Description
This Slow Cooker Birria Tacos recipe offers a tender, flavorful Mexican dish perfect for a comforting meal. Slow-cooked beef pot roast is infused with a rich blend of spices, chipotle, and tomatoes, then shredded and served in corn tortillas with melted cheese, garnished with fresh onion and cilantro. The slow cooker method ensures the meat is juicy and melts in your mouth, while the consommé broth makes a delicious dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb beef pot roast or chuck roast (trimmed and cut into 2-3 large pieces)
- 1 1/2 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 preferred)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder blend
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 small cinnamon stick)
- 3 ounces chipotle in adobo
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if possible)
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
For Serving
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese (Oaxaca or queso Chihuahua are good substitutes)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges (optional)
Optional Traditional Chiles (Alternative to Chipotle)
- 2 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 dried ancho chile
- 1 dried chile de árbol (optional for heat)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Brown the beef pieces on all sides in two batches to develop flavor and seal juices. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
- Prepare the Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup chopped onion, smashed garlic cloves, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon (or cinnamon stick), chipotle in adobo, crushed tomatoes, beef broth, white vinegar, and kosher salt. Blend until smooth. Pour this sauce over the beef in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves.
- Slow Cook the Beef: Cook on low heat in the slow cooker for 8 hours, allowing the beef to become tender and the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Shred the Beef and Strain Broth: After cooking, remove the beef and shred it with forks. Strain the cooking liquid (consommé) to remove solids. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker with ½ cup of the strained broth to keep warm. Reserve the remaining broth for dipping.
- Prepare Tacos: Quickly dip each corn tortilla into the warm consommé, then place on a hot skillet or griddle. Add 3 tablespoons of shredded beef and 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese, plus some chopped onion and cilantro. Fold the tortilla and cook like a quesadilla until browned and cheese is melted on both sides.
- Serve: Serve the birria tacos hot, with raw chopped onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and small bowls of the remaining consommé for dipping.
Notes
- Traditional Variation: For a more authentic birria, replace the chipotle in adobo with a blend of dried chiles: 2 guajillo, 1 ancho, and optionally 1 chile de árbol for heat. Remove stems and seeds, soak in hot water for 20 minutes until softened, then blend with sauce ingredients before cooking.
- To achieve deeper smoky flavor, use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes if available.
- The consommé broth makes an excellent dipping sauce; do not discard the extra broth after cooking.
- Use fresh corn tortillas for best results to prevent breaking when dipped and folded.
- The recipe yields approximately 8 servings, good for a family meal or small gathering.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco (including meat, tortilla, and cheese)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
