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Crockpot Mexican Birria

Crockpot Mexican birria delivers fall-apart beef in a deep red chile consomé. Simmered low and slow, then griddled into crispy, cheesy birria tacos served with extra dipping broth.
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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: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and chile consomé
  • 3 lb beef chuck or short ribs
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.1 salt and pepper to taste
For serving and tacos
  • 1 corn tortillas
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 1 shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Toast and soften the chiles
  1. Toast dried guajillo chiles and dried ancho chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, turning once when they look fragrant and slightly darker.
  2. Soak the toasted chiles in boiling water for 15 minutes until softened, then drain well.
Blend the chile sauce
  1. Blend the softened chiles with diced tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cinnamon until smooth.
Slow-cook the birria
  1. Season the beef chuck or short ribs with salt and pepper to taste and place it in the crockpot.
  2. Pour the chile sauce over the beef so it’s mostly covered.
  3. Cook on Low for 7–8 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Build and crisp birria tacos
  1. Shred the beef in the consomé until the pieces are tender and easy to pull apart.
  2. Dip corn tortillas in the consomé, fill with shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella and shredded beef, then griddle in a skillet until crispy.
Serve
  1. Serve with extra consomé for dipping, plus diced onion, cilantro, and lime on the side.

Notes

For the deepest chile flavor, blend the sauce while it’s still warm so it turns smooth, then pour it over the beef right away. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat in the consomé for best moisture. Freezing is yes for the beef and broth (up to 3 months), but crisped tortillas are best made fresh. For a lighter swap, use lean chuck or trim excess fat from the short ribs before cooking.