Description
Tender, slow-cooked beef birria tacos dipped in rich consommé and fried until crispy. This easy recipe brings authentic Hispanic Heritage Month flavors to your table with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 large white onion, quartered
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 6–8 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 4–5 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 2–3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotle peppers)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons beef tallow or vegetable oil
- 2 cups shredded Queso Oaxaca or low-moisture mozzarella cheese
- 8–10 large flour tortillas (8–10 inch)
- Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for topping
Instructions
- Remove stems and seeds from dried guajillo and ancho chilies. Place in a heat-proof bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Drain chilies and add them to a blender along with smashed garlic, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, cumin, oregano, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt. Blend until smooth, adding a splash of beef broth if needed.
- Place beef chunks in the slow cooker. Pour the blended adobo sauce over the meat, add the quartered onion, and pour in the beef broth. Stir gently to distribute sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours until beef is fork-tender.
- Remove beef to a bowl and shred using two forks. Discard onion quarters and bay leaves. Strain the cooking liquid (consommé) through a fine-mesh sieve to remove solids.
- Heat beef tallow or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Briefly dip a tortilla into the warm consommé, place in the skillet, add shredded beef and cheese, and top with another dipped tortilla.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until tortillas are crispy and golden and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding more tallow as needed.
- Serve immediately with reserved consommé for dipping, topped with diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges.
Notes
Save the consommé for dipping; it is liquid gold. Use beef tallow for authentic crispiness. Do not crowd the pan when frying to ensure crispiness rather than steaming. For a gluten-free version, use corn tortillas but dip them quickly to prevent tearing. The beef can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos with 1/4 cup
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker birria, birria tacos, Hispanic Heritage Month recipes, easy Mexican recipes, beef birria, crispy tacos, slow cooker beef