Slow Cooker Birria Recipe
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
8 hours
Servings:
6 servings
Ingredients
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3-5 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 3-4 pounds beef short ribs
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 yellow onions, quartered
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 5 dried guajillo peppers, stemmed and deseeded
  • 4 dried chiles de árbol, stemmed and deseeded
  • 3 dried ancho chile peppers, stemmed and deseeded
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • ½ tablespoon chili powder
Directions
  1. Season the beef with salt and pepper on all sides.
  2. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat until almost smoking. When very hot, add the chuck roast and sear until deeply golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chuck roast and repeat the searing process with the short ribs, searing each side until deeply golden brown. The meat will not be cooked through at this stage.
  3. Add the chuck roast and short ribs to a slow cooker along with the onions, tomato, garlic, chiles, cinnamon, bay leaves, beef stock, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 6-7 hours. Stir occasionally, ensuring that the meat is covered in liquid and the chiles are submerged.
  4. Once beef is fork-tender, remove from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Discard any bones.
  5. Add the chiles, tomato, onion, and garlic to a blender and blend until very smooth. Combine with 1 cup broth from the slow cooker, or more for the desired consistency (for tacos, use 2 cups). Discard any remaining broth and solids. Season consomé with salt to taste.
  6. To serve as a stew, add the shredded beef to the consomé. Serve with rice. To serve as tacos, heat an oiled skillet over medium low heat. Dip a tortilla into the consomé to coat. Place it in the skillet and add ¼ cup shredded beef, white onion, and cilantro. Heat until tortilla is bubbling, then fold into a taco. Brush each side with consomé, then remove from the skillet. Serve tacos with extra consomé for dipping.