why make this recipe
This birria taco recipe uses a slow cooker. It makes rich meat and a spicy sauce with little hands-on time. You can set it in the morning and eat hours later. The tacos crisp up in a hot skillet and stay juicy inside. This is a simple way to get restaurant-style birria at home.
introduction
These Crock Pot Birria Tacos are slow cooked beef with a deep red sauce. The meat becomes very tender and easy to shred. Use the sauce to dip and fry the corn tortillas. If you like slow cooker dishes, try a crockpot frozen meatballs recipe for another easy weeknight meal.
how to make Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
Work in three main steps: toast and soak the chiles and spices, sear and slow cook the beef, then shred meat and make the dipping sauce. Finally, dip tortillas in the sauce, add cheese and meat, and fry until crispy. The slow cooker does most of the work.
Ingredients :
- 5 dried ancho chiles
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 5 dried arbol chiles
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp coriander seed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4.5 to 5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast*
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 quart beef broth
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp sea salt (to taste**)
- Corn Tortillas
- Grated Mozzarella cheese or oaxaca cheese
- Pickled red onions
- Cilantro
Directions :
- Place the chiles in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and let the chiles sit and rehydrate while you work on the rest of the recipe.
- Toast the black peppercorns, coriander seed, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in a small skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Wrap these spices in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to make a removable spice packet. (Or grind spices and add directly.)
- Cut the beef chuck roast into large chunks and sprinkle all sides with sea salt.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Sear the beef chunks on two sides for 3 to 4 minutes each, until a deep golden brown crust forms. Transfer seared beef to the slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion over medium-high until softened. Add garlic, tomato paste, ground cumin and oregano. Cook another 3 minutes until very fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the crock pot with the beef.
- Remove stems from the chiles and add the rehydrated chiles with their soaking water to the slow cooker. Add beef stock, apple cider vinegar, and the spice sachet. Stir and make sure the beef is mostly covered in liquid. Cover and slow cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- When done, remove the meat and shred it with two forks on a cutting board. Place shredded meat in a large bowl.
- Transfer the chiles to a blender with 2 cups of cooking liquid from the crock pot. Blend until smooth. (You can also use an immersion blender to blend all the braising liquid.) Pour this sauce back into the crock pot. This sauce will be used to dip tortillas and serve as consommé.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet with enough avocado or canola oil over high heat. Dip each corn tortilla in the birria sauce, place it in the hot skillet, and immediately sprinkle cheese on it. Add shredded meat on one side of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over to make a taco once the cheese melts.
- Spoon sauce over the taco, flip and cook the other side. Continue until the taco is as crisp as you like.
- Serve birria tacos with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and a bowl of the consommé for dipping.
how to serve Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
Serve the tacos hot. Place a small bowl of consommé for each person to dip the tacos. Add pickled red onions and chopped cilantro on top. Offer lime wedges and extra hot sauce if you like more heat.
how to store Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
- Store leftover shredded meat and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze meat and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Store tortillas separately at room temperature or in the fridge if you plan to keep them for more than a day.
tips to make Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
- Toast whole spices lightly to bring out more flavor.
- Sear the beef well for a deeper crust and better flavor.
- Keep some extra sauce for dipping so the tacos stay moist.
- Use a high smoke point oil like avocado or canola for frying.
- If the sauce is too thick after blending, add small amounts of beef broth to reach the right dipping consistency.
variation (if any)
- Chicken birria: Swap beef for bone-in chicken thighs and reduce slow cook time to 4–6 hours on low.
- Less spicy: Use fewer arbol chiles or remove them.
- Cheese options: Try Monterey Jack, Oaxaca, or a mild cheddar if mozzarella is not available.
- Instant Pot: Brown the beef in the pot on sauté, then pressure cook for about 60–70 minutes, then shred.
FAQs
Q: Can I make this without a slow cooker?
A: Yes. Use an oven-safe pot and braise at 300°F (150°C) for 3 to 4 hours until the meat is tender. Or use a pressure cooker and adjust time.
Q: How spicy are these tacos?
A: They can be medium to hot depending on the arbol chiles. Remove some arbol chiles to lessen heat.
Q: Can I make the sauce milder for kids?
A: Yes. Reduce or skip the arbol chiles and keep only ancho and guajillo for milder flavor.
Q: Do I need to remove the spice sachet before serving?
A: Yes. Remove the cheesecloth spice packet before blending or serving so bits of spice do not remain whole.
Q: Can I use a different cut of beef?
A: You can use brisket or short ribs, but cook time may change. Chuck roast gives good texture and value.
Crock Pot Birria Tacos
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 600 minutes
- Total Time: 630 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Carnivore
Description
Slow cooked beef birria tacos with a spicy dipping sauce, made easy in a slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 5 dried ancho chiles
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 5 dried arbol chiles
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp coriander seed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4.5 to 5 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 large yellow onion
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 quart beef broth
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp sea salt (to taste)
- Corn tortillas
- Grated mozzarella cheese or Oaxaca cheese
- Pickled red onions
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Place the chiles in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and let the chiles sit and rehydrate.
- Toast the black peppercorns, coriander seed, bay leaves and cinnamon stick in a small skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Wrap these spices in cheesecloth to make a spice packet.
- Cut the beef chuck roast into large chunks and sprinkle salt over all sides.
- Sear the beef in hot avocado oil until browned on two sides, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Sauté onion and garlic in the skillet, then add tomato paste, ground cumin, and oregano. Cook for 3 minutes, then transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add rehydrated chiles, beef stock, apple cider vinegar, and the spice sachet to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- Shred the cooked beef and return it to the slow cooker. Blend the chiles with some cooking liquid until smooth, then add back to the cooker.
- Dip each corn tortilla in the birria sauce, then fry in a skillet with cheese and shredded meat until crispy.
- Serve with pickled red onions, cilantro, and a bowl of consommé for dipping.
Notes
Toast whole spices lightly for enhanced flavor and sear the beef well for a deeper crust.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
