Slow-Cooker Birria Tacos

If you’re new to the concept of birria, allow me to introduce you to the Mexican gift that is quesabirria, or cheesy birria tacos. Half taco, half quesadilla and 100% delicious, they’re the kind of midnight snack or after-work meal that will quickly earn repeat status in your recipe repertoire.

The only problem? Making traditional birria can be quite labor-intensive because the beef needs to simmer for hours on end. That’s where this slow-cooker version comes in. If you don’t have the time or patience for the traditional hours-long process, this recipe delivers all that comforting goodness in a fraction of the time.

With a few store-bought spices, a handful of fresh ingredients, and about 30 minutes of prep time, you’ll have the best-ever birria ready to dominate taco night. The only decision left is whether you’ll serve them with cervezas or margaritas.

Slow-Cooker Birria Taco Ingredients

• Chiles: A mix of dried chiles is key to the birria sauce, creating the earthy, smoky, aromatic depth needed for birria consommé. We opted for dried guajillo chiles and pasilla chiles, which you can find at specialty food stores, local bodegas and even mainstream supermarkets. Look for packages that have the stems removed to make prep easier.
• Veggies: In addition to dried chiles, you’ll need garlic, onion and a plum tomato for the sauce. While we wouldn’t suggest replacing the white onion with a more intense red one, you can use an heirloom or beefsteak tomato if that’s all you have on hand.
• Seasonings: Birria spices might seem intimidating at first, but you likely won’t need to buy new seasonings. Most of the spices here are probably already in your pantry: dried thyme, whole peppercorns, cumin seeds, chicken bouillon granules and Mexican oregano. Plus a few bay leaves, which everyone has somewhere in the back of the spice rack.
• Beef: The goal here is melt-in-your-mouth beef, and boneless beef chuck roast is the best cut to get you there. You’ll need about 3 pounds, quartered, although you could double the recipe if you’re batching birria for a crowd or planning to freeze extra filling for another day.
• Corn tortillas: Twenty might seem like an extreme number of tortillas, but trust us—they go fast. Keep another pack on hand just in case, and feel free to use smaller or larger tortillas depending on your preference. Just be sure your skillet or griddle is large enough to accommodate bigger ones.
• Cheese: You can make birria tacos without cheese, but I think this is the best part. Shredded Oaxaca is classic and ideal for an indulgent cheese pull. You can use another melting cheese, like Chihuahua or Monterey Jack.
• Toppings: Perfectly executed birria tacos are divine all by themselves, but we won’t fault you for setting up a taco bar with chopped onion, cilantro, radish rounds or a spritz of lime juice.

Directions

Step 1: Rehydrate the chiles

In a large bowl, combine the chiles and hot water, and let them stand for 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Rehydrating the peppers breathes new life into the dried chiles. You’ll know they’re ready when they’ve softened and plumped up.

Step 2: Make the consommé

Add the chiles and the soaking liquid to a blender, along with half an onion, the tomatoes, garlic, bouillon granules, peppercorns, thyme, oregano and cumin. Puree the mixture until smooth, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to eliminate any chunky pieces.

Editor’s Tip: You’re going for a silky consommé, not a chunky salsa, so the sieve is important. But if you don’t have one, a regular mesh strainer will also work. Just use the back of a spoon to press as much of the sauce through as possible. No sauce spared on our watch!

Step 3: Sear the beef

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, then add the chuck roast. Sear it until a nice golden brown crust has formed, about two to three minutes per side.

Editor’s Tip: Searing is the handy step that turns making birria beef from an all-day affair into a slow-cooker cinch—without sacrificing flavor.

Step 4: Slow-cook the birria

Transfer the roast to the slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and remaining onion half. Add the strained sauce, and stir to combine. Cook the beef, covered, on low until it’s tender, five to six hours.

Editor’s Tip: You’ll know your beef is ready when your kitchen smells like a taqueria and the chuck pulls apart easily with a fork.

Step 5: Shred the meat

Remove and discard the onion pieces and bay leaves. Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Shred it with two forks before returning it to the slow cooker.

Step 6: Make the tacos

Working one at a time, dip a tortilla into the cooking liquid, coating it thoroughly. Place the tortilla onto a griddle, comal or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle it with cheese if desired, and cook it until the cheese melts. Top it with beef, and fold the tortilla over to form a taco. Serve tacos with your desired toppings and a side of the cooking liquid.

Editor’s Tip: For authentic texture, cook the folded tortilla until crisp and golden on both sides.

Slow-Cooker Birria Tacos Variations

• Switch up the protein: Birria tacos are usually made with beef or goat, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this saucy, cheesy taco if you’re not a red meat eater. You can employ the same slow-cooker technique for chicken or pork (birria carnitas are downright delicious). You can even make plant-based meats like tempeh or jackfruit, which resemble pulled pork once cooked down.
• Turn up the heat: Prefer your tacos on the spicy side? Throw some diced green chiles into the slow cooker, blend a few dried arbol chiles into the sauce, or top the finished tacos with sliced serranos for a little kick.
• Make them low carb: You can easily swap in jicama rounds or lettuce wraps as your taco shell. It’s the same goodness inside, just in a lighter package.
• Turn them into nachos: Birria nachos have everything you love about the taco, only layered onto a bed of crispy tortilla chips. Saucy, slow-cooked, shredded beef, ooey-gooey cheese, herbaceous cilantro and zippy onions piled high? I sense a new favorite!

How to Store Slow-Cooker Birria Tacos

Store the birria beef filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can store the beef in the consommé cooking liquid, but keep it separate from the tortillas and toppings.

Can you make slow-cooker birria ahead of time?

If you’re prepping birria tacos the day before a party or game, make the slow-cooked beef as directed and return the shredded beef to the cooking liquid. Keep it in the fridge until about an hour before you’re ready to fry up the tacos. Reheat the filling in the slow cooker until it reaches 165°F, or reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop. Keep the tortillas in a sealed bag so they don’t go stale, and prep any toppings and herbs in individual containers so you can set up your taco bar at the very last minute.

Can you freeze slow-cooker birria?

You can freeze slow-cooked birria beef for up to three months. Transfer the beef and some of the consommé to a freezer-safe container and seal it tightly. Be sure to label it; a frozen pint of taco meat can look an awful lot like Bolognese or chili.

We wouldn’t recommend freezing fully assembled, cooked tacos, which can turn soggy and lose their signature crispness. Your best bet is to keep the beef and cooking liquid separate from the tortillas, cheese and toppings, then assemble and sear your tacos when you’re ready for round two.

Slow-Cooker Birria Taco Tips

What’s the best cut of meat to use for crockpot birria tacos?

We like to make slow-cooker birria with boneless chuck roast. It produces plenty of flavor-packed fat for the cooking liquid, and saves you the hassle of removing the meat from the bones. Plus, it becomes fork-tender after a few hours in the slow cooker.

That said, you can absolutely use a bone-in chuck roast or beef short ribs. The only cuts we wouldn’t suggest are especially lean ones like sirloin or tenderloin. They can dry out during the low-and-slow cooking process.

How long should you cook birria in a slow cooker?

For 3 to 4 pounds of meat, plan on roughly six to eight hours on the low setting on your slow cooker. It may be ready closer to the six-hour mark since you’ll be quartering the chuck roast first. Either way, we highly recommend giving your meat the ol’ fork test toward the end to see how it’s doing. Once the beef pulls apart easily, you’re good to go. Slow-cooker birria tacos will save you a ton of time, but the last thing you want to do is overcook your meat and dry it out.

Should you make birria tacos with flour or corn tortillas?

Most people are strictly divided when it comes to flour or corn tortillas for tacos, but in the case of birria tacos, you really want to lean into corn. They’re the traditional choice, and they crisp up beautifully once dipped in the rich, chile-stained fat from the m. Flour tortillas don’t have the same texture—and trust us, that crispy exterior is the whole point.