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Three crispy birria tacos on a dark plate with rich red-stained corn tortillas folded and filled with shredded beef and melted stretchy white cheese, small bowl of deep red consommé broth beside th...
Sarah Mitchell

Easy Birria Tacos (Crispy and Saucy)

Birria tacos went viral for a reason — there's nothing quite like biting into a crispy tortilla that's been dipped in rich red consommé, stuffed with melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef and melty cheese. They're messy, they're addictive, and now you can make them at home with a slow cooker.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 580
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Birria Beef
  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 3-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the Chile Sauce
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 dried chiles de arbol (optional, for heat)
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Consommé
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • Reserved braising liquid from the slow cooker
  • Salt to taste
For Assembly
  • 24 small corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
  • 1 white onion, finely diced
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Lime wedges

Equipment

  • Slow cooker (6-quart or larger)
  • Blender
  • Large skillet for searing
  • Flat griddle or large skillet for tacos
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Tongs and spatula

Method
 

  1. Toast the dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant and slightly puffed. Don't let them burn or they'll turn bitter. Place them in a bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes until softened.
  2. Season the beef chuck chunks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Transfer the seared beef to your slow cooker.
  3. Add the soaked chiles with their soaking liquid, fire-roasted tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, black pepper, and salt to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Pour the chile sauce over the seared beef in the slow cooker. Add 3 cups of beef broth. The liquid should mostly cover the meat. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  5. Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat or gristle. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl — this is your consommé. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
  6. To assemble each taco, dip a corn tortilla into the warm consommé so it's coated in the red liquid on both sides. Place it on a hot griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.
  7. Add a small handful of shredded cheese to one half of the dipped tortilla, then top with a generous portion of shredded birria beef. Fold the tortilla in half and press gently with a spatula.
  8. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until the tortilla is crispy and deeply golden-red and the cheese is melted. The consommé-dipped tortilla should be crunchy on the outside.
  9. Serve the crispy tacos immediately topped with diced white onion and fresh cilantro, with lime wedges on the side.
  10. Ladle the warm consommé into small bowls for dipping. The best bite is dunking each taco into the rich broth before eating.

Notes

The quality of your dried chiles makes or breaks this recipe — look for chiles that are pliable and deeply colored, not dusty or brittle. Toast them just until fragrant (about 30-60 seconds per side) and don't let them blacken. For the crispiest tacos, make sure your griddle is nice and hot before laying down the consommé-dipped tortillas. A well-seasoned cast iron pan or flat griddle works best. Skim the fat from the top of the consommé for a cleaner broth, or leave it for extra richness.