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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
Cook Time 9 hours 11 minutes
Cooling 5 minutes
Total Time 9 hours 31 minutes
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.