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.
Elaned says
Planning on making this recipe in the following days, will the Guajillo chiles make it spicy?
Sharon says
Hi!
The Guajillo chiles are typically less spicy than a jalapeno (they are considered low-medium spicy, with a smoky/sweet profile), so if you'd rather things have less heat, you could reduce the amount of them a bit. If you are very concerned about spice, I would work toward reducing the Chipotle chilis in adobo instead, as those pack a bit more substantial heat.
Elaned says
So I'm making it. Didn't add a stick of cinnamon and substituted it for ground cin, I also didn't have coriander so I didn't know what to subsitute it for. Other than that I'm in the first half of the cook time. The broth?, tastes a little vinegar-y and sweet. Hopefully it changes with time.
Sharon says
Hi!
I would not recommend using ground cinnamon. You can either omit the coriander, or use a bit of ground cumin. Hope it turned out good!
Monique says
We’re following the recipe verbatim (using 6 chili peppers from adobo sauce can) I was just wondering if it comes out extremely spicy or not? I’ve used those canned peppers before for chicken tinga and usually only use 2-3 and it’s pretty spicy so I’m wondering about using 6 with the other peppers it calls for.
I read some reviews where people talked about taking out the peppers before blending but what do you think?
Sharon says
Hi Monique, I would say if you are concerned with the spice, remove all the seeds from the dried hot chilis, and start conservatively with 2-3 chilis from the can!
Jordan says
This recipe is one of our new favorite meals, absolutely delicious!!
Sharon Farnell says
So happy to hear, Jordan!
Andy says
Wow! This was amazing. "Instantly one of my top favorites," - my wife.
This one is a keeper. Thanks.
Sharon Farnell says
So happy to hear you and your wife loved it, Andy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Sophie says
if i want to use a smaller crock pot, can i just halve the amount of ingredients?
Sharon Farnell says
I have not made a smaller batch, but I believe that should work fine, yes 🙂
Eddie says
Can this be done with pork? I have a lot of pork I need to used. Not sure if the amount of liquid from cooking would change or if anything else should be done. Thanks!
Sharon Farnell says
I have no tried it with pork , but if pork is used, I'd suggest pork shoulder. Let me know if you try it!
Lyss says
What can you use instead of the dried Guajillo chiles? None of the stores around me carry those!
Sharon Farnell says
You could possibly try dried New Mexico peppers. I also like to order my peppers on Amazon, or if there is an Aldi near you, they carry them (for very little cost!).
Johona says
I am making this per my son’s request for his birthday! I have never even tried before. I have just a little over 6 lbs of roast I was planning to double the recipe for other ingredients is this ok? Also I feel like 1/4 cup vinegar is a lot? I am getting up in a few hours to have it cook over night. Also do I need to extend the cook time?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi! I would cut the roast to fit, and skip doubling, or only increase the liquids by 1/4. The 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar is what the recipe calls for 🙂
Jared says
Hi there!! I’m trying this tomorrow because my brother sent me this recipe and I’m so excited to try. My grocery stores (I had to try 2) didn’t have guajilo peppers. What’s a good substitute?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Jared, I hope you found a good substitute as I am just seeing this, but dried anchos could work!
Melissa says
I made these tacos today and they were amazing! Thank you for sharing! Sure to be a crowd pleaser no matter the occasion.
Sarah says
First time making Birria ever and this turned out great! I was intimidated at first, but my family loved it!
Sharon Farnell says
Great to hear, Sarah!
Jerome A Davis says
This was amazing, I appreciate your recipe. It came out perfect with little to no leftovers. This was easy to follow and understand. My family loved this. Thank you very much.
Sharon Farnell says
Thanks so much Jerome! So happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
Shannan says
I only have ground ginger and couldn’t find chile de arbol only japones, I wonder if these will work ?
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Shannan,
I have not personally used japones, but from my reading, it sounds as if they would make a good sub. I prefer the flavor of fresh ginger, but you could use ginger paste, or a smaller portion of dried ginger.
Heidi Soper says
This is my second time making these. First time around I didn’t have the guajillio chilies and it came out great! This time around my husband ordered the chilies and I haven’t blended it yet, but taste a lot spicier. Told my husband may have to take them out before blending. Is there a way to kind of sweeten them up per se? As to not be as spicy? Maybe some brown sugar or add more apple vinegar or lime juice? I get it’s a Mexican recipe and it’s supposed to have a “bite,” but it’s kinda overpowering 😂 otherwise they are great! Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Heidi
Sharon Farnell says
Hi Heidi,
I have never had a dried guajillo come out that intensely spicy in the finished Birria, but I think if you felt it was too spicy, removing them before blending was a great idea. To help reduce the spice, I'd recommend maybe adding a bit of sugar, or even a pat of butter as well to help mellow the heat. More lime or vinegar may intensify the spice, so I would leave those be. Hope this helps!
Jess says
I don’t comment on recipes much, but this one deserves it. Absolutely delicious! Didn’t change one thing. If you’re using a bigger roast, the ingredients don’t all fit in crockpot.. So I just simmered the veggies and sauce separate to shrink it down a bit then poured on top of roast. Cut roast in half, because the cooking time will be longer for it to shred. My husband LOVES this recipe.
Sharon Farnell says
Thank you so much, Jess! So happy you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Michelle says
I made this recipe today and the meat was delicious and tender…the tortillas came out a bit soggy on the inside and not as crispy as I had thought they would be on the outside…any tips?
Sharon Farnell says
If you add a bit of neutral oil to the pan prior to frying, this can help crisp them up a bit more. I also find corn tortillas come out crispier than flour tortillas. So happy you enjoyed the recipe!