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Slow Cooker Birria Tacos

Slow Cooker Birria Tacos

4.95 from 67 votes
This easy slow cooker birria tacos recipe delivers tender beef, crispy tortillas, and rich consommé—perfect for a hands-off taco night!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Course: Dinner, main dish
Cuisine: Latin, Mexican

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ lb beef pot roast or chuck roast (trimmed and cut into 2-3 large pieces*)
  • 1 ½ cups yellow onion (chopped, plus more for garnish)
  • 4 large garlic cloves (smashed)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (mexican oregano if you can find it, it is more citrusy)
  • 1 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder blend
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 small cinnamon stick)
  • 3 ounces chipotle in adobo (see notes)
  • 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find it)
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey jack (Oaxaca or queso chihuahua)
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (for serving)
  • lime wedges (optional for serving)
  • guajillo, ancho and arbol chiles (optional in place of chipotle for a more traditional birria. See note below.)

Instructions

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown the beef on all sides in two batches. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
  • In a blender, or food processor, blend 1 cup onion, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, chipotle in adobo, crushed tomato, beef broth, white vinegar and salt. Pour over beef.  Add bay leaves and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
  • Shred beef strain the broth. Return beef to slow cooker with ½ cup broth and keep warm. Save remaining broth for dipping tortillas and serving.

To serve:

  • Quickly dip tortilla in the consommé (broth) and add to a hot skillet or griddle.
  • Add 3 tablespoons of shredded beef and 2 tablespoons shredded cheese to the tortilla with some onion and cilantro. Fold and cook like a quesadilla until browned on each side.
  • Serve birria tacos with raw chopped onion and cilantro, plus remaining consommé in a small bowl, for dipping.

Notes

To Make It More Traditional:
This recipe was designed to use easy-to-find ingredients, but if you want a more authentic flavor, you can swap the chipotle for dried chiles instead. Omit the chipotle in adobo and use:
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles (for a mild, fruity flavor)
  • 1 dried ancho chile (for rich, smoky depth)
  • 1 dried chile de árbol (for heat — optional if you want it spicy)
Remove the stems and seeds, then soak the dried chiles in hot water for about 20 minutes until softened. Blend the softened chiles with the sauce ingredients before cooking.
*Start with a 2 3/4 or 3 lb roast and trim.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tacos, Calories: 394kcal, Carbohydrates: 25.5g, Protein: 42.5g, Fat: 14.5g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 121.5mg, Sodium: 1067mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5.5g
- WW Points: 7