Slow Cooker Beef Birria Tacos (Printable Version)
Tender beef slow-cooked with spices served in crispy tortillas with rich consommé on the side.
# What You Need:
→ Beef
01 - 3.3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
02 - 1.1 pounds beef short ribs, bone-in
→ Chiles & Aromatics
03 - 4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
04 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
05 - 2 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
06 - 1 white onion, quartered
07 - 6 garlic cloves, peeled
08 - 3 Roma tomatoes, halved
→ Spices & Seasonings
09 - 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
10 - 1 tablespoon dried oregano
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
13 - 4 whole cloves
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste
→ Liquids
16 - 4 cups beef broth
17 - 2 cups water
18 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
→ For Tacos
19 - 18 small corn tortillas
20 - 1 cup diced white onion
21 - 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
22 - 2 limes, cut into wedges
23 - 1 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese (optional)
24 - Vegetable oil for frying
# How to Make It:
01 - Toast dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15 minutes.
02 - In the same skillet, roast the quartered white onion, garlic cloves, and halved Roma tomatoes until charred, approximately 8 minutes.
03 - Drain soaked chiles and combine in a blender with roasted onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin seeds, dried oregano, ground cinnamon, black peppercorns, cloves, and 1 cup beef broth. Blend until smooth.
04 - Place beef chuck and short ribs into the slow cooker. Pour chile sauce over the meat. Add bay leaves, kosher salt, apple cider vinegar, remaining beef broth, and water. Stir gently to mix.
05 - Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours, until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
06 - Remove beef from slow cooker, shred with two forks, and discard bones. Skim fat from consommé; reserve some fat for frying. Strain consommé if desired and keep warm.
07 - Heat reserved fat or vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Briefly dip each corn tortilla in warm consommé, then place on skillet. Optionally sprinkle with cheese, add shredded beef, and cook until tortillas are crisp and cheese melts. Fold tacos in half.
08 - Serve tacos garnished with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. Accompany with a cup of hot consommé for dipping.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes so tender it falls apart with barely a touch, and that consommé tastes like liquid gold for dunking.
- You can set it in the slow cooker and forget about it for eight hours while the spices do all the work.
- It feeds a crowd without making you feel like you spent all day cooking.
02 -
- Don't skip charring the onion and tomatoes—that dark caramelization is what separates good birria from forgettable birria.
- Reserve some fat from the surface of the broth specifically for frying the tortillas; it adds a richness that oil alone can't match.
- The consommé is as important as the meat; don't discard it or treat it like a side dish—it's meant to be sipped and savored.
03 -
- Don't rush the initial char on the onion and tomatoes—dark, almost burnt edges are what you're after, not just softened.
- If the consommé tastes flat after eight hours, a squeeze of lime juice or a splash of vinegar right before serving will brighten it back up.