Slow Cooker Birria

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Slow Cooker Birria is made with chuck roast simmered in a rich sauce of dried chiles, tomatoes, garlic, and warm spices until fall-apart tender. Serve the shredded beef with the flavorful consommé or use it for birria tacos and quesadillas.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time8 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: Bailey Rhatigan

Ingredients

3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
5-7 dried guajillo chiles
3-4 dried ancho chiles
3 dried arbol chiles
3 Roma tomatoes
1 white onion quartered
2 jalapenos
5 garlic cloves
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Prep the dried chiles: Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo, ancho and arbol chiles. The seeds can give a bitter taste so this part is a must. Place the dried chiles in a bowl and cover with very hot water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, then drain.
Make the birria sauce: Add the softened chiles to a blender along with the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic, beef broth, vinegar, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chipotle powder, cinnamon and ginger. Blend until very smooth.
Add the beef to the slow cooker: You can slice it into chunks but I found it easier to just place the chuck roast whole into the slow cooker.
Add the sauce: Pour the birria sauce over the beef. Add the 2 bay leaves and gently stir or turn the beef so it's coated.
Slow cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender and easily shreds with a fork. If the meat isn’t shredding easy, it just needs more time to cook. Sizes of beef will vary cooking time a smidge
Shred the birria: Remove the beef from the slow cooker, leaving as much sauce as you can in the crock pot and shred it with two forks. Discard any large pieces of fat and the bay leaves during this process.
Finish the broth: Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir it into the flavorful consommé. Taste and add additional salt if needed, you can also add more beef broth if you prefer it a little thinner for dipping.
Serve: Serve the birria andconsommé in bowls with chopped onion, cilantro and diced jalapeños. I like to serve mine with charred tortillas. You can make barria tacos or barria quesadillas
Optional extra flavor upgrades: Before adding the chuck roast to the slow cooker, sear the chunks in a very hot skillet for 2–3 minutes per side. It’s completely optional, but it gives the birria a deeper, richer beef flavor.
You can also roast the onions, tomato and jalapeño before blending for a deeper smoky flavor. Just pop them in the oven on a sheet pan and broil for about 10 minutes on high.

Notes

For milder birria: Reduce the árbol chiles first, then use fewer jalapeños if needed. Keep the guajillo and ancho chiles for their flavor and depth.
Cook for tenderness, not just time: Chuck roasts vary in size. If the beef doesn’t shred easily with a fork, cover and continue cooking until it does.
LOW is my preferred method: HIGH works when you’re short on time, but I prefer cooking the birria on LOW for the most tender beef.
For deeper flavor: Sear the chuck roast for 2–3 minutes per side and/or broil the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeños until lightly charred before blending. Both steps are optional.
Adjust the consommé: After shredding the beef, add extra beef broth if you prefer more liquid for serving or dipping.

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