Description
This Crockpot Birria Tacos (Quesabirria) recipe offers a simplified, delicious approach to making the iconic Mexican dish at home using a slow cooker. Tender, slow-cooked beef chuck roast is cooked with dried chiles, spices, and salsa, then shredded and combined with a flavorful consommé sauce. The tacos are grilled with melted cheese for a crispy, cheesy finish, perfect for dipping in the rich sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast (2 ½ to 3 lbs)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
Birria Sauce Base
- 6-10 dried red chiles, seeds removed and torn into pieces
- 1 16-ounce jar mild to medium salsa (any brand)
- 32 ounces beef broth
- 1-2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Taco Assembly
- Cooking spray
- 20-30 6-inch white corn tortillas
- 1-2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, shredded Oaxaca cheese, or crumbled queso fresco
- ½ medium white onion, diced
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Season the beef: Season the boneless beef chuck roast on all sides with sea salt and black pepper, ensuring the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Sear the roast: Heat the avocado or olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast for about 5 minutes on each side until browned to lock in the flavors.
- Prepare dried chiles: Tear off the tops of the dried red chiles and shake out the seeds into a discard pile. Tear or chop the chiles into pieces to yield about ½ cup tightly packed chile pieces.
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Transfer the seared roast to a large slow cooker. Add the torn dried chiles, salsa, beef broth, canned chipotle chiles, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, ground ginger, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Gently stir to combine the ingredients around the roast.
- Cook the beef: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8 hours until the beef is tender and easily shredded.
- Shred the beef: Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place on a sheet pan. Using two forks, shred the beef finely.
- Prepare the consommé sauce: Stir the tomato paste and apple cider vinegar into the slow cooker liquid. Using an immersion blender, blend the liquid and ingredients until smooth to create the consommé sauce. Alternatively, transfer the liquid to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Toss shredded beef in sauce: Pour 1 cup of the consommé over the shredded beef and mix thoroughly to coat the meat.
- Store for later use: If not serving immediately, store the shredded beef and consommé separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Assemble quesabirria tacos: Heat a tabletop griddle, griddle pan, or skillet over high heat (400°F). Spray with cooking spray. Lay out tortillas in batches and sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on each tortilla, add about 2 ounces of shredded birria, diced white onion, and cilantro.
- Grill the tacos: Heat the loaded tortillas on the griddle for 2 minutes, fold them over, then grill for another 3-5 minutes per side until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Flip as needed to achieve desired crispiness.
- Serve with accompaniments: Serve tacos hot with additional cheese, diced onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and small dishes of consommé for dipping.
- Store leftovers: Store leftover birria meat and consommé separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- This recipe uses a slow cooker for easy preparation and tender beef without the need for complex chiles or long stovetop simmering.
- Removing seeds from dried chiles reduces bitterness and allows control over spice level.
- The consommé dipping sauce is a signature element that adds rich, spicy flavor to the tacos.
- Use any medium heat salsa for convenience; chipotle chiles add smoky heat.
- Grilling the tacos with cheese creates the crispy, melty quesabirria style popular in restaurants.
- Leftover birria and consommé keep well refrigerated for quick reheating and serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos with sauce
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 106 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
