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The chile sauce turns a deep brick red as soon as the softened peppers hit the blender, and the smell is warm and earthy without being fiery. I make this Crockpot Mexican Birria when I want beef that can go from slow cooker to table with very little hands-on work. The chuck cooks in a sauce made from dried chiles, tomatoes, vinegar, and spices, then gets shredded right back into its cooking broth.

Cutting the roast into generous 3-inch chunks gives the beef time to become fork-tender without breaking down before the long cook is over. The sauce starts with whole dried guajillo and ancho chiles, so they get toasted and softened before blending; that little bit of prep gives the broth its smooth texture and layered chile flavor.

After the slow cooker has done its work, the beef is tender enough to pull apart with two forks, and every strand gets coated in the rich red broth.

Why Those 3-Inch Chuck Chunks Hold Up Through a Long Slow Cook

Slow-cooked beef can go wrong in two opposite ways: pieces that are too small can lose their shape before the sauce is ready, while a large intact roast takes longer for the seasoning to surround. Cutting the chuck into 3-inch chunks gives the chile mixture plenty of surface to coat while leaving the pieces substantial enough to cook gently for hours.

That size also makes the finish easier to judge. When the beef is ready, a fork should slide in without much resistance and the meat should pull apart easily. If a piece still feels tight or springs back when you try to shred it, it needs more time in the cooker; don’t force it apart while the fibers are still firm.

The slow cooker keeps the beef surrounded by the blended chile mixture as it cooks, so the finished broth carries the beef’s savory juices along with the chile, tomato, and spice. Shredding the meat into that liquid at the end helps the strands stay coated instead of sitting dry on top.

Why Guajillo and Ancho Belong in the Same Smooth Sauce

• Dried guajillo and ancho chiles — These whole chiles build the sauce’s color and chile character. Choose peppers that still bend a little rather than ones that crumble to dust; very old, brittle chiles can taste flat. Toasting and simmering them first softens their skins so the blender can make a smooth sauce. Chili powder isn’t a like-for-like substitute here, since it won’t give the sauce the same body or texture.
• Beef chuck roast — Chuck is well suited to a long, moist cook because it becomes tender enough to shred while still bringing a rich beef flavor to the broth. Cut away any unusually large, hard pieces of surface fat, but leave the roast’s normal marbling in place. Another lean cut won’t give the same tender, succulent result.
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes and apple cider vinegar — The tomatoes make the chile puree fuller, while the vinegar gives the sauce a tart edge against the beef. Use the tomatoes undrained so their juices go into the blender too. The fire-roasted variety brings a gently toasted note; plain diced tomatoes will make the sauce less smoky.
• Beef broth — Broth softens the dried chiles and helps the blended sauce pour over the beef. A regular store-brand beef broth works well; the main thing is to use beef broth rather than water, which would leave the cooking liquid less savory.
• Cumin, Mexican oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves — Together, these ground spices give the sauce warmth and depth without taking over the dried chiles. Mexican oregano is a useful choice for its distinct herbal note; if you only have another type of dried oregano, the sauce will still work but the flavor will be a little different.

From Toasted Chiles to Fork-Tender Birria

Season the Beef in the Slow Cooker

Set the 3-inch chunks of chuck in a 6-quart slow cooker and season them with kosher salt and black pepper. Spread the beef in an even layer so the chile mixture can reach the pieces as it goes in. There’s no need to brown the meat first; the sauce and long, covered cook build the flavor here. Keep the slow cooker close by while you make the puree so the beef is ready to receive it.

Toast and Soften the Dried Chiles

Warm a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, then toast the stemmed and seeded guajillo and ancho chiles for about 30 seconds on each side, until fragrant. They should smell warm and toasty, not scorched; blackened patches can make the sauce taste bitter. Pour in 1 cup of the beef broth, bring it to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, turning the chiles occasionally so they soften evenly. Let the chiles and their broth cool for five minutes before blending.

Blend the Chile Mixture Until Smooth

Transfer the chiles and their broth to a blender, then add the remaining beef broth, quartered onion, garlic, undrained fire-roasted tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and all the ground spices. Blend until the sauce looks even, with no large pieces of onion or chile skin visible. If the puree is still visibly flecked with large pieces, keep blending rather than pouring a rough mixture over the beef. Scrape the sauce over the seasoned chuck.

Slow-Cook, Shred, and Stir

Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and reaches at least 145°F in the thickest piece. The meat, not the clock alone, tells you when it’s ready: a fork should pull the chunks apart without a tug-of-war. Remove and discard the bay leaves, shred the beef with two forks, and stir it back into the broth. The finished strands should be coated in the red cooking liquid.

Two Texture Changes for the Same Chile-Braised Beef

Questions That Come Up While the Birria Cooks

Crockpot Mexican Birria

Crockpot Mexican birria slow-cooks beef chuck in a smooth blend of toasted guajillo and ancho chiles, tomatoes, and warm spices. The beef turns fork-tender and is shredded right into its rich chile broth for serving.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 9 hours hrs 11 minutes mins

Cooling 5 minutes mins

Total Time 9 hours hrs 31 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 630

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 lb beef chuck roast boneless, cut into 3-inch chunks
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 guajillo chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
• 2 ancho chiles dried, stemmed and seeded
• 1.5 cup beef broth divided
• 1 yellow onion medium, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained
• 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp Mexican oregano dried
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground cloves
• 2 bay leaves

Equipment

• 1 6-quart slow cooker
• 1 2-quart saucepan
• 1 blender

Method

 

1. Put the beef in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for about 30 seconds per side, until fragrant.
4. Add 1 cup of the beef broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, turning the chiles occasionally, until softened.
5. Let the chiles cool for 5 minutes.
6. Transfer the chiles and their broth to a blender, then add the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar, cumin, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, and cloves.
7. Blend until smooth.
8. Pour the chile mixture over the beef and add the bay leaves.
9. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and reaches at least 145°F in the thickest piece.
10. Discard the bay leaves.
11. Shred the beef with two forks.
12. Stir the shredded beef into the broth before serving.

Notes

For a richer broth, skim excess fat before shredding the beef. Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze them; use low-sodium beef broth as a lower-sodium swap if desired.