Description
This Crockpot Birria Tacos recipe is a flavorful slow-cooked Mexican dish featuring tender beef stewed in a rich, smoky chili sauce made from dried guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol peppers. The beef is shredded and served in warm corn tortillas with melted Oaxaca cheese, fresh onions, cilantro, and lime wedges. The recipe uses a slow cooker for an effortless preparation and yields delicious, juicy tacos with a side of consommé for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Birria Beef & Sauce
- 3-3.5 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho peppers, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried chile de arbol (optional: add 1 can for extra spiciness)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 can (14 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For Assembling the Tacos
- Corn tortillas
- 7 oz shredded Oaxaca cheese or mozzarella
- White onion, finely chopped
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Soften the Chilies: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the dried guajillo, ancho, and chile de arbol peppers and simmer for about 10 minutes until they become soft and pliable. This process releases their vegetable oils and deepens the flavor of your sauce. Drain the chilies and set aside.
- Blend the Birria Sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chilies, chopped onion, garlic cloves, fire-roasted tomatoes, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. Blend until smooth, creating a thick, fragrant, dark red sauce. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper, remembering the flavors will intensify as it cooks.
- Slow Cook the Beef: Season the beef chunks generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Place the beef into the slow cooker and pour the blended birria sauce over it. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours until the beef is tender enough to shred easily with a fork and has absorbed the sauce flavors.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Discard the bay leaves. Skim off excess fat from the remaining broth in the slow cooker, leaving some for flavor and dipping. Return the shredded beef to the consommé and keep warm.
- Assemble and Serve the Tacos: Warm the corn tortillas. Place a generous amount of shredded beef on each tortilla, add shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, a sprinkle of finely chopped white onion, and fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and a side of consommé for dipping the tacos.
Notes
- You can adjust the spice level by adding more or less chile de arbol.
- Using beef chuck roast gives the best texture and flavor for slow cooking.
- Leftover consommé can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated as needed.
- For extra crispy tacos, dip tortillas in the consommé before frying them lightly on a skillet with cheese.
- If you prefer, add a splash of the consommé to the assembled tacos for more flavor.
