These Crockpot birria tacos are made with fall-apart tender beef, crispy pan-fried tortillas, and rich consommé for dipping. This easy slow cooker birria taco recipe cooks low and slow for 8 hours, giving you restaurant-quality birria tacos with minimal hands-on work.
I created this recipe for home cooks who want authentic birria tacos without spending hours at the stove. The slow cooker does the heavy lifting, and my Mexican street corn salad recipe makes the perfect side for an easy taco night.
Recipe Summary: Crockpot Birria Tacos
- ✅ Recipe Name: Crockpot Birria Tacos
- 🕒 Ready In: 8 hours, 30 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 12 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 177 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Beef chuck roast, dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, beef broth, onion
- 📖 Dietary Info: Slow cooker recipe, make-ahead friendly, freezer-friendly
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Rich, authentic flavor with tender shredded beef and crispy tacos, all with minimal hands-on work.
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My first encounter with the internet-famous birria tacos happened on an impromptu weekend trip with friends to check out the Mi Pueblito Tacos truck in Philly. When I agreed to head downtown for tacos, I never expected to wait in line for more than two hours.
But the moment I took my first bite: hunched over the hood of a Toyota Camry on a random street corner, it all made sense. The crispy tortillas, tender beef, and rich consommé were unforgettable, and I knew I had to recreate that experience at home with an easy slow cooker version. If you're as taco-obsessed as I am, my taco skillet is another weeknight favorite.
"I often hesitate to order Birria at restaurants because it has to be made just right, and I have to say this was perfect. My partner also gave it endless praise". - KP ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Why you'll love this recipe
- Rich, authentic flavor. Searing the beef before it slow cooks creates deep, caramelized flavor, while the dried chiles and spices build a rich, savory consommé.
- Easy slow cooker recipe. Once the beef is seared, the Crockpot does the rest, giving you fall-apart tender beef with minimal hands-on work.
- Customizable consommé. Blend the sauce for a thicker, richer consistency or strain it for a traditional consommé that's perfect for dipping.
What is Birria?
Birria (or birria de res) is a traditional Mexican beef stew slow-cooked with dried chiles and spices until the meat is incredibly tender. In this Crockpot Birria recipe, the flavorful consommé doubles as both the braising liquid and the dipping sauce for crispy birria tacos.
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Ingredients
- Boneless beef chuck roast. The best cut for slow cooker birria thanks to its rich marbling. It becomes fall-apart tender after hours of slow cooking, making it perfect for shredding. Boneless short ribs are another great option. If you love slow-cooked recipes, my crockpot bbq pork iis another easy way to turn a tougher cut of meat into something incredibly tender.
- Dried guajillo chiles. Mild, smoky, and full of flavor, these dried chiles create the signature rich consommé without adding much heat. Most grocery stores carry them in the international aisle, or you can order them online. For even deeper flavor, toast them in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. No soaking is needed.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo. Add smoky heat and extra depth to the broth. You'll only use a few peppers, so freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Cinnamon stick. Infuse the consommé with subtle warmth and complexity as it cooks. Remove and discard before serving. A whole cinnamon stick work much better than ground cinnamon for this recipe.
- Apple cider vinegar. Balances the richness of the beef and chile sauce with a touch of acidity, giving the consommé a brighter, more balanced flavor.
See the recipe card at the end for the full list of ingredients with the quantities.
Variations
| Make it milder. | Remove the seeds from the dried guajillo chiles and use fewer chipotle peppers in adobo for less heat. |
| Use another cut of beef. | Boneless short ribs are a great substitute for chuck roast and become just as tender. |
| Make quesabirria. | Add Oaxaca cheese before the beef for cheesy, crispy birria tacos. |
| Blend or strain the consommé. | Blend it for a thicker, richer sauce or strain it for a traditional dipping broth. |
How to make Crockpot Birria Tacos
- Step 1: Sear the beef. Season the chuck roast and brown it on all sides in a hot skillet to build deeper flavor.
- Step 2: Add everything to the slow cooker. Place the seared beef in the Crockpot with the dried chiles, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, broth, vinegar, and spices.
- Step 3: Cook until tender. Cover and cook on Low for about 8 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender and shreds easily.
- Step 4: Shred the beef. Transfer the cooked beef to a cutting board or sheet pan, remove any large pieces of fat, and shred it with two forks. Remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves, and discard.
- Step 5: Strain the consommé. For a more traditional dipping consommé, strain the cooking liquid instead of blending it. You can also blend half and leave half strained for a consistency somewhere in between.
- Step 6: Blend the consommé (optional). Blend the cooking liquid until smooth for a rich, flavorful sauce.
How to assemble the Crockpot Birria Tacos
- Step 7: Sauce your shredded beef. Ladle a bit of strained or blended consommé over the beef, and toss to combine.
- Step 8: Dip your tortillas. Dip the tortillas into the consommé until lightly coated.
- Step 9: Build your tacos. Layer on oaxaca cheese, sauced beef, finely diced onion, and cilantro leaves.
- Step 10: Fry the tacos. Fry your tacos over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 11: Gently fold over into a half-moon shape. Add a small ladle of consommé to the top of the tortilla.
- Step 12: Flip. Fry on the other side for 2-3 minutes until warm and crispy.
"Delicious! We have tried a few Birria recipes and haven’t liked any. Finally found one we love! And it was easy to prepare. I love smelling yummy food cooking in the slow cooker, and this smelled divine." - Rachael
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Expert Tips
- Sear the beef first. Browning the chuck roast before slow cooking creates a deeper, richer flavor in both the beef and the consommé.
- Blend safely. Let the cooking liquid cool slightly before blending, and work in batches. An immersion blender also works well.
- Customize the consommé. Blend the broth for a thicker, richer sauce, or strain it for a more traditional dipping consommé.
- Skim the fat (optional). If you prefer a lighter broth, skim some of the fat from the top before blending or serving.
Crockpot Birria Tacos FAQs
Beef chuck roast is my favorite cut because its marbling becomes fall-apart tender after hours in the slow cooker. Boneless beef short ribs are another excellent option, or you can use a combination of the two for even richer flavor.
Cook the birria on Low for about 8 hours or High for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender enough to shred easily with two forks. Cooking it low and slow creates the most flavorful consommé and the best texture for birria tacos.
Crispy birria tacos with consommé for dipping are the most popular way to enjoy it, but birria is also delicious in quesabirria, burritos, birria quesadillas, nachos, rice bowls, or simply served as a hearty stew with rice and beans. For a complete meal, serve with my Mexican street corn salad and finish with a spicy pineapple margarita.
Absolutely! Birria is a great make-ahead meal because the flavors continue to develop as it rests. Store the shredded beef and consommé together or separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, then reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Yes. If cinnamon isn't your favorite, you can omit the cinnamon sticks. I don't recommend substituting ground cinnamon, which can overpower the consommé.
If you tried these Crockpot Birria Tacos or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Crockpot Birria Tacos Recipe
Video
Equipment
- crockpot
- blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs boneless chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or neutral oil , (plus more for taco frying)
- coarse ground salt and fresh ground pepper
- 4 dried Guajillo chiles
- 5-6 Chipotle chilis in adobo (from a can)
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 8 whole cloves garlic, smashed
- 32 oz beef stock or beef broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14.5 oz can Fire roasted diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup organic Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 dry bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
Tacos/fixings
- corn or flour tortillas
- lime wedges
- fresh cilantro leaves
- diced white onion
- shredded Oaxacan cheese (or Italian cheese/Mozzarella cheese)
Instructions
- Cooking the Beef/Consomme: 1. Heat avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat for 4-5 minutes. 2. Liberally salt and pepper beef, add to hot skillet, and sear on both sides, 5-6 minutes a side. 3. Add beef to crockpot with remaining ingredients, and stir. Cook on low heat, covered, for 8 hours. 4. After 8 hours, remove beef to a rimmed baking sheet, and shred with 2 forks. 5. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick from crockpot and discard. 6. Using a high powered blender or immersion blender, blend everything until a smooth sauce forms. ***If using a standard blender, allow liquid to cool to warm (don't blend piping hot liquid!), then carefully work in batches in the blender, being careful not to overfill. 7. Transfer sauce back to crockpot to keep warm. 8. Add 1 ½ to 2 cups of sauce to shredded beef and toss to coat. Tacos: 1. Dip doubled up tortilla into consomme, and lay flat in frying pan with a bit of avocado oil or neutral oil over medium heat. 2. To one half of the tortilla, add cheese, then meat, and top with diced onions and cilantro leaves. 3. Fry 2-3 minutes over medium heat, then flip other side to make a half moon. 4. Add a small ladle of consommé to the top of the tortilla. 5. Flip over, and fry 2-3 minutes more. **If not using cheese, 1 tortilla is fine.
Notes
- Customize the consommé. Blend the broth for a thicker, richer sauce, strain it for a traditional dipping consommé, or blend only half for a consistency somewhere in between.
- Dip, don't soak. Quickly dip each tortilla in the consommé before frying so it crisps up without becoming soggy.
- Use sturdy corn tortillas. Thicker white or yellow corn tortillas hold up best and develop the crispiest texture.
- For quesabirria. Add shredded Oaxaca cheese before the beef so it melts as the taco cooks.
- Instant Pot variation. Cut the beef into 2-inch chunks, sear, then pressure cook with the braising ingredients on High Pressure for 60 minutes followed by a natural release if time allows (or a manual release if needed). Shred the beef and prepare the consommé as directed.
Al Cuevas says
I made this the other night for my family (wife & 2 teenage kids). I made a little over 4 pounds of chuck roast and it was such a hit. This might be my new signature dish it was so good!!
Thank you
Sharon Farnell says
Thank you so much, Al! So happy you and yor family enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Anne Grasmick says
This sounds dumb but the recipe says to blend everything. Do you mean you blend the meat with the sauce? This can’t be right, correct?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Anne, you pull the meat and shred it, then blend everything but the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.Then you add a 1 1/2 -2 cups of sauce to the meat and toss, and use the rest for dipping/frying the tacos!
Kirsten says
I've never left a review on a Pinterest recipe in my life, but this was amazing. I'm a chef and currently working at a Mexican joint and this was great! Kudos kudos kudos! I sped up the process by using my dutch in the oven but gurl, amazing!
Sharon Farnell says
Thank you so much, Kirsten!! 🙂
Anna says
Wanting to make these for a party! Is there a rough estimate for how many tacos this makes?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Anna! The serving is 3 tacos, so I would say it makes anywhere from 24-30 tacos, if you're using smaller or fajita size tortillas.
Casey says
Hello I plan to make this tomorrow morning but could I prep all the liquids overnight and just pop the meat in the next morning?
Sharon Farnell says
Sorry for the late reply. I have not in the past, but I think it would be fine.
Abbey T says
I have a 1 year old who is my harshest critic and he asked for ?? (more) twice! So did my husband. Everything about this meal was a hit. It was easy to prep before work and finish when getting home. My husband asked for this to be on the weekly rotation<3
Sharon Farnell says
Thanks so much, Abbey! I am so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed- and I take a high honor in your harshest critic's approval! 🙂
Rachel says
I couldn’t find any Guajillo chiles but I got one large poblano pepper instead. Do you think that would work?
Sharon Farnell says
Was it a dried poblano?
Elizabeth says
This recipe turned out delicious! My four year old even asked for seconds. Fork tender and great depth of flavor. We topped with pickled red onions and avocado. Looking forward to adding this recipe to our rotation.
Sharon Farnell says
I am so happy to hear this, Elizabeth! The topping sound great! Thanks for stopping back to let me know 🙂
Elaf says
Hi! I don’t have access to any Guajillo chiles nor chipotle chilis in adobo . I have the chipotle sauce / dried habanero peppers/ fresh jalapeños. Any recommendations as to how to substitute them. Thank you!!!
Sharon Farnell says
Hi! The Guajillo chiles and chipotle chilis in adobo are a big part of what gives the birria it's flavor and smokiness. If you're chipotle sauce is bottled/like hot sauce, that may help a bit. I fear the jalapenos and habeneros will add a lot of heat, and not much else- so I wouldn't recommend using those. Do you have any dry chili powder or dry ancho chili powder?
Elaf says
Thank you for your prompt reply! I do have dry chilli powder and ancho powder. So you’d reccomend I put that? I also have liquid smoke if you believe that would help with the smokey flavor.. thank you!
Kaila Hyatt says
I’m worried the chipotles will be too spicy for us. Can I replace with something more mild?
Sharon says
Hi Kaila- if you are worried about the spice level, you could just use a tbsp or so of the sauce in the can, or omit them. Hope that helps!
Andy says
Hi! Can I cook on high for 4 hours instead on low for 8 hours?
Sharon Farnell says
I would aim for 5-6 hours on high to make sure the meat is tender!
Kay says
Do I need to chop the stems off of the peppers begore blending?
Sharon Farnell says
You can pop them off right before blending, yes!
Chris says
Hi, do I need to strain any of the blended ingredients so it’s not too thick?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Chris,
This recipe's sauce tends to come out thicker than a standard Birria, so if you are wanting a thinner consome, I would strain out about half before blending,
Natalie says
Hi! I'm hoping to make these, but it's for a party. Will the meat be just as good in a taco without frying? It will be too hard to fry the tacos for the party, so I was planning on serving the consume as a dipping sauce for the tacos. Any tips for this?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi! The meat is just as great without frying! If making for a party, I would dish out some of the finished sauce into a smaller crockpot, and toss the meat in some of the finished sauce in a larger crockpot- then keep both on warm for guests. if you want, you can add a bit of water or additional stock to the sauce on warm to keep it from getting too thick. Serve with tacos shells or tortillas (flour or corn) and plenty of shredded cheese and some chopped onions and cilantro. Also, I wanted to mention- if any of your guests are spice-averse, you may want to remove some of the seeds from the dried chilis to make the tacos a little more mild, and serve with hot sauce for guests who like a bit more spice. Hope that helps, and please let me know how they turn out! 🙂
Rose says
Hi I am making this now. I have about 6 pounds of meat in the crockpot and am wondering if I need to double the other ingredients. I want to make sure the flavor is there but also that there is enough sauce. I am so excited to see how this turns out. Thanks for sharing.
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Rose,
I think it really depends if you want a whole lot of extra sauce/consomme. You could always try the recipe as is, and then add a bit of beef broth to thin it out afterward of you find there isn't quite enough sauce at the end.
Bailey says
This was soooo spicy but so yummy lol. Definitely recommend taking the seeds out of the guajillo chiles before putting them in the crockpot. I don’t like spicy and the package said they were mild so i thought I could handle it but boy was I wrong lol. Flavor is amazing though
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Bailey, thanks for leaving a review! I'm sorry to hear it turned out a little too spicy, but I am glad you were able to enjoy it. I think taking the seeds out should do the trick!
Samantha says
Omg , I was very worried if I had just put my entire kitchen into my crockpot and it would come out bad. ...oh no ma'am. I think my husband might marry me again. Even my 11 year old said it was the best thing I've cooked.
I do have a question for you though. There is a terribly excessive amount of consume left. Do you think if I added some broth, could I use it with another chuck?
(I will note that I have small kids so instead of 4 Guajillo chiles, I added 2 Guajillo and 2 Pasilla chiles and then just removed them after cooking instead of blending them)
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Samantha- I am so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the recipe! If you have a lot of consume left, I think it would work well to cook another chuck in! You could either freeze or keep for a day or 2 in the fridge, If it doesn't look like a ton of liquid to submerge the seared beef in, I would add a touch more beef broth to the mix.
Hannah w says
This recipe turned out absolutely amazing! I couldn’t find full guajillo peppers in my area with out special ordering them but used ground dried guajillos and worked just the same! Whole family loved them! I’ll definitely be making these again!
Sharon Farnell says
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Hannah! Thanks for stopping back to let me know 🙂
Nicole says
Can’t wait to try! Jawns? You must be from Philly?
Sharon Farnell says
Hahaha, yep! Would love to hear what you think after you make it!
Nicole says
I’ll let you know! Go Phil’s and go birds today!