Birria Recipe

A wooden spoon lifts shredded birria in a thick, red sauce from a slow cooker, garnished with chopped herbs.

Making an authentic birria recipe at home is so easy by simply slow cooking a chuck roast in one of the most flavorful broths you've ever had. We love this fall-apart tender beef in burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas, or even as a stew.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings servings

Calories 532kcal

Author Sherri Hagymas

Ingredients

4 pounds beef chuck roast boneless, cut into large 3-4 inch chunks
1 tablespoons olive oil
4 large tomatoes cut into large chunks
2 medium onions chopped
6-8 cloves garlic whole
8 dried guajillo chiles seeds and stems removed
4 arbol chiles seeds and stems removed
4 dried ancho chiles seeds and stems removed
24 ounces beef broth divided
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 bay leaves

Instructions

Place the chuck roast chunks in the slow cooker.
4 pounds beef chuck roast
In a large pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and heat over medium heat.
1 tablespoons olive oil
Add the tomatoes, onions, and garlic cloves and saute for 6-8 minutes, until they begin to soften.
4 large tomatoes, 2 medium onions, 6-8 cloves garlic
Add the guajillo chiles, arbol chiles, ancho chiles, and 2 cups of the beef broth to the veggies and bring to a boil.
8 dried guajillo chiles, 4 arbol chiles, 4 dried ancho chiles, 24 ounces beef broth
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes, uncovered.
Once the chilis have softened. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the tomatoes, onions, garlic cloves, and chiles and place them in a blender or food processor.
Pour in the remaining cup of unused beef broth, add the salt, black pepper, Mexican oregano, and cumin and blend until smooth.
2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons ground cumin
Pour the sauce into the slow cooker over the meat and top with bay leaves.
3 bay leaves
Place the lid on and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the cooked beef and place it on a cutting board or platter. Shred the meat with two forks then return it back into the sauce.
Serve as a stew topped with diced onions, fresh chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Or serve in bowls with rice or in tacos, burritos, or quesadillas with your favorite toppings and sides
Serve as a stew topped with diced onions, fresh chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Or serve in bowls with rice or in tacos, burritos, or quesadillas!

Notes

Cooking LOW and slow in the slow cooker will produce the most tender meat. I used a 7 quart slow cooker.

You can sear the meat before placing it into the slow cooker but I think it gets very tender even if I don't.

If using to make tacos, burritos, or quesadillas, use a slotted spoon or tongs and let as much of the liquid drip off before placing in a tortilla so it won't be too soggy. Use some of the sauce for dipping!

Serve in bowls over rice with all of your favorite Mexican toppings like black beans or pinto beans, corn, guacamole, pico de gallo,, shredded cheese or cojita cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

Allow to cool before covering. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Nutrition