Slow Cooker Birria
This birria is built around dried chiles and slow cooking. The sauce is blended smooth before cooking it with the beef, and time does the rest. The finished slow cooker birria is rich, succulent and spicy.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Pot Large
- Blender or Stick Blender or Food Processor
- Slow Cooker 7-Quart
- Slotted Spoon or Metal Tongs
Ingredients
- 4 Pounds boneless beef chuck roast cut into 3 or 4-inch chunks
- 8 dried guajillo chiles rinsed, deseeded, and stems removed
- 4 dried ancho chiles rinsed, deseeded and stems removed
- 4 chili de arbol rinsed, deseeded, and stems removed
- 4 tomatoes large, quartered
- 2 yellow onions medium, quartered
- 6 Cloves garlic large, peeled
- 2 Teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 3 Cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 2 Teaspoons black pepper
- 2 Teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon cooking oil any kind
Instructions
Prepare the Birria Sauce
- Add a tablespoon of oil to a large pot over a medium heat.
- Once hot, add the onions, garlic and tomatoes and saute for about 7 minutes until softened.
- Add the chilies along with 2 cups of the beef broth, bring the mixture to a boil and the turn the heat down.
- Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the chiles have softened.
Blend the Sauce
- Transfer the onions, garlic, tomatoes and chiles into a blender.
- Add a cup of unheated beef broth and then blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot and add Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper, stirring well to mix.
Fill the Slow Cooker
- Put the beef chunks in a slow cooker.
- Pour in the sauce you just made over the beef and top with the bay leaves.
Slow Cook the Beef Birria
- Cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- Remove the beef to a chopping board and shred it into smaller pieces with a pair of forks.
- Add the beef back into the sauce and mix.
Serve and Enjoy
- Serve garnished with fresh cilantro, lime juice and/or diced onions if liked.
- You can make tacos, burritos, bowls, or quesadillas with the birria, adding any toppings and/or sides you want.
Notes
Low setting: Cooking on low produces the most tender beef.
Sauce coverage: Make sure the meat stays mostly submerged for even cooking, flavor infusion and moisture.
Rest time: Let the birria sit for a few minutes after cooking so the bubbling calms down and the meat settles back into the sauce before serving.
Sauce coverage: Make sure the meat stays mostly submerged for even cooking, flavor infusion and moisture.
Rest time: Let the birria sit for a few minutes after cooking so the bubbling calms down and the meat settles back into the sauce before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 1861mg | Potassium: 1350mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 739IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 7mg
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