Best Birria Tacos Recipe

I’m sharing my Crockpot Birria Tacos Recipe that combines slow-cooked shredded beef braised in chipotle-spiced jus with cheese-stuffed corn tortillas, pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and the braising liquid for dipping.

I can’t stop thinking about my Best Birria Tacos. Slow cooked beef chuck roast falls apart and soaks up that smoky heat from canned chipotle chiles in adobo, and honestly it’s a little dangerous how addictive it is.

It’s not pretty, its messy, full of flavor and the kind of food that makes you talk with your mouth full. I love how every bite hits different, sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, always rich.

If you like bold tacos that make you forget about plain old dinner, this one will totally change the game for you. Try it once and you’ll see why it’s taken over the internet.

Ingredients

• Beef chuck roast: Rich in protein and collagen, makes tacos meaty and rich, not lean.
• Guajillo and ancho chiles: Provide deep smoky sweet heat, add vitamins and some fiber.
• Chipotle in adobo: Smoky hot, adds tangy slight sweetness, brings big flavor.
• Garlic: Adds pungent savory punch, has immune boosting compounds and antioxidants.
• Onion: Sweet and sharp when cooked, gives body and natural sweetness.
• Roma tomatoes: Bright acidity, balances richness, source of vitamin C and lycopene.
• Beef broth: Adds savory depth, hydrates the meat and boosts umami flavor.
• Corn tortillas: Corn brings light crunch and aroma, gluten free, modest carbs for fuel.
• Cilantro and lime: Fresh herbs and citrus cut richness, add bright herbal citrusy notes.
• Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese: Melts creamy, gives gooey texture and salty richness, adds fat.

Ingredient Quantities

• 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• 5 dried guajillo chiles
• 2 dried ancho chiles
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 large white onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (prefer Mexican oregano)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 to 16 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 2 limes
• For pico de gallo: 2 roma tomatoes, 1 small white onion, 1 jalapeño, handful cilantro and juice of 1 lime, salt to taste

How to Make this

1. Prep chiles and veggies: remove stems and seeds from 5 guajillo and 2 ancho chiles, quick-toast them in a dry skillet 20–30 seconds each until fragrant but not burned, then soak in hot water 15 minutes. While they soak, roast 2 roma tomatoes, 1 large white onion (halved), and 6 garlic cloves in the same skillet or under the broiler until charred in spots. Keep the other 2 roma tomatoes, 1 small white onion, jalapeño, handful of cilantro and 1 lime for pico de gallo later.

2. Brown the beef: heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and sear 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast chunks in batches until well browned on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Season with 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper while searing. Transfer browned beef to the slow cooker.

3. Make the braising sauce: dump drained guajillo and ancho chiles into a blender with the charred tomatoes and onion, roasted garlic, 2 canned chipotle chiles plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 3 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Blend until very smooth, adding a splash of the chile soaking liquid if needed to help blend.

4. Combine and season in slow cooker: pour the blended sauce over the seared beef. Tuck in 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves, and 2 bay leaves. Add any remaining beef broth so the meat is mostly covered. Taste for salt now or wait until shredding and adjust to 1–2 teaspoons kosher salt total. Cover and cook low 6–8 hours or high 4–5 hours until beef is falling-apart tender.

5. Make pico de gallo while the beef cooks: dice the reserved 2 roma tomatoes, 1 small white onion and 1 jalapeño (seed if you want less heat), chop a handful of cilantro, squeeze juice of 1 lime, and season with salt to taste. Toss and let sit to meld.

6. Shred beef and strain consomé: remove beef to a cutting board, shred with forks. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing solids to extract flavor. Skim excess fat from the top with a spoon or refrigerate briefly and remove hardened fat.

7. Reduce consomé for dipping: simmer the strained liquid until slightly reduced and concentrated, about 10–15 minutes, taste and adjust salt. Keep it warm for dipping and to dip tortillas.

8. Assemble and fry quesabirria tacos: heat a skillet with a tablespoon of oil over medium. Dip a corn tortilla quickly into the warm consomé, place in skillet, sprinkle 2–3 tablespoons shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese on half, add a few tablespoons of shredded beef, fold tortilla over to a half moon and press lightly. Fry until crisp and cheese melted, about 2 minutes per side, dipping the tortilla again in consomé between tacos if it cools. Repeat until 12–16 tortillas used.

9. Serve: plate tacos topped with chopped cilantro, pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime. Serve the warm reduced braising liquid on the side for dipping. Tip: press the cooked solids in the strainer to get every bit of juice, and if you want extra heat add another chipotle or some of the reserved adobo. Enjoy, they’re messy but worth it.

Equipment Needed

1. Heavy skillet or cast-iron pan, for toasting chiles, roasting tomatoes/onion and searing beef
2. Slow cooker or crockpot, to braise the chuck until fall-apart tender
3. Blender (high speed or regular), to make a very smooth chile-tomato sauce
4. Fine-mesh sieve, to strain and press the braising solids for consomé
5. Cutting board and a sharp chefs knife, for chopping and trimming meat and veggies
6. Tongs and two forks, for moving seared meat and shredding it later
7. Large saucepan, to reduce the strained consomé for dipping
8. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth, vinegar and spices
9. Spatula/turner and a small ladle, for frying and dipping tortillas while you make tacos

FAQ

Best Birria Tacos Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Beef chuck roast: use boneless short ribs or beef brisket (same 3 to 4 lb). They may need a little longer braise but give the same rich, shreddable meat. Or try lamb shoulder if you want a different flavor.
• Dried guajillo or ancho chiles: swap with pasilla or New Mexico chiles, same count. If you have no dried chiles, use 3 tbsp mild chili powder plus 1 tsp smoked paprika to mimic color and flavor.
• Chipotle in adobo: substitute 1 to 2 tsp chipotle powder plus 1 tsp tomato paste, or use 1 tsp smoked paprika and a splash of hot sauce for smokiness if you’re out of cans.
• Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese: use Monterey Jack, Chihuahua, or a mix of mozzarella and mild cheddar for good melt and flavor, same 2 cups.

Pro Tips

1) Chill and control the chiles: toast them just until fragrant, not blackened, then soak longer if they seem stiff. Save some of the soaking liquid to thin the blender, but go easy cause it can water down flavor. When you blend hot stuff, remove as much air as you can from the blender, start on low and hold the lid with a towel so it doesnt blow off.

2) Get the meat really dry and brown it right: pat the chuck chunks super dry then sear in batches on high heat so you get a deep brown crust, thats where most of the flavor is. Dont crowd the pan or you’ll just steam the meat. After searing, scrape up the browned bits with a splash of broth and add them back to the sauce, they matter.

3) Treat the consomé like gold: strain everything well and press the solids to extract every drop, then decide if you want to remove fat or keep it. Chill briefly and lift the hardened fat if you want a clean dip, or skim a little and leave some for richness. Reduce gently to concentrate flavor but stop before it gets too salty or bitter.

4) Tortilla and assembly hacks: warm tortillas first so they bend without tearing, dip them quickly in warm consomé and put cheese on first to act like glue, then add meat. Use a little oil in the pan and press with a spatula to get crunchy edges, or double up tortillas if they’re falling apart. If you want more heat, stir a bit of adobo or chopped chipotle into the shredded meat, not the whole sauce, so you can control spice per taco.