Description
These Crockpot Birria Tacos, also known as Quesabirria, are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring tender, slow-cooked beef chuck roast blended into a rich, spicy consommé sauce. The shredded beef is combined with melted cheese inside crispy corn tortillas, garnished with fresh onion, cilantro, and lime, making for a deliciously hearty and satisfying meal perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef 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
Chile and Sauce Ingredients
- 6–10 dried red chiles, seeds removed and torn into pieces (about ½ cup tightly packed)
- 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
For Cooking and Serving
- 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: Generously season the boneless beef chuck roast on all sides with sea salt and black pepper to enhance flavor before searing.
- Sear the roast: Heat the avocado or olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the beef roast on both sides for 5 minutes per side, creating a caramelized crust for richer taste.
- Prepare the chiles: Tear off the top of each dried chile, shake out and discard the seeds, then chop or tear chiles into pieces until you have about ½ cup tightly packed chile pieces.
- Assemble in slow cooker: Transfer the seared roast to a large slow cooker. Top it with torn dried chiles, salsa, beef broth, canned chipotle chiles, garlic powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Stir gently to combine the ingredients around the roast.
- Cook the beef: Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 5-6 hours or on low heat for 8 hours until the meat is tender and easily shreds.
- Shred the beef: Remove the roast from the slow cooker and place on a sheet pan. Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepare the consommé: Stir tomato paste and apple cider vinegar into the remaining liquid in the slow cooker. Use an immersion blender to blend the liquid into a smooth sauce. Alternatively, transfer the liquid to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Mix beef with sauce: Ladle 1 cup of the consommé over the shredded beef and toss to combine, allowing the meat to soak up the flavors.
- Store if needed: If not serving immediately, store shredded beef and consommé separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Heat tortillas: Heat a tabletop griddle or a large griddle pan/skillet over high heat (around 400°F). Spray lightly with cooking spray if desired.
- Assemble tacos: Working in batches, lay a few corn tortillas flat on the hot griddle. Add 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese on each tortilla, then top with about 2 ounces of shredded birria, diced white onion, and chopped cilantro.
- Cook the tacos: Heat for 2 minutes to melt the cheese, then fold each taco over and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on one side. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes until tacos are crispy to your preference.
- Serve: Serve the quesabirria tacos hot, garnished with extra cheese, diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges on the side. Ladle some consommé sauce into small bowls for dipping.
- Store leftovers: Keep any leftover shredded birria meat and consommé separately refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For dried chiles, popular varieties for birria include guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Adjust quantity based on desired heat level.
- Using avocado oil or olive oil for searing adds a subtle flavor and handles high heat well.
- For the cheese, Oaxaca cheese or Mexican blend melting cheeses work best to achieve the gooey texture inside quesabirria tacos.
- You can adjust the spice by varying the number of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce.
- The consommé sauce can be made smoother or chunkier depending on blending time and preference.
- Cook tortillas on a griddle or skillet for even heating and crispiness; avoid microwaving for best texture.
- Leftover consommé is perfect for dipping tacos or as a flavorful broth for soups or rice dishes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Birria tacos, Quesabirria, slow cooker tacos, Mexican beef tacos, shredded beef tacos, beef birria recipe, consommé, spicy tacos
