Get ready to fall in love with the most tender, flavorful, and ridiculously easy Crock Pot Birria Tacos. This recipe delivers that authentic, slow-simmered taste with minimal effort. We let the slow cooker do all the work, transforming a humble beef roast into a rich, savory filling for the ultimate cheesy, dippable tacos.
If you’ve ever craved the deep red, soul-warming consommé and succulent shredded beef of traditional birria but felt intimidated by the process, this recipe is your answer. It’s a game-changer for weeknight dinners and weekend feasts alike.
What Are Birria Tacos?
Birria is a traditional Mexican stew, originally from the state of Jalisco. It’s known for its rich adobo-style marinade made from dried chiles, herbs, and spices. The meat is slow-cooked until it’s fall-apart tender. Birria tacos, or quesabirria tacos as they’re often called when they include cheese, involve pan-frying the tortillas with the shredded meat and cheese until crispy. The final, crucial step is serving them with a side of the cooking liquid, known as consommé, for dipping.
Why You’ll Love This Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
- Incredibly Easy: This is a true “set it and forget it” meal. You simply blend the sauce, pour it over the beef, and let your slow cooker work its magic.
- Amazingly Tender: The low-and-slow cooking method breaks down the beef chuck roast until it’s unbelievably succulent and easy to shred.
- Authentic Flavor, Simplified: We use authentic dried chiles to build a deep, complex flavor profile for the consommé, but we skip the more labor-intensive steps of traditional recipes.
- Perfect for a Crowd: This recipe easily scales up to feed a family or a party. Everyone loves a taco night, and these birria tacos are guaranteed to impress.
The Key Ingredients for Authentic Flavor
The magic of birria lies in its sauce, which is built on a foundation of rehydrated dried chiles. Don’t be intimidated; they are easy to work with and provide a depth of flavor you can’t get from chili powder.
For the Birria Beef
- Beef Chuck Roast: This cut is perfect for slow cooking. Its marbling renders down over time, creating tender, juicy meat that soaks up all the flavor of the adobo sauce.
- Dried Guajillo Chiles: These are the workhorse of the sauce. They provide a beautiful red color and a mild, slightly fruity flavor with very little heat.
- Ancho Chiles: Ancho chiles are dried poblano peppers. They add a deep, smoky, and slightly sweet flavor that is essential for authentic birria.
- Chiles de Árbol: These are optional but recommended for a touch of heat. Use one or two for mild spice, or more if you like it hot.
- Roma Tomatoes & White Onion: These create the savory base of our sauce.
- Garlic, Spices, and Vinegar: We use a blend of whole garlic cloves, Mexican oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance the rich flavors.
For Assembling the Tacos
- Corn Tortillas: The traditional choice for birria. Their flavor is the perfect complement to the rich beef.
- Oaxaca Cheese: This is the best cheese for quesabirria. It’s a Mexican string cheese that melts beautifully, creating that iconic cheese pull. If you can’t find it, low-moisture mozzarella or Monterey Jack are good substitutes.
- Toppings: Finely diced white onion and fresh cilantro are classic. A squeeze of lime is essential to cut through the richness.
How to Make Birria Tacos in the Crock Pot
Making these Crock Pot Birria Tacos is a simple two-part process: first, you make the adobo sauce and cook the beef. Second, you assemble and fry the tacos. It’s that easy!
Step 1: Prepare the Adobo Sauce
First, toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet for about 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant. This step awakens their flavor. Then, remove the stems and seeds. Add the toasted chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a pot, cover with water, and simmer until everything is very soft. Transfer the softened ingredients to a blender with the spices, vinegar, and a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until completely smooth.
Step 2: Slow Cook the Beef
Cut the chuck roast into a few large pieces and season with salt and pepper. Place the beef in the bottom of your Crock Pot. Pour the blended adobo sauce over the beef. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Step 3: Shred the Beef & Prepare the Consommé
Carefully remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. Skim any excess fat from the top of the liquid remaining in the Crock Pot. This beautiful, rich liquid is your consommé for dipping! Taste it and season with additional salt if needed. Add a portion of the shredded beef back into the consommé to keep it moist.
Assembling the Perfect Quesabirria Taco
This is where the magic happens! To get that signature crispy, red-tinted tortilla, you’ll dip it into the fat you skimmed from the top of the consommé.
- Dip a corn tortilla into the consommé (or the skimmed fat), ensuring it’s lightly coated.
- Place the dipped tortilla on a hot, non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat.
- Top one half of the tortilla with a generous amount of Oaxaca cheese and a portion of the shredded birria beef.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, then fold the tortilla over. Pan-fry for another 2-3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is gloriously melted.
- Serve immediately with a small bowl of the warm consommé for dipping, topped with fresh cilantro and onion.
For a different take on slow-cooked comfort food, you might also enjoy this recipe for hearty ham and bean soup (coming soon). And if you’re a fan of taco-inspired meals, our easy taco rice bowl is another weeknight winner.
What to Serve with Birria Tacos
While these Crock Pot Birria Tacos are a complete meal on their own, a few simple sides can round out the feast. Consider a simple side of Mexican rice, refried beans, or a crisp cucumber salad to provide a cool contrast to the rich, savory tacos.
FAQs About Crock Pot Birria Tacos
For the most authentic flavor and deep red color, using dried guajillo and ancho chiles is highly recommended. They provide a complex, smoky, and slightly fruity flavor that chili powder can’t replicate. You can find them in most large grocery stores or online.
Store the shredded beef and the consommé in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the consommé gently on the stove. You can reheat the beef in the consommé or in a skillet before assembling fresh tacos.
This birria recipe is flavorful but not overly spicy. Guajillo and ancho chiles are mild. The heat comes from the optional chiles de árbol. You can add more for extra spice or omit them completely for a very mild version.
Beef chuck roast is the best choice for Crock Pot birria. It has excellent marbling, which breaks down during the long, slow cooking process, resulting in incredibly tender and flavorful meat that’s easy to shred.
While both are slow-cooked Mexican meat dishes, the main difference is the flavor base. Birria is characterized by its red, chile-based adobo sauce, which creates the consommé. Barbacoa is typically simpler, often seasoned with garlic, onion, and lime.
Share Your Creation!
We are so excited for you to try this Crock Pot Birria Tacos recipe! It’s a true crowd-pleaser that brings incredible, authentic flavor to your table with minimal fuss. Once you’ve made it, please leave a comment below and let us know what you think. And don’t forget to save this recipe to your favorite board on Pinterest!
Our Favorite Crock Pot Birria Tacos Recipe
Crock Pot Birria Tacos (The Easiest Authentic Recipe!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles (if using) in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant. Do not let them burn. Transfer the toasted chiles to a medium pot along with the tomatoes, quartered onion, and garlic. Cover with the beef broth or water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until everything is very soft.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a blender. Add the oregano, cumin, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot. Blend on high until the sauce is completely smooth.
- Season the chuck roast chunks with salt and pepper and place them in the bottom of your Crock Pot. Pour the blended adobo sauce over the beef. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
- Once the beef is fall-apart tender, carefully remove it from the Crock Pot and shred it using two forks. Skim any excess fat from the top of the liquid in the slow cooker and reserve it in a small bowl. The remaining liquid is the consommé. Season the consommé with salt to taste. You can add some of the shredded beef back into the consommé to keep it juicy.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the reserved fat (or directly into the consommé). Place the tortilla on the hot skillet. Top one half with shredded Oaxaca cheese and a portion of the shredded beef. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned, then fold the other half over. Press gently and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is fully melted.
- Serve the hot quesabirria tacos immediately with a side of the warm consommé for dipping. Garnish with chopped onion, cilantro, and a lime wedge.
Notes
Make-Ahead: The birria beef can be made a day or two in advance. Store the shredded meat and consommé separately in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stove before assembling the tacos.
