How to Make Birria Ramen (AKA Birriamen)
If you love birria and if you love ramen, then you’re going to devour this scrumptious birria ramen recipe. This is a zesty dish that combines birria broth with ramen noodles and creates the most amazing Mexican-Japanese fusion dish.
What is Birria Ramen
Birria is Mexican meat stew traditionally made with goat (or shredded beef) and cooked in a flavorful broth made with aromatic spices, herbs, and a sauce made with tomatoes and dried chiles.
Birria ramen (also called birriamen) is a fusion dish made by adding ramen noodles to Mexican birria stew. It’s topped with traditional birria garnishes and sometimes a soft-boiled egg is also added.
This innovative, fusion dish was created by a restaurant in Mexico City and slowly has become popular all over the country and abroad.
You’d probably wouldn’t have thought to combine birria with ramen, but it’s a perfect match made in foodie heaven.
Vegan Birria Ramen
As I’ve previously mentioned in my other birria recipes, this is traditionally a dish made with meat. But don’t worry because it’s incredibly easy to make it 100% plant-based.
This meatless birria ramen is just as flavorful and scrumptious as the meat-based one. And carnivores will also devour it, promise!
Why You’ll Love Birria Ramen
• Birria and ramen noodles are a match made in foodie heaven.
• This is another scrumptious way to enjoy birria.
• It’s meat-eater approved.
• It can be made for everyday or special occasions.
Birria Ramen Ingredients
Mushrooms: I use oyster mushrooms to replace the birria meat, you can also use king oyster mushrooms instead.
Dried Chiles: Guajillo chiles and I like to add arbol chiles for a little heat. Some people also add ancho chiles.
Vegetables: White onion, garlic cloves, Roma tomatoes.
Spices: All spice, cloves, canela or Ceylon cinnamon, ground black pepper, and cumin seeds.
Herbs: Bay leaves, dried Mexican oregano.
Apple Cider Vinegar (or substitute with white vinegar).
Umami Flavor: I love to add some Maggi Seasoning to help give it a deeper umami flavor to the dish. You can substitute it with liquid aminos or low-sodium soy sauce instead.
Broth: Vegetable broth or vegan beef broth.
Oil: I use olive oil but you can also the oil of your choice.
Ramen Noodles: You can use your favorite brand. (see notes below)
Garnishes: Finely chopped white onion, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced or chopped radishes, lime wedges, and tostadas.
What Type of Noodles to Use
I use the most generic ramen noodle packs and this is because the flavor packages aren’t going to be used, we just need the noodles.
I usually use the Great Value ramen packs from Walmart. But you can also use Maruchan or whatever brand you like.
How to Make Birria Ramen Noodles
This dish starts off with the same base birria stew base. The only difference is that at the end we’ll add the ramen noodles.
Step 1: In a medium pot add the cleaned and deseeded dried chilies, tomato, onion, and garlic and cover with plenty of water. Simmer until everything is soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2: Add the crushed bay leaf to the blender cup. Then scoop in the softened chiles, tomato, garlic, and onion, and pour half a cup of the boiling broth. Blend until completely smooth, adding more boiling liquid if needed.
Step 3: Place a strainer over a large pot and strain the blended birria sauce mixture into it. Discard the remaining bits.
Step 4: To the pot add all of spices, the vinegar, some Maggi seasoning and the vegetable broth. Stir then place a lid on the pot. Leave to simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Step 5: While the broth simmers heat a large skillet or large non-stick pan, then add the the oil and once hot add the sliced onion. Sauté until soft and translucent.
You can also get this going while the sauce ingredients boil in step one.
Step 6: Now add the shredded mushrooms to the pan and drizzle some Maggi seasoning over them. Sauté until soft and a little bit crispy.
Step 7: Next carefully add the mushrooms mixture and drained and rinsed hominy to the po. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the hominy is nice and tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
Step 8: Right before serving, cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Without adding the seasoning packages, cook just the noodles.
How to Serve
To serve birria ramen place some cooked ramen noodles in your serving bowl. Then pour in enough birria consomé to cover the noodles and then some.
Top with finely chopped onion, fresh chopped cilantro, and lime wedges.
You can also add any other favorite ramen toppings if you’d like. But this dish really doesn’t need extras, if you as me.
Pretty much any agua fresca pairs perfectly with birriamen.
This dish is also perfect when you’re craving flavorful ramen noodles with a Mexican touch.
It can be served for lunch, dinner, special occasions and Cinco de Mayo.
How does Birria Ramen Taste
This hearty birria consommé is incredibly flavorful and the perfect match for soft noodles.
It tastes savory, zesty, with the meaty mushrooms and broth. Then the delicious taste of the soft noodles is just a wonderful combination.
If you wanted to this a step further, you could even serve with some birria tacos on the side.
You’re going to love this Mexican-Japanese fusion dish.
How to Store and Reheat
Do not store the cooked noodles mixed with the birria broth. The noodles will absorb too much liquid and turn completely mushy.
First, allow the broth to come to room temperature, then store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Store cooked and cooled ramen noodles in a separate container. This will keep fresh for 5 days in the refrigerator.
You could freeze leftover birria broth for up to 3 months. But I wouldn’t suggest freezing the cooked ramen noodles.
Reheat broth in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until warmed through. You can mix in the cold noodles or heat them for a few seconds in the microwave then serve.
👩🏽🍳Nancy’s Tips
Amigos, remember that you can use the same birria soup base to make several different dishes like this birria ramen, birria tacos, birria pozole, and birria tamales.
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
More Vegan Mexican Stews
Now that the temperatures are starting to drop, make sure you have these recipes on your weekly meal plans.
- Vegan Pozole Rojo
- Vegan Pozole Verde
- Vegan Menudo
- Vegan Mexican Lentil Soup
- Sopa de Fideo
- Sopa de Conchas
- Fava Bean Soup
- Vegan Charro Beans
Birria Ramen (aka Birriamen Recipe)
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb oyster mushrooms shredded (will yield 9 cups raw)
- 2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil more if needed
- 1 medium white onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoons Maggi Seasoning
Broth Ingredients
- 4 large guajillos
- 2 whole chiles de arbol optional for a little heat
- 2 small roma tomatoes
- ½ medium white onion cut into 4 pieces
- 4 large garlic cloves
- water for boiling
- 1 whole bayleaf crushed
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground clove
- ½ teaspoon ground canela
- 2 teaspoons Maggi Seasoning
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
- 2 to 4 cups of vegetable broth
Birria Ramen Ingredients
- 2 packs ramen noodles*
Instructions
Vegan Birria Instructions
- Use a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe clean the chiles, then cut off the stem and deseed. In a pot place the chiles, the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves. Pour enough water to cover them and simmer until chiles are rehydrated and the onion is soft.
- Once the chiles have rehydrated, use a slotted spoon to remove them and vegetables from the pot and place into a blender. Add the crushed bay leaf and ½ cup of the boiling broth, blend until you have a perfectly smooth salsa. You can use more boiling broth if needed.
- If you have a Vitamix or Ninja blender you don’t need to strain the salsa, but if you don’t and your blender isn’t too powerful then use a colander to strain the salsa into a pot.
- Then add the oregano, ground black pepper, allspice, ground cumin, ground clove, canela, 2 teaspoons Maggi Seasoning, the apple cider vinegar, and stir until well combined.
- Mix in 2 cups of the vegetable broth and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Do not add more broth yet!
Cook The Mushrooms
- While you wait for the salsa to simmer you can cook the shredded oyster mushrooms. In a large enough sauté pan to fit the mushrooms, heat up 2 Tablespoons of oil then add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Then mix in the shredded mushrooms, and drizzle the teaspoon of Maggi seasoning over them and cook until they have softened and are a bit crispy.
- Add the cooked mushrooms to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until ready to serve. Then taste and adjust seasoning if desired. At this time you can add more broth if you'd like to make a thinner broth.
How to Serve Birria Ramen
- Cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Just cook the noodles and don't add the seasoning packs.
- To serve the consommé top with finely chopped onion and fresh cilantro, serve with warm corn tortilla and some lime wedges.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
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Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
