Slow Cooker Birria Tacos

Tender, flavorful beef slow-cooked in rich, spiced broth and served in crispy, cheesy tortillas—these Slow Cooker Birria Tacos are the ultimate comfort food with bold, authentic flavor.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword beef, birria, tacos

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 25

Servings servings

Calories 475kcal

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

Meat and Sauce

3 lbs beef chuck roast or short ribs
3 dried guajillo chiles seeds removed
2 dried ancho chiles seeds removed
1 chipotle pepper from can with adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
4 garlic cloves
1 white onion medium - quartered
2 Roma tomatoes halved
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
4 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

Tacos

Corn or flour tortillas

Shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese

Chopped cilantro (optional)

Lime wedges for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 1-2 minutes until aromatic. Soak the toasted chiles in hot water for 10 minutes until softened.
Combine the softened chiles, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, onion, tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Place the beef in the slow cooker, and season with salt and pepper.
Pour the sauce over the beef and add the remaining beef broth, bay leaves, and additional salt to taste.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily.
Remove the beef from the slow cooker, shred it.
Reserve 1 cup of the broth from the slow cooker - set aside in a shallow dish.
Return the pulled beef back to the cooker in the remaining sauce.
Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Dip a tortilla into the reserved sauce in the shallow dish, then place it in the hot skillet.
Add cheese to one side of the tortilla, and add some shredded beef on top of the cheese. Fold the tortilla in half. Cook until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese melts.
Serve the tacos with chopped cilantro and lime wedges.
Use the remaining broth as a dipping sauce.

Nutrition