Slow Cooker Birria Tacos (Print View)
Tender slow-cooked beef in spiced chile broth served in crispy tortillas with fresh toppings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 3.3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
02 - 1.1 lbs beef short ribs, bone-in
→ Dried Chiles & Vegetables
03 - 3 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
04 - 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
05 - 1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
06 - 1 large onion, quartered
07 - 6 garlic cloves, peeled
08 - 2 large tomatoes, quartered
→ Spices
09 - 2 tsp ground cumin
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 cinnamon stick
14 - 4 whole cloves
15 - 2 bay leaves
16 - 1 tsp black peppercorns
17 - 1 Tbsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
→ Liquids
18 - 3 cups beef broth
19 - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
→ For the Tacos
20 - 18 corn tortillas
21 - 1 cup diced white onion
22 - 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
23 - Lime wedges, for serving
24 - 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
# How to Make:
01 - Toast the guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let soak for 10 minutes until softened.
02 - Combine the softened chiles, quartered onion, garlic cloves, quartered tomatoes, cumin, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of beef broth in a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
03 - Place the beef chuck chunks and short ribs in the slow cooker. Pour the blended sauce over the meat, then add the remaining beef broth and kosher salt. Stir to coat the meat evenly.
04 - Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the beef is fork-tender and easily pulls apart.
05 - Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Discard any bones. Skim excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, then strain the broth to create a clean consommé. Reserve the consommé for dipping.
06 - Heat a skillet over medium heat. Lightly dip each corn tortilla in the reserved consommé fat, place in the skillet, and top with shredded beef and cheese. Fold into a taco shape and cook until crispy and golden on both sides.
07 - Serve the crispy tacos topped with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges alongside a bowl of warm consommé for dipping.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The consommé alone is worth the effort and you will want to drink it straight from a mug
- Eight hours of hands off cooking means you get incredible food while basically doing nothing
02 -
- Straining the consommé is not optional because whole spices and chile skins will make the dipping broth gritty and unpleasant
- The fat layer on top of the consommé is what you want for crisping the tortillas so do not discard it before that step
03 -
- Cook this overnight and wake up to a house that smells incredible with almost all the work already done
- The consommé freezes beautifully so make the full batch even if you are only feeding two people