Slow cooker Birria

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This Slow Cooker Birria is perfect to pair with a variety of meals and is packed with all the flavor. The shredded beef makes for a delicious topping on tacos, sweet potatoes, salads or nachos! The best part is everything goes in the slow cooker and this tender beef cooks up on its own.

This Slow Cooker Birria is one of those recipes that feels like it took all day, but the slow cooker does most of the work for you. Tender, flavorful beef is slow cooked with a rich blend of chiles, tomatoes and warm spices until it’s fall-apart tender. The result is incredibly flavorful meat that you can use for tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls or whatever sounds good.

My favorite way to serve it is as crispy birria tacos with plenty of melty cheese, fresh cilantro, diced onion and a side of the flavorful consommé for dipping. The slow cooking time allows all of the flavors to come together while making the beef incredibly tender, so this is a great recipe to make when you want a cozy, hands-off meal. Make a big batch and enjoy it throughout the week because the leftovers are just as delicious.

Table of Contents

What you need for Slow Cooker Birria:

3.5 – 4 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast, cut into large 3 inch chunks
Dried Guajillo Chiles, stems and seeds removed
Dried Ancho Chiles, stems and seeds removed
Dried Arbol Chiles, stems and seeds removed
Avocado Oil or Olive Oil
Roma Tomatoes
White Onion
Garlic Cloves
Water
Beef Bouillon Paste
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt
Mexican Oregano (optional)
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Cumin
Ground Ginger
Ground Cloves
Bay Leaves

For serving:

Corn Tortillas
Minced White Onion
Fresh Cilantro
Lime Wedges
Oaxaca Cheese, shredded

How to make this Birria:

Lightly dry toast the chiles: In a medium saucepan, gently dry toast the chiles over medium-low heat for approximately 15 – 30 seconds, stirring and turning the peppers often to prevent over-toasting. The peppers should become more pliable and fragrant.
- Note: Be careful not to toast the chiles for too long or they may develop a slightly burnt, bitter flavor. You want a light toast for 15 – 30 seconds at most.
After toasting the chiles, add two cups of water to the saucepan and bring the pot to a light boil. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the onion and tomatoes and saute, stirring often, for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and saute for another 1 – 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
To a blender, add the softened chiles and liquid, the sauteed veggies, the remaining 4 cups of water, the beef bouillon paste, the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, cumin, mexican oregano, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger. Blend until smooth.
Add the beef chuck to the crockpot and cover with the blended mixture. Add the bay leaves and cover the crockpot with a lid. Cook on low for 10 – 12 hours or on high for 6 – 7 hours.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the beef chunks and shred the beef on a cutting board or add it to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low to gently tear it apart.
Set the shredded beef aside in a bowl to serve separately with the consomé (birria beef broth mix) or add it back to the crockpot to serve.
Serve on tacos, tostadas, sweet potatoes, quesadillas, etc!

How to store your leftover Birria:

It’s best to store your leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. I like using these!

If you want to switch it up, try doing this instead:

Try serving the birria in a variety of ways like tacos, sweet potatoes or in rice bowls!

If you like this recipe, you may also enjoy these on One Balanced Life:

FAQs:

What slow cooker did you use?

I’ve had this one for years and love it!

How do you remove the seeds from the chiles?

To remove the seeds from the chiles (essential to reduce spiciness), cut the tops off of the dried chiles and gently roll/massage the seeds out and discard. Try to remove as much of the seeds and inside threads/pieces as possible.

How long will this last for?

This will last in the fridge for 4-5 days when stored properly in containers.

Is this good for meal prep?

Yes! This is great to prep ahead and use in a variety of ways during the week.

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Slow Cooker Birria

Yield: 6-8+ servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes

This Slow Cooker Birria is the perfect vehicle to flavor packed meals! Use it on tacos, tosadas, quesadillas or however you prefer.

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Ingredients

3.5 - 4 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast, cut into large 3 inch chunks
8 Dried Guajillo Chiles, stems and seeds removed
5 Dried Ancho Chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 Dried Arbol Chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil (or Olive Oil)
3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1 Large White Onion, chopped (or Yellow Onion)
6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
6 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Beef Bouillon Paste
5 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 ½ Tablespoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano (optional)
½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger
⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves (optional)
3 Bay Leaves
For serving (optional):
Corn Tortillas
Minced White Onion
Fresh Cilantro
Lime Wedges
Oaxaca Cheese, shredded

Instructions

Lightly dry toast the chiles: In a medium saucepan, gently dry toast the chiles over medium-low heat for approximately 15 - 30 seconds, stirring and turning the peppers often to prevent over-toasting. The peppers should become more pliable and fragrant.
Note: Be careful not to toast the chiles for too long or they may develop a slightly burnt, bitter flavor. You want a light toast for 15 - 30 seconds at most.
After toasting the chiles, add two cups of water to the saucepan and bring the pot to a light boil. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the onion and tomatoes and saute, stirring often, for 5 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and saute for another 1 - 2 minutes until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
To a blender, add the softened chiles and liquid, the sauteed veggies, the remaining 4 cups of water, the beef bouillon paste, the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, cumin, mexican oregano, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger. Blend until smooth.
Add the beef chuck to the crockpot and cover with the blended mixture. Add the bay leaves and cover the crockpot with a lid. Cook on low for 10 - 12 hours or on high for 6 - 7 hours.
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Remove the beef chunks and shred the beef on a cutting board or add it to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low to gently tear it apart.
Set the shredded beef aside in a bowl to serve separately with the consomé (birria beef broth mix) or add it back to the crockpot to serve.

Slow cooker Birria