Go Back

Crockpot Mexican Beef Birria

Crockpot Mexican beef birria with tender, fall-apart braised beef in a glossy red chile sauce. Slow-cooked for 8 hours so the meat shreds easily and the consomé becomes rich and spoonable for dipping tacos.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Rest 10 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef Chuck Roast
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast Trimmed.
Dried Chiles
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles Remove stems and seeds.
  • 4 dried ancho chiles Remove stems and seeds.
  • 2 dried chipotle chiles Remove stems and seeds; toast for 1-2 minutes.
Aromatics
  • 1 onion Halved.
  • 6 garlic Crushed or roughly chopped.
Braising Liquid & Seasoning
  • 2 cup beef broth For blending chile sauce.
  • 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar Adds tang to the sauce.
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano Dried oregano.
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 bay leaves For slow-cooker braise.
  • 1 salt To taste.
  • 1 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Make the red chile sauce
  1. Remove the stems and seeds from all dried guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles, and dried chipotle chiles, leaving the chile flakes ready for toasting. Toast the chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then transfer to a blender.
  2. Add beef broth, apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, and tomato paste to the blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down as needed so the sauce is silky.
Slow-cook the birria
  1. Place the beef chuck roast in a slow cooker and pour the smooth chile mixture over it so the meat is submerged as much as possible. Add bay leaves, salt, and pepper over the top.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender. The sauce should look glossy and deeply red when the lid is opened.
Shred and finish the sauce
  1. Carefully remove the beef and shred using two forks, discarding any large fat pieces. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker.
  2. Stir the shredded beef into the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper. Rest the birria for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce clings to the meat.
Serve
  1. Use the birria for tacos and tortas, or serve in bowls with the cooking liquid (consomé) for dipping. Spoon the glossy red consomé around or over the shredded beef for best coating.

Notes

Pro tip: For the smoothest chile sauce, blend until completely silky before adding it to the slow cooker—any chile bits won’t break down further. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is yes for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on low. For a lighter option, use leaner beef chuck or trimmed roast to reduce overall fat while keeping the braised texture.