Absolutely! Slow Cooker Beef Birria is a rich, tender Mexican beef stew made with dried chiles, warm spices, garlic, and a flavorful broth. The beef cooks slowly until it practically falls apart. You can serve it as a stew, or use the meat and broth to make crispy birria tacos (quesabirria).

🌮 Slow Cooker Beef Birria

Ingredients

For the beef

• 1.5–2 kg (3–4 lb) beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 6–8 garlic cloves
• 2–3 bay leaves

For the Mexican chile sauce

• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• 1–2 dried árbol chiles — optional, for extra heat
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth or water
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

For serving

• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• White onion, finely diced
• Lime wedges
• Corn tortillas
• Shredded Oaxaca, mozzarella, or another melting cheese — optional
• Extra broth for dipping

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Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the dried chiles

Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles.

Place the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat.

Toast them for about 20–30 seconds per side.

Be careful not to burn them. Burnt chiles can make the entire birria bitter.

Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl and cover them with hot water.

Let them soak for approximately 15–20 minutes, until they become soft.

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2. Prepare the beef

Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels.

Season generously with:

• Salt
• Black pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Working in batches, sear the beef for about 2–3 minutes per side.

You don’t need to cook the beef through. The goal is simply to develop a deep brown crust.

Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.

Tip: Don’t overcrowd the skillet. If you put all the meat in at once, it will steam instead of brown.

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3. Make the birria sauce

Drain the softened chiles.

Add them to a blender along with:

• Tomatoes
• Small onion
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Coriander
• Apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups beef broth or water
• Salt

Blend until completely smooth.

This sauce is the heart of the birria, so blend it very well.

If your blender struggles, add a little more broth.

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4. Add everything to the slow cooker

Place the browned beef into the slow cooker.

Add the chopped large onion and garlic.

Pour the blended chile sauce over the beef.

Add the bay leaves.

Stir gently so the beef is coated with the sauce.

The liquid doesn’t necessarily need to completely cover the meat. The beef will release additional juices while cooking.

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5. Slow cook the beef

Cover the slow cooker.

Cook on:

LOW: 8–9 hours
HIGH: 4–5 hours

LOW is recommended because the longer cooking time produces exceptionally tender beef.

The birria is ready when you can easily pull the beef apart with a fork.

If the meat is still tough, continue cooking. Tough beef usually needs more time, not less.

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6. Shred the beef

Remove the cooked beef from the slow cooker.

Use two forks to shred it into small pieces.

Discard:

• Bay leaves
• Large pieces of onion
• Any large pieces of fat or connective tissue you don’t want

Return the shredded beef to the birria broth.

Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning with additional salt if necessary.

Let the shredded beef sit in the broth for 10–15 minutes so it absorbs even more flavor.

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🌮 How to Make Crispy Birria Tacos

This is the really delicious part!

7. Separate some of the fat

The broth will have flavorful reddish-orange fat floating on top.

Spoon some of this fat from the surface into a skillet.

This is what gives birria tacos their beautiful color and crispy exterior.

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8. Heat the tortillas

Heat a corn tortilla in the skillet for a few seconds.

Flip it and coat both sides lightly with the flavorful birria fat.

The tortilla should become soft and slightly reddish.

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9. Add the filling

Place the tortilla in the skillet.

Add:

• Shredded birria beef
• Shredded cheese, if using
• A little chopped onion
• Cilantro

Fold the tortilla in half.

Cook for about 2–3 minutes per side, pressing gently with a spatula.

Cook until the tortilla becomes golden brown and crispy and the cheese melts.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

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10. Prepare the dipping broth

Ladle some of the hot birria broth into small bowls.

Add a little:

• Chopped cilantro
• Diced onion
• Fresh lime juice

This becomes your consomé for dipping the tacos.

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🍋 How to Serve

Serve the crispy tacos immediately with:

• A bowl of hot birria consomé
• Fresh lime wedges
• Chopped cilantro
• Diced white onion
• Extra salsa, if desired

Dip the crispy taco into the rich broth and enjoy.

For birria stew

If you don’t want tacos, simply serve the shredded beef in a bowl with plenty of the broth. Top with cilantro, onion, and lime. Serve with warm tortillas or rice.

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⭐ Important Tips for the Best Birria

Don’t burn the chiles. Toast them briefly. Burnt chiles become bitter very quickly.

Use beef chuck if possible. It has enough fat and connective tissue to become incredibly tender during slow cooking.

Sear the beef first. This isn’t absolutely required, but it adds a much deeper flavor.

Don’t rush the slow cooking. If the beef isn’t falling apart after the recommended time, keep cooking until it is tender.

Let the beef rest in the broth after shredding. This helps the meat absorb the chile and spice flavors.

For extra-spicy birria, increase the árbol chiles.

For milder birria, leave out the árbol chiles and use more guajillo/ancho chiles.

For the crispiest tacos, use the reddish fat from the top of the birria broth to fry the tortillas.