The Mexican Birria Crockpot Recipe Everyone Loves!
This Mexican Birria Crockpot Recipe is a rich and flavorful beef stew that’s slow-cooked to perfection with traditional spices. Originating from the Mexican state of Jalisco, Birria is known for its deep, smoky flavor, tender meat, and vibrant red broth. Perfect for tacos, quesadillas, or as a stew, this recipe is easy to make in a crockpot, bringing authentic Mexican flavors to your kitchen!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks (or a mix of beef and lamb for traditional flavor)
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 large tomato, quartered
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Sliced lime (for serving)
- Corn tortillas (optional, for tacos)
Instructions
- Prep the Chiles: In a small pot, add the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes until softened. Drain the chiles and set aside.
- Blend the Sauce: In a blender, combine the softened chiles, onion, garlic, tomato, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and a cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth.
- Season the Meat: Season the beef with salt and pepper, then add it to the crockpot. Pour the blended chile mixture over the meat, add bay leaves, remaining beef broth, and apple cider vinegar.
- Cook: Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours until the meat is tender and easy to shred.
- Shred and Serve: Remove the bay leaves. Use forks to shred the meat directly in the crockpot, mixing it well with the sauce. Serve as a stew, or use the meat to make birria tacos by spooning it onto corn tortillas. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime slices.
Notes
- For Birria Tacos: Dip tortillas in the birria broth, then lightly fry them on a hot skillet before filling with shredded birria meat and cheese, if desired.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.