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Overhead view of a bowl filled with shredded birria beef, with a bowl of reddish birria broth, lime wedges, cilantro, and diced onions arranged around it.
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Slow Cooker Birria

This Slow Cooker Birria features melt-in-your-mouth beef simmered in a homemade chile sauce and served with rich consommé for dipping. Perfect for birria tacos, quesabirria, or an ultra-cozy bowl of birria stew.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings 10 servings
Calories 355kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

For the Birria Sauce

  • 8-10 dried guajillo chiles
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 4 dried arbol chiles
  • 4-5 garlic cloves
  • 1 small white or yellow onion quartered
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted)
  • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano Mexican oregano if available
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 cups beef broth

For the Beef

  • 3.5-4 lbs beef chuck roast trim fat if needed (I keep mine whole, no need to cut into smaller chunks)

To Serve

  • white corn tortillas
  • whole milk oaxaca, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack cheese for quesabirria
  • fresh cilantro
  • diced white onion
  • lime wedges
  • consomé broth for dipping
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep the Chiles:

  • Remove stems and seeds from all dried chiles. I like to cut off the stem end. Then slice down one side slowly so it can open like a book. It can be hard to get all the seeds from the arbol chiles, just do your best :)
    8-10 dried guajillo chiles, 4 dried ancho chiles, 4 dried arbol chiles
    Dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and arbol chiles arranged on a wooden cutting board with a knife, showing the different shapes and colors of the dried chiles before cooking.
  • Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho, guajillo, and chile de árbol for 1-2 minutes per side, until fragrant and pliable. You’re just toasting lightly, careful not to burn them because that can turn the broth bitter. Start Timer
    Dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and arbol chiles toasted in a stainless steel skillet, highlighting their deep red and dark brown colors as they warm.
  • Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water. Place a plate on top to keep them submerged. Soak 20 minutes until softened. Start Timer
    Dried chiles soaking in hot water in a glass bowl, with steam rising as the chiles soften for blending. Softened dried chiles fully submerged in hot water in a glass bowl after soaking, ready to be blended for birria sauce.
  • Reserve about 1 cup of the soaking liquid (flavored from the chiles).

Make the Birria Sauce

  • Optional: Broil onion and garlic for added depth of flavor. Halve the onion, leave garlic cloves whole (skins on). Broil on a small baking sheet until lightly charred in spots (5-8 minutes). Start Timer Keep an eye on it. Peel garlic, then blend. If you don’t want to do this step, you can just add them in raw in the next step! :)
    4-5 garlic cloves, 1 small white or yellow onion
    White onion wedges and garlic cloves arranged on a metal sheet pan before roasting. Roasted onion wedges and garlic cloves with lightly charred edges on a metal sheet pan after roasting.
  • Add the chiles, soaked chile liquid, onion, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, and pepper to a blender. (Don't skimp on the salt; it really makes all the difference if this dish is undersalted).
    1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted), 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground coriander
    Birria sauce ingredients in a blender including softened dried chiles, roasted onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, spices, and broth being poured in.
  • Blend until very smooth.
    Blended birria sauce inside a blender, showing a smooth, thick, deep red chile sauce.

Slow Cook

  • Transfer the beef to the slow cooker. Pour in the birria sauce and beef broth (pour beef broth around the sides)
    2 cups beef broth, 3.5-4 lbs beef chuck roast
    Raw beef chuck roast in a slow cooker being covered with blended birria sauce. Beef chuck roast fully covered in birria sauce inside the slow cooker with additional broth being poured in.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours Start Timer or on HIGH for 5-6 hours Start Timer, until the meat is fall-apart tender.

Shred, Blend, & Finish

  • Take the beef out to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
    Cooked beef chuck roast submerged in rich birria broth inside the slow cooker, showing tender meat and deep reddish-brown sauce. Hands shredding cooked birria beef with two forks on a wooden cutting board, showing the fall-apart texture.
  • Strain the sauce for a silky consomé. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or large pot and pour the sauce into the strainer in batches so it doesn’t overfill. The sauce will drop into the bowl, and you can discard what’s left behind in the strainer.
    Birria sauce being strained through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, separating smooth broth from chile solids.
  • For tacos: leave the beef on the side so you can serve the consomé with tacos for dunking.
  • For a stew/soup option: Add the meat back into the consommé and serve as a stew in bowls with diced onion and chopped cilantro or as tacos in corn tortillas with shredded Oaxaca cheese, cilantro, and diced onions.
    white corn tortillas, whole milk oaxaca, Chihuahua, or Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro, diced white onion, lime wedges, consomé broth for dipping
    Close-up of shredded birria beef with a spoon lifting tender strands, highlighting the juicy texture and rich reddish-brown color.

Notes

  • Store in the Refrigerator: Store shredded birria beef and consommé separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
  • Store in the Freezer: Birria freezes very well. Freeze the beef and consommé in separate, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with some consommé to keep the beef moist.
  • Make-ahead tip: This recipe tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4540IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 5mg