Bold, smoky, and packed with flavor, this Slow Cooker Beef Birria is the ultimate taco night upgrade. Tender, spiced chuck roast simmers low and slow in a rich adobo sauce, then gets tucked into charred tortillas and topped with all your favorite fixings. Whether it’s a cozy family dinner or a festive gathering, this dish will have everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds).
Slow Cooker Beef Birria
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 dried guajillo peppers
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 pounds boneless chuck roast, cut into 4-inch pieces
- 1 cup beef both
- Charred corn tortillas, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, and pico de gallo, to serve
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chipotle peppers, garlic, dried peppers, bay leaves, tomatoes, stock, vinegar, oregano, paprika, and cumin. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
- Transfer onion mixture to the container of a blender. Remove center piece of lid to let steam escape, and cover with a dish towel to avoid splatters; process until smooth. Let cool completely.
- In a resealable plastic bag, combine puréed onion mixture and beef. Refrigerate overnight.
- In a 6-quart slow cooker, add beef mixture and broth. Cook on high until meat is tender, 4 to 5 hours.
- Shred meat with a fork, and return to cooker. Serve on warm tortillas with cilantro, cheese, and pico de gallo.
Notes
KITCHEN TIP
If you have an immersion blender, you can use it to purée the onion mixture in step 2.
If you have an immersion blender, you can use it to purée the onion mixture in step 2.
