Resurrect leftover birria in a delectable bowl of ramen

Leftovers are truly the most beloved food in America. As soon as we put away the remaining food from a great meal the mental countdown begins: only so much time until we’re able to enjoy that deliciousness for a second time. Hell, if we had a dollar for every “Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich” post uploaded to social media, we’d be rich enough to race Bezos to space.

I’m of the belief that soup/stew leftovers are even better than their freshly served counterparts. And in my opinion, the only thing better than fresh birria is birria that has been sitting packed in its consome for an extended period of time as the layers of flavor settle and really come into their own. (Learn all about birria’s roots here, and snag the best beef birria recipe here.)

Using leftover birria to whip up a taco is low-hanging fruit, even if it’s delicious. If you went through the trouble of making yourself something as delicious and time-consuming as birria, you deserve better, and you owe yourself more.

Leftover meals can range from simple to creative; there are no rules here. The following two birria ramen recipes are a fun, easy way to give your leftover birria a tasty rebirth. Some of the ingredients might already be waiting patiently in your pantry.

Spicy Birria Ramen (A stoner’s delight)

This is how you turn that sad pack of Maruchan noodles into the best 33-cent investment you’ve ever made.

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-oz.) pack of instant ramen (spice pack discarded)
• ½ cup leftover birria, re-heated
• 2 cups birria consome, boiling
• ½ large, fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced
• Pork rinds, crushed up
• Cilantro, chopped
• Onion, finely chopped
• ¼ lime

Steps:

1. Bring your birria consome to a boil.
2. Top your ramen noodles with the birria consome.
3. Let the ramen noodles cook and get soft, about 3 minutes, before giving them a stir.
4. Top with birria, pork rinds, cilantro, and onion with a squeeze from a juicy lime.
5. Sit back and watch your stoned friends hail you as a culinary god.

“Traditional Birria” Ramen

This recipe calls for the ramen you subsisted on through college. I used the Tapatio brand ramen because I like its spice packet more than the other common ramen options, but feel free to use what you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.7-oz.) pack of Tapatio instant ramen (or other instant ramen)
• ½ cup leftover birria, reheated
• 2 cups of birria consome, boiling
• ½ large, fresh jalapeno, thinly sliced
• ½ ramen egg (Read about cooking the perfect ramen egg here)
• Mexipoix garnish (Read our Mexipoix recipe here)
• ¼ medium lime

Steps:

1. Bring your birria consome to a boil.
2. Top your ramen noodles with the birria consome.
3. Let the ramen noodles cook and get soft, about 3 minutes.
4. Add your ramen spice pack, mixing it around until it’s perfectly blended with your consome and noodles.
5. Top with birria, Mexipoix, and your perfectly cooked egg. Add a squeeze from a juicy lime.

Let us know what you like to do with your leftover birria—if there are ever any leftovers.