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Crockpot Birria

Crockpot birria delivers deeply red, fall-apart beef in a smoky chile consommé for easy birria tacos. Slow cooker beef braises for 8 hours until the chunks shred right in the rich, chile-forward sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Cut into large chunks.
Dried guajillo and ancho chiles
  • 3 dried guajillo chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 2 dried ancho chiles Stems and seeds removed.
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce Add for smoky heat.
Chile consommé base
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion Roughly chopped.
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups beef broth Use 1 cup for blending, keep 1 cup for the crockpot.
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • salt and black pepper to taste Season the beef and sauce to taste.
For serving
  • 1 lime wedges
  • 1 cilantro
  • 1 diced white onion

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Toast and soften the chiles
  1. Toast guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring until fragrant and a shade darker.
  2. Transfer toasted chiles to hot water and soak for 10 minutes until softened and pliable.
Blend the chile consommé sauce
  1. Blend soaked chiles with diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle pepper, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon, and 1 cup beef broth until completely smooth.
Slow-cook the birria
  1. Season beef chuck roast chunks generously with salt and black pepper, then place them in the crockpot in an even layer.
  2. Pour the chile sauce over the beef, add remaining beef broth, and stir to coat so every piece is covered.
  3. Cook on low for 8 hours (or high for 4–5 hours) until beef is completely fall-apart tender, visibly breaking when pressed with a fork.
Shred and serve
  1. Shred the beef directly in the consommé, stirring to distribute the tender beef throughout the deep red sauce.
  2. Serve birria hot with lime wedges, cilantro, and diced white onion on the side.

Notes

For the smoothest consommé, blend until fully silky—scrape the blender down and add a splash more broth only if needed. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze for up to 3 months. To make it dairy-free, serve with lime and onion instead of any cheese toppings (the birria itself is naturally dairy-free).