This slow cooker birria recipe is the perfect way to enjoy rich, authentic Mexican flavors without spending all day in the kitchen.
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Traditionally from Jalisco, Mexico, birria is a slow-cooked stew made with tender beef simmered in a deeply flavorful chile-based sauce.
Whether you serve it as a comforting stew or turn it into crispy birria tacos, this dish is guaranteed to be a family favorite.
Table of Contents
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
Sear the meat all sides on medium heat to lock in the flavors. Mmm… imagine the smell! It’s Mexcellent! 😃
The best cut of meat to use is boneless beef chuck roast. Chop into beef chunks for searing in batches.
Originally, this recipe was made with goat meat. You might also find people who make with lamb.
These dried chiles are what give amazing smokiness flavor to the beef. We’re using guajillo chiles and ancho chile.
Full ingredients list is below in the printable recipe card.
It’s easy to devein and remove the seeds from the chiles. Start by cutting off the tops, or the stems.
Then cut them lengthwise. Do you see the seeds? You don’t want these in your sauce. Remove them. You won’t be able to get all of them. Just remove as many as you can. If you can remove any veins, remove them too.
Place your stems removed, deveined, and seeds removed chiles in a stock pot. You will need to use a pot that can handle all the chiles.
Reconstituting chiles means they have to soak in hot water. This does not take long. 5-10 minutes at the most.
There really are no substitutions for these two types of chiles. If you can’t find guajillos, use chipotles. They have great smoky flavor.
To make this birria sauce recipe, you will need all these aromatics. Spices like ¼ cinnamon stick, thyme, Mexican oregano, cloves, laurel leaves (or bay leaves), salt, and pepper. It sounds like a lot, but each spice brings a lot of flavor to the dish.
Add the spices, the reconstituted chiles, liquid, bouillon, and garlic to the blend. Blend until smooth. Since we are not straining, make sure it is fully blended. You might need to blend a second time.
Not a fan of bouillon? Use beef broth instead.
For a smoother adobo sauce, strain the sauce. Set this aside until ready to use. This is what will help create a rich consommé.
If the sauce tastes too spicy, add 1-2 tomatoes to the blender and blend away. They will help reduce the heat level.
Back to our beef… salt and pepper the side that’s up. Then turn and sear the uncooked side. You really want color on your beef. Don’t skip this step. It helps lock in some amazingly delicious flavors.
The slow cooker is your friend in the kitchen. You can go shopping, go horseback riding, watch two movies, and your food will not burn. Gotta love that!
This crockpot birria recipe is sure to be a hit, but just in case… Stovetop and instant pot instructions are in the recipe card below.
Now time to add the sauce. You want the sauce to cover the entire piece of beef. If it doesn’t for some strange reason, add more water and a little more salt or simply add beef broth.
Slow cook the meat – Set it on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours. The meat will be fall-apart tender and ready to eat.
🫙 Storing & Reheating Instructions
- Store leftovers in airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Reheat in a microwave covered for 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
🥘 How To Serve
- Beef Birria is typically served with raw diced onion, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and a dozen tortillas.
- Or, you can take it up a notch and use the shredded meat to make Birria Ramen, Instant Pot Birria Tacos (also known as quesabirria tacos), Birria Burritos, even Birria Tamales!
🥩 More Mexican Beef Recipes
- Barbacoa de Res (Beef Barbacoa)
- Carne con Papas (Beef and Potatoes)
- Salpicon de Res (Cold Beef Salad)
- Caldillo (Mexican Beef Stew)
- Milanesa de Res (Fried Beef Steak)
- Carne Asada Street Tacos
This slow cooker birria recipe delivers bold, authentic Mexican flavor with minimal effort. Juicy shredded beef and a rich consommé make it perfect for tacos or serving as a stew.
😋 Hungry for More
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Slow Cooker Birria Recipe (Birria de Res)
Ingredients
- 4 lbs roast beef
- 3-4 cups water
- 5 dried chile guajillo
- 2 dried chile ancho
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove
- ¼ whole cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
- 2 laurel leaves or bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the griddle, or pan.
- Toast the chiles on the griddle for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn frequently.
- Make sure they do not burn.
- If they burn, discard the chiles and start again.
- Once toasted, transfer to a heatproof bowl.
- Add 1 cup hot water and let the chiles soak for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
- Seed and devein the chiles, saving the water.
- Don’t worry if some seeds remain.
- Add the saved water, the chiles, garlic, oregano, thyme, clove, cinnamon, bouillon, laurel leaves (or bay leaves), salt and pepper in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat two tablespoons oil.
- Add salt and pepper to the beef.
- Sear the beef on all sides.
- Once the meat is brown, transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the chile mixture from the blender.
- Add enough water to cover the meat.
- Set slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.
- Shred beef.
- Serve with diced onions, chopped cilantro, and tortillas.
Video
Notes
- Make the sauce as instructed above.
- Add oil. Press Saute.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on all sides.
- Remove the meat and add the chile sauce and water.
- Return the meat to the pot.
- Cover with lid. Press Pressure Cook. 55 minutes.
- Release pressure. Serve and enjoy.
- Make the sauce as instructed above.
- Keep the meat in the pot.
- Pour sauce over the meat.
- Cover with lid and cook for 2 hours.
- Until fork tender.
Loved it !!! The stew was delicious idk if it was supposed to give me a menudo flavor but we all LOVED IT!
That’s great! Glad you enjoyed.
Love this birria recipe, very easy to follow instructions!
Great to hear! Glad you liked it. 🙂
Hola. Me gustaría saber porque haces la carne primero en la estufa??? Y después la pones en la slow cooker?
Hola. Esta receta es para el slow cooker. Si quiere hacerlo en la estufa, agregue la salsa y la tapa por 2 horas. Después de una hora, va necesitar ponerle 2 tazas de caldo.
Hey Maggie. Can I use Guajillo chille seasoning and substitute with beef broth?
I’ve never tried it with seasoning before. If you try it, let me know. I’m curious too.
I’ve made this recipe 2 times now and each time it tastes better. Thank you Maggie for this wonderful recipe.
You’re welcome! So glad you liked it.
What cut of beef? Chuck, round, etc. I am anxious to try the recipe, it looks delicious!
Chuck roast works best because of the fat.
The only Birria recipe I need. I make this frequently and use it to make quesabirria tacos. My husband (and whole family) love this! I’ve been to a restaurant that’s main dish is Birria and it was underwhelming, this recipe has outdone that place by miles.
I love reading these types of comments. That’s awesome to hear! Provecho!
I love this recipe! I make it for my Guatemalan husband often! I follow directions exactly using a pressure cooker. It is done in less than an hour.
Your husband is a lucky man! Provechito.
Do you think it would be possible to prepare the sauce and brown the meat the night before, then put in the slow cooker in the morning?
Totally! I’m all about cooking ahead of time. You can even make the sauce days before. In the freezer, it lasts for months.
Hello,
Question, can I cook it on the crockpot for 4 hours on high instead of low 6 hrs?
Yes. I believe that instruction is in the post or in the recipe card. I’ll double check and add if not.
Can I cook this on high in slow cooker , was out and lost track of time ?
On high for 4 hours.
Can you make the Chile mixture a day ahead and would it affect the taste of the dish?
I usually do this in stages so I won’t feel like I have been cooking all day. To answer your question, YES! Definitely!
Love this recipe made this a few times and my family loves it
This recipe was a huge hit at my house- a new favorite! I am so excited to have come across your site. I will surely be trying out some more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing! (BTW – I didn’t strain the sauce and it still came out amazing.)
Oh lord this is seriously one of the best recipes I have ever tried. I swear, YOU GOTTA SEAR IT to help lock in that amazing flavor. I did not do it once and it just did not taste the same. This recipe ruined birria for me as it is the only birria I eat. When I tried other places, they do not have that rich flavor like this one does. AMAZING! I 100% recommend.
Recipe sounds almost perfect – I recently found a good source for cabrito. Should I make any special changes to make Birria de chivo? I’ve been craving that taste…..
No. This is the exact same recipe and instructions for chivo. I’m curious as to where you found the cabrito. I’d love to know!
I’ve made this twice and the third pot is in process right now, and the kitchen smells delicious! It’s always perfect. Thank you!
That’s great! So glad you like this recipe.
I made this for Cinco De Mayo and it turned out great. I will be making this again. Tanks for sharing your recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear. I love this recipe too.
I love the recipe!
I don’t have a slow cooker, can I make it in a regular pot?
Please let me know 🙂
Yes, the instructions for stove top (and instant pot) are in the recipe card under “NOTES.”
But, just in case, here they are… 🙂
Stove Top Instructions:
Make the sauce as instructed above.
Keep the meat in the pot.
Pour sauce over the meat.
Cover with lid and cook for 90 minutes, up to 2 hours.
Until fork tender.
This was so good!!! I made it for family and friends and they all enjoyed it … thank you 😊
You’re welcome! This is one of my family’s favorite recipes too.
Made this once before (forgot to toast chiles though) will remember this time and make again this weekend for a graduation party! I fried some queso fresco and added it on top of the taco with a roasted habanero salsa. So delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Yum! That sounds so good.
Best birria ever! I’ve made it 4 times already and loved it every time! I’m making birria quesadillas tonight! 😋
Birria Quesadillas sounds delicious! Thank you for your comment. Really makes me happy to hear that you liked this recipe so much that you’ve made it 4 times!
Can this be made with goat meat?
Yes. Of course. It’s hard to find goat’s meat in the US. That’s why I adapted this recipe to beef many years ago.
This looks amazing! I will totally be making this very soon! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this!
We are trying to find a recipe for Shredded Chicken Taco Salad made at El Rodeo Mexican Restaurants in Des Moines, Iowa. Can you help?
Hi. I have never been to Iowa. Hopefully someone here will see this post and help in answering.
Hey would u happen to have a smaller recipe ?
Check out my birria pizza recipe. That has a smaller recipe. https://inmamamaggieskitchen.com/birria-pizza/
I had Birria for the first time in tacos. I fell in love! I am wondering if this is the same type of recipe..dipping the tacos in the juice.
Can I use powdered cinnamon instead? If so, how much? Just trying to use the ingredient I already have on hand.
I’ve never made it with ground cinnamon before. Sorry. Maybe someone here will be able to comment.