured, ready to eat, and sliceable). All types of chorizo are low in carbs, high in fat, and flavorful .
9. Queso: “Queso” is Spanish for “cheese,” but in the United States, this term often refers to cheese dip. In many cases, these dips are very low in carbs, although some may contain carbs from milk or starch-based thickeners. Be sure to check the label, ask about ingredients, or make your own low carb version at home. My favorite keto-friendly way to enjoy dips like queso is with pork rinds or homemade tortilla chips made from low carb tortillas .
10. Salsa: This dip is made from tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, or various combinations of these ingredients. Salsa contains small amounts of carbs from the tomatoes and onion, but small portions - such as 1-2 tablespoons (16-32 grams) - will flavor your meal without sabotaging your keto diet .
11. Tacos with corn tortillas: If you’re flexible with your carb intake, consider traditional tacos made with corn tortillas, which contain fewer carbs than ones made with flour - about 7 grams of net carbs per small, 18-gram tortilla . With careful planning, you may be able to eat a few regular tacos within your daily carb limit.
12. Taco salad: Taco salads contain lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, a meat such as seasoned ground beef or chicken, and sometimes other ingredients. Some may be served in fried taco shells or over tortilla chips, with or without a layer of refried beans at the bottom. You should forego both the shell and the refried beans to keep it keto-friendly.
13. Huevos a la Mexicana: This breakfast dish is made from scrambled eggs cooked with onions, diced tomatoes, and sauteed peppers such as jalapeño. Because it doesn’t contain tortillas or tortilla chips, it’s much lower in carbs than other Mexican breakfast dishes like huevos rancheros and chilaquiles.
14. Pico de gallo: Pico de gallo is a dip and condiment made from diced tomato, chopped onion, and cilantro. In small quantities, it’s low in carbs and adds a bright flavor to rich or high fat dishes. It’s also easy to make at home.

Simple Keto-Friendly Mexican Recipes

Keto Guacamole

Ingredients:

• flesh of 1 avocado
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) lime juice
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Steps:

1. Smash avocado until it reaches your desired texture.
2. Stir in lime juice and seasonings.
3. Enjoy immediately to avoid browning.

Keto Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• several cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Combine tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and seasonings.
2. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Keto Carnitas

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tablespoon (8 grams) chili powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1.5-2-pound (680-900-gram) pork shoulder, cut into 4-5 large sections
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• water
• 2 bay leaves

Steps:

1. Mix chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
2. Rub this mixture on pork shoulder.
3. Place pork shoulder and onion in a large ovensafe pot or Dutch oven. Add water to 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the top of the pot, then place bay leaves in the pot.
4. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 3-4 hours, turning the pork halfway through cooking.
5. The pork should be tender and easy to shred when finished. Serve with your favorite keto-friendly Mexican side dishes and condiments.

Keto Carne Asada Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cooking oil
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound (450 grams) raw, pre-marinated carne asada
• salt and pepper to taste
• juice of 1 lime

Steps:

1. Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add bell peppers and onion. Cook until vegetables start to become tender or blacken at the edges.
2. Remove bell peppers and onion from the skillet and add carne asada. Fry until meat is fully cooked and has some crispy edges.
3. Return vegetables to the pan and mix with meat. Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember that carne asada is already seasoned, so you may not need much.
4. Squeeze lime juice over the finished fajitas, then serve with low carb toppings and sides.

Mastering the Art of Keto Birria: Essential Tips and Tricks

Meat Selection: The Heart of Birria

The choice of meat significantly impacts the flavor and texture of your birria. While traditionally made with goat, beef short ribs, chuck roast, or gravy beef are excellent alternatives. Opting for meat on the bone adds extra flavor and collagen to the stew, enhancing its richness. If using a thermal cooker, boneless beef might be preferable.

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

The Chili Conundrum: Achieving Authentic Mexican Flavors

Authentic Mexican chilies are crucial for achieving the signature birria flavor. Guajillo chilies, with their smokey notes, are a must-have. If unavailable, pasillas, ancho chilies, or chipotles can serve as substitutes. Avoid using cayenne chilies or Asian varieties, as they may not deliver the desired Mexican flavors and could make the birria overly spicy. Soaking dried chilies in boiling water before use rehydrates them, allowing their flavors to release more readily into the dish.

Cooking Methods: Adapting to Your Kitchen Arsenal

Birria can be cooked using various methods, including an Instant Pot, Dutch oven, skillet, slow cooker, or thermal cooker. The cooking time and steps may vary depending on the chosen method, but the end goal remains the same: tender, flavorful meat infused with the essence of Mexican spices.

Serving Suggestions: Elevating the Birria Experience

The traditional way to serve birria is with the consommé (broth) strained from the stew. Dipping the keto-friendly tortillas in the consommé before frying them adds an extra layer of flavor. Garnish the tacos with lime, coriander, guacamole, and salsa for a burst of freshness.

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