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Crockpot Mexican Birria

Crockpot Mexican birria with chile sauce and slow-cooked beef delivers fall-apart tender meat and a rich dark red consommé. Crisp, griddle-cooked birria tacos get dipped in consommé fat so the tortillas toast while the cheese melts at the edges.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and chiles
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Cut into large pieces.
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried ancho chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried pasilla chiles Stems and seeds removed.
Chile sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 onion Large onion, quartered.
  • 6 garlic Garlic cloves.
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
For serving and tacos
  • 1 corn tortillas
  • 1 shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese Diced if preferred.
  • 1 white onion Diced.
  • 1 cilantro Fresh, chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Toast and soak chiles
  1. Toast the dried guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles, and dried pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then transfer them to a bowl of hot water to soak for 15 minutes.
  2. Drain the soaked chiles, keeping a little moisture so they blend smoothly.
Make the birria chile sauce
  1. Blend the soaked chiles, fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and salt until completely smooth.
Slow-cook the beef
  1. Place the beef chuck roast in the slow cooker with the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, then pour the chile sauce over everything.
  2. Cook on low for 8–10 hours until the beef is completely fall-apart tender.
Shred, separate consommé, and skim fat
  1. Remove the beef, shred it with two forks, and discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
  2. Skim fat from the surface of the consommé and reserve it in a separate bowl.
Assemble and crisp birria tacos
  1. Dip corn tortillas in the reserved consommé fat, fill with shredded beef and shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese, fold, and cook on a hot griddle until crispy on both sides.
Serve
  1. Serve with small cups of warm consommé, diced white onion, and fresh cilantro.

Notes

Pro tip: blend the chile sauce until silky smooth so the consommé turns evenly dark red. Refrigerate leftover beef and consommé in separate airtight containers for up to 4 days; warm the consommé gently and crisp fresh tacos with the reserved fat. Freezing: freeze shredded beef (up to 3 months) and thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the consommé. Dietary swap: for a dairy-free version, use a melting dairy-free cheese or skip the cheese inside the tacos.