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Three corn tortillas filled with beef and melty cheese topped with cilantro and onions on white platter.

Slow Cooker Birria Tacos

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the Birria Beef and Broth:

  • 8 dried guajillo chiles
  • 2 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 dried arbol chile (add more for more heat - see note)
  • 3 large Roma tomatoes
  • 1 medium quartered white or yellow onion, peeled and trimmed of root ends
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican oregano but Italian oregano will work, too
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (use half for finely ground)
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 to 5 pound bone-in or boneless chuck roast (see note)

For the Tacos:

  • Yellow or white corn tortillas
  • Shredded cheese, for melting (Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese)
  • Cilantro and chopped white onions, for serving

Instructions 

  • In a large pot, add the dried chiles, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Add water until ingredients are completely covered. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes until the chiles and onions have softened.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully remove the tough stems from the chiles. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the chiles, onions, tomatoes and garlic and transfer to a blender a high-powered blender (see note if you don't have a high-powered blender).
  • Add 1 1/2 cups of the chile broth from the pot to the blender with the veggies. Add a lid and slightly vent to release steam. Blend until very smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into the insert of an 8-quart slow cooker. Add beef broth, vinegar, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, pepper, and allspice. Stir to combine. Add the bay leaves.
  • Season the beef lightly on all sides with salt and pepper and rub lightly into the meat. Place the beef in the slow cooker, turning to coat in the chile mixture.
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours until the beef is fall-apart tender.
  • Remove the beef from the slow cooker to a dish. Discard the bone and bay leaves. Shred the beef into bite-size pieces. Stir or whisk the consomé (the liquid left in the slow cooker) to recombine and spoon 1 to 2 cups of it over the meat. Keep the remaining sauce warm.
  • To make tacos, heat a skillet or griddle over medium to medium-high heat. Dip a corn tortilla fully in the warm consomé and lay flat in the hot skillet. Spread beef on half of the tortilla and top with cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filled half and press down gently with a spatula as it sizzles and cooks on one side. Flip and cook on the other side until golden and sizzling. Remove to a plate or platter and repeat with remaining tortillas/tacos.
  • A four pound bone-in roast will make enough beef for about 20 tacos made with 6-inch corn tortillas. Leftover beef and consomé can be frozen in well-sealed bags or containers for 1 to 2 months.

Notes

Dried Chiles: the dried chiles called for in this recipe should be easily found in the Mexican aisle or produce section of most grocery stores. You can also find them on Amazon and other online stores. If substituting other types of dried chiles, just keep in mind that different types of chiles can vary greatly in flavor and spice-level. 
Of the three chiles called for in this recipe, ancho chiles are the least spicy with smoky, mild flavor (1,000 - 1,500 scoville heat units). Guajillo chiles are medium spicy (2,500 to 5,000 Scoville heat units). Arbol chiles are the spiciest of the three; they are hotter than a jalapeno but not as hot as a cayenne pepper (15,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units). The peppers listed in the recipe ingredients above yield a mild Birria beef with a tiny hint of spice (mild enough for my heat-averse 13-year old but still very flavorful). Add additional Arbol chiles for more heat. 
Beef: chuck roast or other well-marbled beef roast works best for this recipe. Super lean beef roasts won't be as fall-apart tender. I tested this recipe searing the beef before adding to the slow cooker and not searing the beef. I know this won't be popular, but I honestly couldn't tell a difference between the two versions, so I don't add the extra step of searing the beef, but you definitely can choose to do so if you'd like. 
Blender: if you don't have a high-powered blender that can process the ingredients ultra-smooth, use a regular blender and strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before adding to the slow cooker (discarding any solids left behind in the strainer).