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–+ servings

Birria (Slow Cooker)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Meal Prep
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Birria (Slow Cooker)
Servings 8
Authentic birria made easy in the slow cooker. Rich, spicy beef perfect for tacos or stew.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

  • 4 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 3-inch chunks

For the Birria Sauce:

  • 10 guajillo chiles
  • 5 ancho chilies
  • 3 arbol chilies
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • 1 white onion quartered
  • 6 garlic cloves unpeeled
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 bay leaves

Optional Garnishes:

  • Chopped white onion
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

Prep the Chiles

  • Slice off the stems and shake out the seeds of the guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles. Give them a quick rinse.

Soften the Chiles

  • Place the cleaned chiles in a medium pot and cover them with water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until soft.

Roast the Veggies

  • While the chiles simmer, place the tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil for 4–6 minutes, until lightly charred.

Make the Sauce

  • Peel the garlic and place it in a high-powered blender. Add the softened chiles (plus 1 cup of the cooking water), roasted tomatoes, onion, beef broth, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.
  • Blend for 1–2 minutes until completely smooth.

Cook the Birria

  • Place the beef chunks in your slow cooker. Pour the birria sauce over the top and add the bay leaves. Toss to coat the meat evenly.

Cover and cook:

  • On LOW for 8–9 hours
  • Or HIGH for 4–5 hours
  • The beef should be fall-apart tender.

Shred and Serve

  • Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
  • Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker to soak up all that rich consommé.

Serve It Up

  • Ladle birria into bowls with a scoop of broth, and garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, and lime juice.

Or… use the meat and sauce to make:

  • Birria tacos
  • Quesabirria (cheesy tacos)
  • Birria ramen
  • Loaded nachos or burritos