🌮 Slow Cooker Birria Tacos

Servings

About 6–8 people / 12–16 tacos

Prep time

30 minutes

Slow-cooking time

7–8 hours on LOW or 4–5 hours on HIGH

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🛒 Ingredients

For the birria

• 2½–3 lb (1.1–1.4 kg) beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• 1 lb (450 g) beef short ribs or beef shank, optional but highly recommended
• 1½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 dried ancho chiles
• 1–2 dried árbol chiles, depending on how spicy you like it
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1–2 tsp brown sugar, optional
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, optional

For the tacos

• 12–16 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 small white onion, finely diced
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1–2 limes, cut into wedges
• Vegetable oil or reserved birria fat for frying

For serving

• The birria consommé
• Extra cilantro
• Diced onion
• Lime wedges
• Your favorite salsa

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👨‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the dried chiles

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

Shake out most of the seeds.

Don’t worry if some seeds remain, but removing most of them will make the sauce smoother and reduce the heat.

Place the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat.

Toast them for about 30–60 seconds per side.

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

Once fragrant, remove them from the pan.

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2. Soften the chiles

Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover them with very hot water.

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

Drain them before blending.

Tip: If you want a spicier birria, keep some of the árbol chiles. For a milder version, use only one or leave them out.

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3. Season the beef

Cut the beef chuck into large pieces.

Pat the meat dry with paper towels.

Season generously with:

• Salt
• Black pepper

Make sure all sides are coated.

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4. Brown the beef

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the beef in batches.

Brown each piece for approximately 2–3 minutes per side.

You’re not trying to cook the beef through—you just want a deep brown crust.

This step adds a lot of flavor to the finished birria.

Transfer the browned beef to your slow cooker.

If you’re using short ribs or beef shank, brown those as well.

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🌶️ 5. Make the birria sauce

Add the following to a blender:

• Soaked dried chiles
• Chopped tomatoes
• Onion
• Garlic
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cumin
• Mexican oregano
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Smoked paprika
• Tomato paste
• Brown sugar, if using
• Worcestershire sauce, if using
• About 1 cup of beef broth

Blend until completely smooth.

You want the sauce to be deep red, thick, and smooth.

If it’s too thick to blend, add a little more broth.

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6. Strain the sauce

For an extra-smooth consommé, pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer.

Use the back of a spoon to press the sauce through.

This removes pieces of chile skin and seeds.

It’s optional, but I highly recommend it.

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🥘 7. Add everything to the slow cooker

Pour the chile sauce over the browned beef.

Add:

• Remaining beef broth
• 2 bay leaves

The beef should be mostly surrounded by liquid.

Don’t worry if it isn’t completely submerged.

Put the lid on the slow cooker.

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⏰ 8. Slow cook the birria

LOW setting:

Cook for approximately 7–8 hours.

HIGH setting:

Cook for approximately 4–5 hours.

The birria is ready when the beef is extremely tender and easily pulls apart with a fork.

If the meat is still tough, continue cooking. The exact cooking time can vary depending on the size of the pieces and your slow cooker.

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🥩 9. Shred the beef

Once the beef is tender, remove it from the slow cooker.

Place it in a large bowl.

Use two forks to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Discard:

• Bones
• Bay leaves
• Large pieces of fat or gristle

Don’t throw away the cooking liquid!

That liquid is your consommé.

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🥣 10. Prepare the consommé

Taste the cooking liquid.

Add salt if necessary.

If you want a richer consommé, allow it to sit for a few minutes.

The flavorful fat will rise to the surface.

Use a spoon to skim some of the reddish-orange fat from the top and reserve it.

This fat is perfect for frying the tacos.

If your birria doesn’t have much visible fat, simply use a little vegetable oil.

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🌮 11. Prepare your taco station

Have everything ready before you start frying:

• Shredded birria
• Shredded cheese
• Diced onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Corn tortillas
• Reserved birria fat
• Hot skillet
• Consommé for dipping

This makes assembling the tacos much easier.

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🔥 12. Dip the tortillas

Take a corn tortilla.

Dip one side into the reddish birria fat floating on top of the consommé.

You don’t need to completely soak the tortilla.

The thin layer of fat will give the tortilla that beautiful red-orange color and incredible flavor.

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🧀 13. Fry the tacos

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat.

Place the dipped tortilla in the skillet, fat-side down.

Cook for about 20–30 seconds.

Flip it.

Immediately add:

• Shredded cheese
• Shredded birria

Fold the tortilla in half.

Press gently with your spatula.

Cook for about 1–2 minutes per side, until the tortilla becomes crispy and golden brown and the cheese melts.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

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🌮 14. Finish the tacos

Place the crispy tacos on a plate.

Top with:

• Finely diced white onion
• Fresh cilantro

Serve with fresh lime wedges.

For extra heat, add your favorite salsa.

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🥣 15. Serve with consommé

Pour some of the hot birria broth into small bowls.

Add a little chopped onion and cilantro if you like.

Squeeze fresh lime into the consommé.

Now dip your crispy taco directly into the consommé.

That’s the best part! 🤤

The crispy tortilla absorbs the rich, spicy broth while the melted cheese and tender beef make every bite incredibly juicy.

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⭐ Tips for the Best Birria Tacos

Use beef chuck + short ribs: The chuck gives you lots of tender shredded meat, while short ribs add extra richness and flavor.

Don’t burn the chiles: Toast them briefly. If they become black and smoky, they’ll make your sauce bitter.

Don’t skip browning the beef: You can technically put the raw beef directly into the slow cooker, but browning gives the birria much deeper flavor.

Let the beef get REALLY tender: If it’s difficult to shred, it probably needs more cooking time.

Use corn tortillas: They hold up well and develop that classic crispy texture.

Use Oaxaca cheese if available: It melts beautifully and gives the tacos that stretchy, cheesy texture.

Save the consommé: Don’t discard the cooking liquid. It’s one of the most important parts of birria.

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🌶️ Easy Spice Adjustment

Spice level	Árbol chiles
Mild	0
Medium	1
Spicy	2
Very spicy	3–4

The guajillo and ancho chiles provide most of the color and deep flavor, while the árbol chiles provide much of the heat.

🍋 Final serving idea

Serve a platter of crispy birria tacos alongside small bowls of consommé, lime wedges, diced white onion, cilantro, and salsa. The combination of crispy red tortilla + gooey cheese + juicy shredded beef + rich consommé is what makes these tacos so good.