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Crockpot Mexican Birria

Crockpot Mexican birria with a smoky guajillo-ancho-pasilla chile sauce and a rich, dark red consommé. Slow-cooked until the beef is fall-apart tender, then dipped tortillas are pan-fried into crispy birria tacos with melted cheese.
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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
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Cut into large pieces.
Chiles
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried ancho chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried pasilla chiles Stems and seeds removed.
Birria sauce and consommé
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 large onion Quartered.
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 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
Tacos
  • 1 corn tortillas For dipping and frying.
  • 1 shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese Shredded and used in the tacos.
  • 1 diced white onion For serving.
  • 1 cilantro Fresh, for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Toast and soak the dried chiles
  1. Toast dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then immediately transfer to hot water and soak for 15 minutes.
Blend the chile sauce
  1. Blend the soaked chiles with fire-roasted tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and salt until completely smooth.
Slow-cook the birria beef
  1. Place the beef chuck roast pieces 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 and prepare the consommé
  1. Remove the beef, shred 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.
Crisp the birria tacos
  1. Dip corn tortillas in the reserved consommé fat, fill with shredded beef and shredded cheese, fold, and cook on a hot griddle until crispy on both sides.
Serve
  1. Serve the tacos with small cups of warm consommé and top with diced white onion and fresh cilantro.

Notes

For the darkest consommé, skim the fat after the 8–10 hour cook and keep it warm for dipping so the tortillas crisp quickly. Refrigerate leftover beef and consommé separately for up to 4 days; reheat until hot. Freeze beef (up to 3 months) and thaw in the fridge; re-warm and refresh with a splash of broth. For a lighter option, skim more fat after cooking and use a portion of the reserved fat just for dipping.