Birria Lasagna: You Didn't Know You Needed To Make Until Now

with a creamy bechamel sauce

Birria and lasagna might not seem like an obvious combo, but together they just work. This dish brings all the slow-cooked, chile-rich flavor of birria into a cozy, layered pasta bake. It’s hearty, comforting, and a fun twist on two fan-favorite meals!

Instead of goat, we’re using chuck roast for a tender birria de res, slow-cooked in a consomé that gets thickened into a rich sauce. Then we build the lasagna with layers of shredded beef, béchamel, mozzarella, and bake it until bubbly and golden.

I can’t attest to whether this would be complementary with a ricotta cheese mixture versus the bechamel, so try that at your own risk if that’s your preference!

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Time Breakdown:

• Prep: 45 minutes

• Cook time: 4 hours (slow cooker or pressure cooker)

• Assembly: 15 minutes

• Bake time: 30 minutes + 2-minute broil

• Total: ~5 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients

For the consomé :

• 6-16 chiles de arbol (de-stemmed & boiled)

• 6 chiles guajillo (de-stemmed & boiled)

• 2 tomatoes, boiled until skin peels

• ½ white onion

• 4 garlic cloves

• 4 cups water (from boiled chiles)

• ½ cup white vinegar

• 2 tsp oregano

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp salt

• 6 whole cloves

Preparing the Beef:

• 3 lbs chuck roast, cut into chunks

• Salt & pepper

• 2 tbsp oil

• 1 cup water

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 bay leaves

To thicken the consomé:

• 8 oz tomato sauce

• 12 oz canned diced tomatoes

• ¼ cup water

• 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed into slurry)

Classic Bechamel Sauce:

• 5 tbsp flour

• 5 tbsp butter

• 2¾ cups whole milk

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1½ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp paprika

For Assembly & Garnish:

• 16 oz shredded mozzarella

• ½ red onion, diced

• ½ cup chopped cilantro

• Extra consomé on the top