Birria Tacos (Slow Cooker)
The first time I dipped a birria taco in that consomé, I understood what people mean by “spiritual experience.” The crispy tortilla, the tender shredded beef, the melted cheese, and then that dip into the rich, deeply spiced, ruby-red consomé — it’s a flavour combination so perfect that I closed my eyes and forgot I was standing in my kitchen in suburban Chicago. For about three seconds, I was somewhere beautiful. Then my youngest spilled juice on the floor and reality returned. But those three seconds were magnificent.
Ingredients
For the Birria
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
- 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes 14oz
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper
For the Tacos
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
- Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges
Method
Make the Chilli Sauce
-
Toast the dried chillies in a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and pliable. Cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Drain. Blend the softened chillies with fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar, and a cup of beef broth until smooth. This sauce is the soul of birria — it should be deep red, aromatic, and complex.
Slow Cook
-
Place beef chunks in the crockpot. Pour the chilli sauce and remaining broth over the meat. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours until the beef falls apart with a fork. Shred the meat in the pot and stir it back into the consomé. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be rich, slightly spicy, and deeply savoury.
Make the Tacos
-
Dip a corn tortilla into the consomé (this is the key step that makes birria tacos different from regular tacos — the tortilla absorbs the chilli oil and turns red). Place the dipped tortilla on a hot skillet. Add shredded cheese and birria meat on one half. Fold and cook 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and the cheese is melted. The tortilla should be crunchy, stained red from the consomé, and slightly oily on the outside.
Serve
-
Plate the tacos alongside a small bowl of hot consomé for dipping. Top the tacos with diced white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Dip. Bite. Close your eyes. This is the ritual. The consomé dip is non-negotiable — eating birria tacos without the dip is like eating pierogi without sour cream. Technically possible. Spiritually wrong.
Slow Cooker Birria Tacos — Tender, Saucy, Worth the Hype
The first time I dipped a birria taco in that consomé, I understood what people mean by “spiritual experience.” The crispy tortilla, the tender shredded beef, the melted cheese, and then that dip into the rich, deeply spiced, ruby-red consomé — it’s a flavour combination so perfect that I closed my eyes and forgot I was standing in my kitchen in suburban Chicago. For about three seconds, I was somewhere beautiful. Then my youngest spilled juice on the floor and reality returned. But those three seconds were magnificent.
Birria is a Mexican stew traditionally made with goat or beef, braised for hours in a rich chilli sauce made from dried chillies, cumin, oregano, and cloves. The meat becomes fall-apart tender and intensely flavourful. Birria tacos take that braised meat, stuff it into corn tortillas with cheese, pan-fry until crispy, and serve alongside the braising liquid (consomé) for dipping. It’s essentially a Mexican version of what Polish cooking does with bigos — slow-braised meat in a deeply spiced sauce, eaten with something carby. Different continent, different spices, same philosophy: patience makes flavour.
Ingredients
For the Birria
- • 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- • 4 dried guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
- • 2 dried ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
- • 1 can (14oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
- • 1 large onion, quartered
- • 5 cloves garlic
- • 2 teaspoons cumin
- • 1 teaspoon oregano
- • 4 whole cloves
- • 1 cinnamon stick
- • 3 cups beef broth
- • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- • Salt and pepper
For the Tacos
- • Corn tortillas
- • Shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
- • Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges
How to Make It
Make the Chilli Sauce
Toast the dried chillies in a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and pliable. Cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Drain. Blend the softened chillies with fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, vinegar, and a cup of beef broth until smooth. This sauce is the soul of birria — it should be deep red, aromatic, and complex.
Slow Cook
Place beef chunks in the crockpot. Pour the chilli sauce and remaining broth over the meat. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5-6 hours until the beef falls apart with a fork. Shred the meat in the pot and stir it back into the consomé. Taste and adjust seasoning — it should be rich, slightly spicy, and deeply savoury.
Make the Tacos
Dip a corn tortilla into the consomé (this is the key step that makes birria tacos different from regular tacos — the tortilla absorbs the chilli oil and turns red). Place the dipped tortilla on a hot skillet. Add shredded cheese and birria meat on one half. Fold and cook 2-3 minutes per side until crispy and the cheese is melted. The tortilla should be crunchy, stained red from the consomé, and slightly oily on the outside.
Serve
Plate the tacos alongside a small bowl of hot consomé for dipping. Top the tacos with diced white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. Dip. Bite. Close your eyes. This is the ritual. The consomé dip is non-negotiable — eating birria tacos without the dip is like eating pierogi without sour cream. Technically possible. Spiritually wrong.
The Bigos Connection
Birria and bigos are philosophical siblings. Both are slow-braised meat dishes where time transforms tough cuts into tender, deeply flavoured stews. Bigos uses sauerkraut, kielbasa, and bay leaves for a tangy, smoky Polish flavour. Birria uses dried chillies, cumin, and cloves for a warm, spicy Mexican flavour. Both improve overnight. Both are better on day two. Both are the kind of recipe you make on a weekend and eat all week. When I make birria on Saturday and bigos on Sunday, my house smells like a cross-cultural paradise and my husband asks if we’re “opening a restaurant.” No. But I appreciate the compliment.
Tips
💡 Pro Tips
✓ Dried chillies are essential. Don’t substitute with chilli powder — the depth and complexity of dried guajillo and ancho chillies can’t be replicated. Find them in the Mexican section of any grocery store.
✓ Toast the chillies. Toasting activates the oils and deepens the flavour. 1-2 minutes in a dry pan until fragrant.
✓ Dip the tortilla in consomé BEFORE cooking. This is what makes the tortilla red, slightly oily, and flavourful. It’s the signature birria taco move.
✓ The consomé dip is mandatory. I cannot stress this enough. The dip is half the experience.
Variations
• Birria ramen: Serve the shredded birria in the consomé with ramen noodles. Mexican-Japanese fusion that the internet invented and I fully endorse.
• Birria quesadillas: Use flour tortillas instead of corn, extra cheese, and skip the consomé dip for a milder version.
• Extra spicy: Add 2-3 dried chile de arbol to the sauce blend. These small chillies pack serious heat.
How to Store
The braised meat and consomé keep 5 days in the fridge and freeze beautifully for 3 months. Make a big batch on the weekend and have birria tacos, burritos, and quesadillas all week. The flavour gets better every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are dried chillies and are they very spicy?
Guajillo and ancho chillies are mild to medium — they add rich, fruity, earthy flavour more than heat. They’re the backbone of Mexican mole and birria sauces. If your grocery store has a Mexican section, they’ll be there. Not scary. Not painful. Just deeply flavourful.
Is birria spicy?
Guajillo and ancho chillies are mild to medium — they add rich, earthy, warm flavour with manageable heat. It’s not blow-your-head-off spicy. My younger kids eat birria happily (I skip the extra chile de arbol for their portions). For adults who want fire: add 2-3 dried chile de arbol to the sauce blend, or serve with pickled jalapenos on top. The beauty of birria is that the base is deeply flavourful without being painful, so you can adjust heat per person. Same strategy I use across all my recipes: one base, customisable heat, everyone eats, nobody cries.
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