Slow Cooker Beef Birria

Averie Sunshine
4.67 from 3 votes
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
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Learn how to make 🌮🎉🧀 Beef Birria in a Slow Cooker that rivals a Mexican restaurant! Beef simmers in a chile-based broth which infuses it with smoky flavor and makes it incredibly tender! Use the birria to make the BEST birria tacos or quesabirria tacos. Each taco is stuffed with juicy beef, melty cheese, onions, fresh cilantro and dipped in chile broth. Truly the most unforgettable tacos of your life!

Three folded birria tacos filled with meat and melted cheese, garnished with chopped onions and cilantro, served with a lime wedge on parchment paper.

Table of Contents

Tips: Navigating This BIG Birria Post

This is a big post where I cover the essentials of how to make birria in a slow cooker and then how to use the meat to make birria tacos and quesabirria tacos. Expand the Table of Contents (above) to easily navigate to sections of interest. Or use the Jump to Recipe button (top of post) to go directly to the Recipe Card (below).

A quesataco filled with shredded meat is being dipped into a bowl of red consommé, with chopped onions and cilantro visible on the taco and plate.

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Birria Recipe

  • Making birria in a Crock-Pot is a simple and foolproof method to ensure the beef is fall-apart tender and juicy, full of flavor! You’ll impress the harshest critics with this birria recipe.
  • After the meat has slow cooked and been shredded, eat it as-is, or put it in traditional birria tacos or make quesabirria tacos. I’m going to walk you through every step!
  • Birria is similar to beef barbacoa but spicier thanks to the sauce made with dried chiles. And compared to barbacoa, birria also has much more broth because it’s what the beef roast will simmer in.
  • Birria hails from the Jalisco region of Mexico. Think Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta. I met my husband in Puerto Vallarta and we have eaten so much beef birria, otherwise known as carne de res. Although in the past, birria de chivo (or goat and even lamb) was common but not as much anymore and beef is more common.
  • There’s a hefty volume of broth leftover (much more than can be soaked up by the shredded beef) and the broth is traditionally served on the side and called consommé. It’s usually topped with white onions, cilantro, and drank from a cup rather than eaten from a bowl. Normally folks let it cool on the side while they go to town on the birria,and then drink their consommé as the final touch to the breakfast.
  • Yes, that’s right. Birria is known as a breakfast food or for breakfast tacos. In Mexico, tacos have “times of the day” when you will and won’t find them served. I only learned this by living in Mexico for many years. For example, birria tacos are for breakfast and brunch (done by noon) and other tacos like al pastor tacos are an evening and (very) late night tacos.
Three birria tacos filled with shredded meat and topped with chopped onions and cilantro, served with lime wedges and a bowl of consommé.
Close-up of cheesy beef quesadillas garnished with chopped cilantro and onions, with a lime wedge in the background.

Ingredients in Birria

While the ingredients list is on the longer side, everything plays a role so don’t omit ingredients if possible.

  • Dried chiles: Guajillo chiles and California chiles which are sometimes called Anaheim or Colorado chiles. Buy them at your local well-stocked supermarket or order online. Flavor Tip – Big chiles like both of these are not spicy nor are ancho chiles, which you can also use. It’s the small chiles (like chile de arbol, serrano chile, etc.) that are spicy. Instead, these chiles add smokiness rather than spiciness. If you have leftover chiles, make Chile Colorado.
  • Fire roasted tomatoes + Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These can add heat so if you’re looking for spicy, add an extra or more adobo sauce.
  • Beef broth – I use reduced sodium.
  • Flavoring and spices – White onion, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano or dried Mexican oregano, cinnamon, kosher salt, black pepper. Optionally, add a teaspoon ground cloves if desired.
  • Bay leaves
  • Beef chuck roast or beef tender roast: I used a beef tender roast because it’s leaner and less fatty, which is just my preference. You can use chuck roast or try a mix of beef short ribs and oxtail for extra richness, or make use of beef shank if you have one on hand. You’ll first sear your beef in olive oil.

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

Flat lay of birria taco ingredients, including a raw beef roast, dried chilies, onions, garlic, spices, chipotle peppers, shredded cheese, lime, tortillas, broth, oil, vinegar, and cilantro.
Five crispy tacos filled with meat and cheese are arranged on parchment paper, garnished with chopped onions, cilantro, and lime wedges, next to a bowl of red dipping sauce.

How To Make Beef Birria in a Crockpot

Every family has a slightly different way to make birria and that is wonderful! I am sharing how I make it. I always try to do is make things easier, faster, and more efficient in the kitchen. A few things that are notably different from my birria recipe compared to many others:

  • Soaking: I don’t soak the chiles prior to starting the cooking process. They soften just fine in the beef broth and other liquid ingredients during the long cook time.
  • Blending: I blend the chiles and other ingredients together after the cooking process. It doesn’t seem to affect the flavor or texture and I just find it easier after everything is super soft.
  • Oven: I make this in a slow cooker but if you want to make it in the oven in a Dutch oven, basically follow the general gist of the recipe, but bake it at 350F for about 2 1/2 hrs, or as needed.
  1. Place the all the ingredients except for the beef roast into a 6-quart slow cooker or 7-quart slow cooker and set aside.
  2. To a large skillet, add olive oil and the beef roast, and sear it over medium-high heat on all sides to form a nice crust, about 2-3 minutes per side. Place it in the slow cooker and generously spoon the sauce over the roast.
A slow cooker filled with chopped onions, dried chili peppers, broth, and spices, ready for cooking.
A seared piece of beef sits in a black cast iron skillet on a light, textured surface.
A large piece of beef is cooking in a slow cooker with chopped onions and broth.
  1. Place the lid on top and slow cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours OR on LOW for 7-8 hours – either is fine but if you can, low and slow is ideal. Periodically, flip the roast over so that both sides absorb the liquid. How to know when it’s done? It will shred extremely easy with a fork and should fall apart very easily. If it doesn’t, cook it a bit longer. Temperature as measured with a digital thermometer should be at least 190F, but it will be more tender around 200F degrees and shred easier.
  2. Remove the beef when it’s done with tongs or a slotted spoon, and shred the meat with two forks, and place it in a large bowl.
  3. Using an immersion blender and blend until everything is smooth. Or, transfer the contents from the slow cooker into a high speed blender, and blend.
  4. Pour about half of the brothy sauce over the shredded beef, allowing it to absorb, and set the rest aside to use for making tacos, dipping the beef into, or for drinking like soup broth – this is the consommé.
A white bowl filled with shredded cooked beef sits on a light-colored surface.
An immersion blender in a slow cooker with smooth red tomato sauce.
A white bowl filled with shredded beef mixed with tomato-based sauce, placed on a light-colored surface.

Feel free enjoy your protein-rich beef birria just like this right now! But if you want to make tacos…read on.

How To Make Authentic Beef Birria Tacos

Making traditional beef birria tacos is a cinch after your shredded birria meat is ready!

  1. Warm a tortilla (corn is traditional, but flour is fine) and add a generous portion of meat to the center.
  2. Top with white onions and cilantro (you’d say con todo if you were ordering this from a taqueria, which means with all, or with everything) and enjoy!
  3. Serve with a cup of consommé on the side. Dunk your taco in it or slurp afterward.

What’s Quesabirria?

Quesabirria tacos are similar to a quesadilla because there’s melted Oaxaca cheese folded into a tortilla, and there’s also juicy birria meat, plus onions and cilantro.

While many people may think that quesabirria tacos are a “new” or “viral” sensation, they’re not. They’re been around for ages! And for good reason. Slightly spicy, so juicy, so much glorious cheese, lightly crispy on the outside with soft interior filling, I love quesabirria if you couldn’t tell already!

Instructions to Make Quesabirria Tacos

Tortillas are dunked into birria broth before being griddled, then stuffed with meat, cheese, cilantro, onions, and cooked until the cheese melts.

  1. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria broth and then place on the skillet. Tip – If you have a griddle for your stove, break it out for this!
  2. Add shredded beef to one side, followed by some cheese, a sprinkle of onions and cilantro. Fold in half and allow each side to crisp up, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once you get going, you can get a few on the pan at the same time.
  3. Serve with consummé for dipping and sprinkle extra onions, cilantro, and generous squeezes of lime juice on top. Provecho!
A corn tortilla is heating in a black nonstick skillet.
A corn tortilla topped with shredded cheese, chopped onions, cilantro, and meat sits in a black skillet on a light-colored surface.
A cooked omelette is folded in half and sits in the center of a black nonstick frying pan on a light-colored surface.
Three folded tacos with browned, crispy shells and visible filling are cooking in a black nonstick skillet on a light surface.
A birria taco dipped in consommé sauce, with visible shredded meat and melted cheese; other tacos and lime halves are in the background.

Cheese Tips for Quesabirria

Traditional birria tacos use Oaxaca cheese but it’s not always easy to find, depending on your region. You can use quesadilla cheese which melts really nicely. Or try shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese. Any cheese that melts well is great!

Close-up of crispy birria and quesabirria tacos filled with shredded meat and cheese, garnished with cilantro and onions, with dipping sauce on the side.
Close-up of birria and quesabirria tacos served with a bowl of dipping consommé, garnished with chopped onions and cilantro, with lime wedges on the side.
Golden, crispy quesabirria tacos filled with shredded meat, garnished with chopped onions and cilantro, served with lime wedges and dipping sauce. Text:

what to serve with beef birria tacos

Whether you’re enjoying beef birria straight from your slow cooker, beef birria tacos with corn tortillas, or quesabirria tacos and all their cheesy glory,I serve them with:

  • Extra diced white onions
  • Minced fresh cilantro
  • Lime wedges for a squeeze of fresh lime juice
  • Broth from the Crockpot (called consommé) for dunking, dipping, and sipping
  • Your favorite salsas (ideas above).
  • Avocado, pickled red onions or pickled radishes

Note: Scroll down to the Notes sections of recipe card section below for Storage and Reheating recommendations.

A plate of slow cooker birria quesabirria tacos garnished with onions and cilantro, served with lime wedges and a bowl of consommé for dipping.
A close-up of cheesy, meat-filled birria tacos with crispy shells, served with dipping sauce. Text reads: Slow Cooker Birria & Quesabirria Tacos.
Close-up of birria and quesabirria tacos filled with shredded meat, topped with chopped onions and cilantro, served with lime wedges on a white platter.
Three folded birria tacos filled with meat and melted cheese, garnished with chopped onions and cilantro, served with a lime wedge on parchment paper.
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4.67 from 3 votes

Beef Birria

Learn how to make 🌮🎉🧀 Beef Birria in a Slow Cooker that rivals a Mexican restaurant! Beef simmers in a chile-based broth which infuses it with smoky flavor and makes it incredibly tender!
Use the birria to make the BEST birria tacos or quesabirria tacos complete with juicy birra, melted cheese, onions, and cilantro. Truly magnificent!
The birria recipe makes enough to make about 18 average-sized tacos.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours
Servings: 18

Equipment

Ingredients 

Birria

  • 2 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 2 dried California chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, (from a can, add more peppers or sauce if you want it spicier)
  • 3 cups beef broth, (I use reduced sodium)
  • 14 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • ½ large white onion, diced small
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, (or regular paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, (or regular dried oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2.5-3 pounds beef tender roast or chuck roast

Birria Tacos or Quesabirria Tacos

  • 16 to 18 average corn tortillas , (corn is traditional although in a pinch, you can sub with flour tortillas if necessary)
  • 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, (shredded quesadilla cheese is the closest/best substitute; but shredded mozzarella cheese, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack cheeses may be substituted)
  • 1 cup white onion, finely diced or as needed, plus more for garnishing if desired
  • ⅔ cup fresh cilantro, finely minced or as needed, plus more for garnishing if desired
  • lime wedges, for serving
  • salsa, pickled red onions, radishes, avocado, optional garnishing ideas

Instructions 

  • Birria – Rinse the dried chiles under water to clean them, pat dry, and using a sharp, heavy-duty kitchen scissors (I find scissors easier than a knife but you can use a sharp knife instead), cut the stems off the chiles, cut down the middle to reveal the seeds and then shake and scape to remove the seeds. You don't have to get every last seed. Tip – If you want the birria to be a bit spicier, leave some seeds. Place all the seeded chiles into a the ceramic insert of your slow cooker.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients, through bay leaves, into the slow cooker, and whisk to combine. Set aside momentarily.
  • To a large skillet (I like cast iron or stainless steel skillets that are heavy duty), add the oil, heat over medium-high heat until it's shimmering and hot, and then add the beef.
  • Sear the beef on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice crust forms.
  • Place the seared beef roast into the slow cooker and generously spoon the sauce over the roast.
    Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours OR on LOW for 7-8 hours. Periodically, flip the roast over so that both sides absorb the liquid; I'd say flip it 3-4 times total.
    Cooking Tips – If you have the time, cooking on LOW heat is slightly preferred to really render out the fat in the meat and tenderize it to the max. However, if you want to cook on HIGH, it's fine and your meat will still be tender. Beef is done when it shreds very easily with two forks, and gives no resistance. If it does, cook it for a bit longer. If measuring doneness using a thermometer, it needs to read at least 190F but going up to 200-202F will make the meat a bit more tender and easier to shred. All slow cookers vary in their heat output and so cooking time will vary, especially on a big piece of meat like this. The temperature of your kitchen, how many times you lift the lid, and other factors will also impact cooking time. Cook until it's falling-apart-tender, whatever that means on the clock.
  • When the beef is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker, place it on a cutting board, and shred it using two forks. Place the shredded meat in a large bowl; set aside momentarily.
  • Using a handheld immersion blender, blend the chiles and other ingredients that are in your slow cooker until smooth. Alternatively, you can transfer everything into the canister of a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
    Taste and make sure you like the flavor. If desired, add additional salt, pepper, etc., to taste.
  • Pour about half of the blended liquid or sauce over the shredded meat, tossing it well, and allowing it to absorb evenly. The other half is the consommé that you drink or you can dunk your tacos into it. Set the consommé aside.
    If you want to eat the beef birria just like this, it's ready! Consider garnishing it with diced white onions, cilantro, and some squeezes of fresh lime juice.
  • Birria Tacos – Warm the tortillas lightly in a dry skillet, add a generous portion of birria to the center, and garnish as desired with onions, cilantro, lime juice, and serve with consommé on the side. Garnish your consommé con todo (onions, cilantro, lime juice) or as desired. You may also want to add additional salt to it, if desired.
  • Quesabirria Tacos – Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria broth and then place on the skillet.
  • Add shredded beef to one side, followed by some cheese, a sprinkle of onions and cilantro.
    Fold in half and allow each side to crisp up, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once you get going, you can get a few in the skillet at the same time.
    Garnish as desired with onions, cilantro, lime juice, and serve with consommé on the side. Garnish your consommé con todo (onions, cilantro, lime juice) or as desired. You may also want to add additional salt to it, if desired.

Notes

Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Leftover birria will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I store the extra broth/consommé separately from the meat (recommended). However, you can store them together if you want the meat to be super juicy, and more like a stew.
Freezer: Leftover birria will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. When freezing, store the meat and extra broth/consommé separately. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat as desired.
To Reheat the Meat and Extra Broth/Consommé: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat leftover birria meat for about 30 seconds on high, and then heat up the broth separately, for about 1 minute.
To Make Quesabirria Tacos with Leftover Meat: I warm up the meat in a skillet on the stove, then dip a corn tortilla into the birria broth, place it in the skillet, add the warmed meat, cheese, onions, cilantro, fold, crisp it up on both sides, garnish as desired, and serve, preferably with consommé on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco, Calories: 237cal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 600mg, Potassium: 282mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 410IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.67 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was excellent! I did mine in the Instant Pot (45 min high pressure). I shredded the meat and made quesadillas. I used an immersion blender on the sauce and served it on the side! Two thumbs up!!

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the five star review Cathy on this recipe and I know there’s quite a few ingredients but I love that you took it on and it turned out excellent for you! And great to hear that you were able to make it in the instant pot in 45 minutes rather than a multi-hour affair in a slow cooker. Way to go! And good thinking on the immersion blender too. I bet your quesadillas were absolutely incredible!

      Reply

  2. 4 stars
    The meat came out very good but the taco didn’t work out well. I dipped in the sauce & put in skillet but the corn tortilla was too soft & tore when I tried to fold it. It never got crispy. Was I supposed to have oil in the pan?

    Reply

    1. Thanks for letting me know that the meat was very good!

      As far as making quesabirria tacos, you need to practice a little. Practice makes perfect :) but I will say it’s a QUICK dip in the sauce, a quick 1 second dunk-dunk, get it out or it will become too soggy and rip like you said. And not get crispy. Sounds like it was just a bit too wet. Let me know how that goes for you! No doubt, you’ve still got plenty of extra meat on hand. You can put oil, a little bit, but it’s not fully necessary.

      Reply