Slow Cooker Mexican Birria
Starting this season off with a bang by making a Slow Cooker Mexican Birria recipe!
It’s darn close to fall and the weather is starting to chill off a bit, so my family knows what that means…it’s slow cooker season!
Birria is a stew (more like a chili) traditionally made with goat or lamb, but can also be made with beef, which is what I am using in this dish.
The thing that makes this extra special and flavorful is the dried chiles.
They are not overwhelmingly spicy, just gives the perfect kiss of heat and tremendous depth of flavor.
How to make Slow Cooker Mexican Birria
Remove the stems from 5 guajillo and 5 ancho chiles and shake out most of the seeds.
You can toast them in a skillet for a few minutes to awake the oils, but it’s not necessary.
Then bring a can of beef broth to a boil, remove from heat, and let the chiles soak in the beef broth for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
Now to make the sauce for the birria!
Pour the chiles with the broth into a food processor along with a bunch of yumminess…
apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, honey, pepper, cumin, oregano, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, garlic, and bay leaves.
Whew, that seems like a lot, but these are ingredients I use often and had everything already.
Blend it all up for at least a minute.
You can make this the night before so it’s all ready in the morning when you turn on the slow cooker, makes it a bit easier on a busy morning.
Cut a 4 pound beef roast into three or four pieces and place in the slow cooker.
Then add a diced onion and two cans of rotel tomatoes.
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Next pour the chile mixture over top and give it a quick stir.
Set the slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours and let the magic begin!
It will be bubbling away and smell incredible!
Simply shred with two forks right in the slow cooker.
It literally falls apart with no effort at all.
You can use the birria for tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.
Or enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed as a stew.
Get creative with toppings for your Slow Cooker Mexican Birria!
I kept mine simple with some Sweet Pickled Red Onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime over top.
Other toppings that my family used were diced avocado, hot sauce, cheese, and sour cream.
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Here is the recipe for the Sweet Pickled Red Onions
More favorite recipes like Slow Cooker Mexican Birria to try…
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Mexican Street Corn Chicken Enchiladas
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Salsa Ranch Chicken Tacos
Chicken Birria Tacos could be made with Slow Cooker Mexican Birria
Scallops with Mexican Street Corn Puree
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Slow Cooker Mexican Birria
Slow Cooker Mexican Birria is a super flavorful dish with dried chiles, beef, and lots of Mexican spices all slow cooked to perfection
Ingredients
- 5 dried ancho chiles
- 5 dried guajillo chiles
- 1 14 oz can beef broth
- 2 Tbsps apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsps kosher salt
- 2 Tbsps honey
- 3/4 Tbsp pepper
- 3/4 Tbsp ground cumin
- 3/4 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 pound beef roast cut into 3 or 4 large pieces
- 1 onion diced
- 2 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes
- Optional toppings: cilantro, avocado, sweet pickled red onions, lime, diced onions, soft tortillas
Instructions
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Remove the chile stems and shake out most of the seeds.
Optional: Toast the chiles in a skillet over medium high heat for 1 minute per side.
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Put the beef broth in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Add the chiles to the hot beef broth. Let soak for 20 minutes.
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Add the beef broth and chiles to a blender or food processor and add the apple cider vinegar, salt, honey, pepper, cumin, oregano, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, and bay leaves. Blend on low for at least 1 minute.
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Put the beef roast into a slow cooker. Add the diced onion and cans of Rotel tomatoes. Pour the chile mixture from the blender over top and stir it a little. Turn the slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours.
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Shred the beef with two forks right in the slow cooker. Serve in bowls with desired toppings or use as a filling for tacos, quesadillas, burritos, or on top of nachos.
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