Description
These Crockpot Birria Tacos are rich, tender, and packed with flavor, made easy in the slow cooker! This approachable birria tacos recipe slow cooker version uses a mild chile blend for big flavor without too much heat, then gets crisped into cheesy, dunkable tacos served with savory consommé.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ – 3 ½ pounds chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 – 5 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed & seeded
- 3 – 5 dried ancho chiles, stemmed & seeded
- 2 – 4 dried árbol chiles, stemmed & seeded
- 2 cups beef broth
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large onion, cut into quarters (reserve 1/4 minced for tacos)
- 14 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 2 – 3 bay leaves
- Corn tortillas
- Oaxaca Cheese
- Lime Wedges
- Chopped Cilantro
- Diced white onion
Instructions
- Build flavor first (quick sear): Season beef chunks with salt & pepper. Add oil to Dutch oven or cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Sear in a hot skillet until browned (2–3 minutes per side).
- Soften the chiles: Deseed the chilies by cutting off the tops, tapping out the seeds, and stripping membranes. Place dried chiles in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chilies have softened.
- Blend the sauce: To a high-speed mixer add softened chiles + 1 cup of chile liquid, beef broth, garlic, onion (reserve a littel minced for serving with tacos), tomatoes, vinegar, and all spices except bay leaves and cinnamon stick to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Slow cook: Add beef chunks to slow cooker, pour sauce over top, tucking bay leaves and cinnamon stick into the sauce. Cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, or on HIGH 4-5 hours.
- Shred & soak: Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then remove beef to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return it to the sauce and stir.
- Make Birria Tacos: Dip tortilla into the consommé, place in a hot skillet or griddle, flip after about 1 minute, add shredded cheese to the entire tortilla, then add shredded birria beef to one side, sprinkle with chopped onion and cilantro. Fold and cook until crispy on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve with lime wedges and a cup of consommé.
Notes
Fridge: Store beef and consommé together in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days. Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze beef and broth together in smaller portions for up to 3 to 4 months. The flavors deepen overnight, making this recipe genuinely better the next day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 267 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 699 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 39 mg
Keywords: crockpot birria tacos, quesabirria, slow cooker beef, Mexican cuisine, consommé