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Crockpot Mexican Birria

Crockpot Mexican birria with deep red chile consomé and fall-apart beef, simmered on Low until tender. Blend toasted dried chiles into a smooth sauce, then shred and assemble crispy tortilla bites dipped in the flavorful 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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and chiles
  • 3 lb beef chuck or short ribs
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 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
  • salt and pepper to taste
For serving
  • corn tortillas
  • diced onion
  • cilantro
  • lime
  • shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Crockpot

Method
 

Toast and soften the dried chiles
  1. Toast the dried guajillo chiles and dried ancho chiles in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side, until fragrant, then immediately move them to a bowl.
  2. Soak the toasted chiles in boiling water for 15 minutes, until softened, then drain.
Blend the chile consomé sauce
  1. Blend the softened chiles with the diced tomatoes, quartered onion, garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and cinnamon until smooth.
Slow-cook the birria
  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then place it in the Crockpot.
  2. Pour the chile sauce over the beef so it’s coated as evenly as possible.
  3. Cook on Low for 7-8 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Shred and crisp the tacos
  1. Shred the beef directly in the consomé so it absorbs the chile flavor and looks evenly distributed.
  2. Dip corn tortillas in the consomé, fill with beef and shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella, then griddle until crispy with browned spots.
Serve
  1. Serve the crispy birria tacos with extra consomé for dipping, plus diced onion, cilantro, and lime on the side.

Notes

For deepest flavor, blend the sauce until fully smooth and pour it over the beef evenly before slow-cooking. Store leftover birria in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently with extra consomé as needed. Freezing is yes (freeze shredded beef and consomé up to 3 months). For a dairy-light option, use part-skim mozzarella or skip the cheese and rely on consomé + beef.