Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
User Reviews
4.6
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Cook Time
8 hrs
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Total Time
9 hrs
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Servings
6 to 8 People
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Calories
522 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
Description
The recipe begins by rehydrating dried ancho, guajillo, and árbol chilies in boiling water to soften their skins and release flavor. Black peppercorns, coriander seed, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick are toasted to release their oils, then made into a spice packet to infuse the cooking liquid. Beef chuck roast is cut into large chunks, salted, and seared in hot avocado oil to develop a crust and deepen the flavor.
The beef is slow cooked with the rehydrated chilis, toasted spices, minced garlic, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, tomato paste, ground cumin, and salt until meltingly tender. The resulting broth is rich, tangy, and layered with smokiness and spice from the chilies and aromatics.
The shredded beef can be served in warm corn tortillas topped with grated mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese, pickled red onion, and cilantro for a traditional birria taco experience. The slow cooker method allows the flavors to meld with minimal hands-on time.
The recipe notes that the beef cut may vary and salt can be adjusted after cooking to taste. Grinding spices before making the spice packet is also recommended. This helps intensify flavors in the sauce and meat.
Ingredients
- 5 ancho chile dried
- 4 guajillo chile dried
- 5 árbol chile dried
- 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 Tbsp coriander seed
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4.5 to 5 lbs beef chuck roast boneless
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion large
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 quart beef broth
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp oregano dried
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp cumin ground
- 2 Tbsp salt to taste, sea salt
For serving:
- corn tortillas
- mozzarella cheese or oaxaca cheese, grated
- red onion pickled
- cilantro
Instructions
- Place the chilis in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring it to a full boil on the stove top. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the chilis to sit and rehydrate while you’re working on the rest of the recipe.
- Transfer the black peppercorns, coriander seed, bay leaves and cinnamon stick to a small skillet and toast over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Transfer these spices to a cheesecloth and wrap in kitchen twine to create a removable spice packet. Note: If you have a mortar and pestle, you can crush the spices before making the spice packet. As an alternative, grind the spices using a spice grinder and add them to the sauce directly.
- Cut the beef chuck roast into many large chunks and sprinkle all sides with sea salt.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until the skillet is sizzling hot. If you have a laser thermometer, wait for the temperature of the skillet to be 400 degrees or above. Sear the chunks of beef on two sides for 3 to 4 minutes, or until a deep golden brown crust forms. Transfer the chunks of seared beef to your slow cooker.
- Use the same skillet to sauté the onion. Cook the onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it has softened. Add the garlic, tomato paste, ground cumin and oregano and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until very fragrant. Transfer this mixture to the crock pot with the seared beef.
- Remove any stems from the chilis and transfer the rehydrated chilis WITH the water you used to soak them into the slow cooker, along with the beef stock, apple cider vinegar, and the spice sachet. Give everything a stir and make sure the beef is covered in liquid as much as possible. Secure the lid on your slow cooker and slow cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours.
- Once the slow cooking has finished, remove the meat from the crock pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat to your desired consistency, then transfer it to a large bowl.
- Transfer the chilis to a blender along with 2 cups of the liquid from the crock pot. Blend until completely smooth (note: you can also use an immersion blender to blend all of the braising liquid) Pour this mixture back into the crock pot. This liquid will now serve three purposes: for dipping the corn tortillas prior to frying the tacos, for pouring on the tacos during the frying process, and for serving as dipping sauce.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet with a generous amount of avocado oil or canola oil over high heat. Dip corn tortillas in the birria sauce, then transfer them to the hot cast iron skillet. Immediately sprinkle the corn tortilla with desired amount of cheese. Place the shredded meat on one side of the tortilla. Once the cheese is melted, fold the meat side of the tortilla over, creating a taco.
- Drizzle spoonfuls of sauce over the taco, then flip and repeat for the other side. Continue cooking and flipping until the taco reaches your desired level of crisp.
- Serve birria tacos with pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and a bowl or ramekin of the flavorful consommé for dipping the tacos.
Notes
- You can use a combination of beef chuck roast, oxtail, or bone-in beef short ribs for varied texture and flavor.
- Sea salt seasons both the beef and the sauce; adjust additional salt at the end of cooking to personal taste.
- Grinding toasted spices before creating the spice packet intensifies the flavor extraction.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6to 8 People
Amount Per Serving
Calories 522 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 2Tacos | |
| Calories | 522kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 26g | 52% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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