Crockpot Birria De Res Recipe

Crockpot Birria de Res is the easiest and most flavorful method for making this super popular Mexican beef stew! Serve as a stew with its flavorful smoky juices - or shred the meat for use in burritos, enchiladas, or birria tacos! Tip: use the sauce for making dipping tacos! Oh my. Super good!

What is Birria De Res?

Birria de Res is a Mexican braised stew traditionally made with goat (or lamb) - but is now commonly made with beef (Birria de Res). In the United States, for example, beef is easier to source than goat meat.

Birria originated from the Mexican state of Jalisco but has become popular across the world. It has also become an internet sensation.

Traditionally the stew is cooked low and slow until the meat is very tender, then it's removed from the pot and shredded. The meat has many uses, from stews to tacos, burritos, and more! Served with the dipping sauce, it is out of this world!

WATCH: Birria De Res Recipe

You'll Love Crockpot Birria!

"Okay, I love birria de res but I don't always have time to make it the traditional way. This is my crock pot version - made simple and easy enough for every day. Eat it as a stew or shredded as a taco." -Kori

It's Easy. I am a huge beef birria fan and LOVE to eat it - but I don't always want to go through the traditional process for making it. I purposely cut through all steps for this recipe - making it simple enough to toss together and have delicious birria anytime you want it - even during the week.

Super Tasty. Tender, juicy beef chuck cooked all day in a rich, smoky, and medium-spicy sauce. YES, please!

Healthy. This is a healthy homemade dinner recipe perfect for the whole family. It's gluten free, low carb, keto, dairy-free, and paleo!

What You'll Need for Birria De Res

Easy Birria Recipe Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil - You could also use avocado oil, or any other favorite oil.
• Boneless Beef Chuck Roast - You can use a bone-in beef chuck roast with this recipe as well.
• Coarse Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Diced Onion - I used a sweet onion as I love the mild sweetness a sweet onion lends a dish, but you can use a yellow onion, or another favorite.
• Ancho Dried Chiles - Ancho chiles are a mild to medium spiced dried pepper thats common in birria recipes. It's also quite common in the stores.
• New Mexico Dried Chiles or Guajillo - To make this recipe more accessible to everyone I chose dried peppers you can find in your local grocery store. Usually, you can find one of these peppers.
• Dried Oregano: Mexican oregano is my top choice for this recipe but regular oregano is fine too!
• Ground Ginger
• Ground Coriander
• Ground Cumin
• Smoked Paprika - Gives this dish an amazing smoky flavor. You won't find this in every birria recipe - but it's a must in my book! If you don't have smoked paprika you can use regular paprika.
• Garlic
• Cinnamon Sticks - One of my favorite things about this recipe is the scent of the cinnamon as it cooks and blends with all the other ingredients. It tastes amazing in the stew! Make sure to remove the sticks before blending.
• Dried Bay Leaves - Make sure to remove the bay leaves before blending.
• Canned Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes - I love the smokiness that these tomatoes give the recipe. You can also use diced tomatoes with green chilies, regular diced, or stewed tomatoes. I chose canned tomatoes for ease, but you can opt for fresh if you prefer. If you use fresh, it is best if you remove the skin first.
• Canned chiles in adobo sauce - I am not a huge spicy lover, so I only used 3 ounces of a 7-ounce can of chiles in adobo sauce. If you like heat, add the whole can!
• Fresh Lime Juice - Lime juice adds zest, tang, and brightness. You can substitute the juice of a sour orange, lemon juice, or vinegar.
• Beef Broth - Either beef broth or beef stock is fine.

Crockpot Birria Equipment

• 6-Quart Crockpot
• 12-Inch Skillet
• Handheld blender

Be sure to save this pin to Pinterest for later! 😉

Birria Soup Recipe Variations

• Traditional birria is often made with goat meat or lamb, so feel free to substitute. Beef is much more accessible in many areas, however. You can also use bone-in meat as well. Pork could also be used.
• Substitute any dried pepper that you have on hand. Each amazing pepper has different flavor profiles and levels of spiciness - so many choices!
• Experiment with different herbs and spices. It's your recipe, and there are no rules in your kitchen. 🙂
• If serving as a stew, feel free to add vegetables to this dish - potatoes, carrots, celery, corn, etc.
• Add a smoky flavor by adding chipotle powder and/or smoky paprika.

How to Make Birria Stew

Here's how to make this crockpot birria recipe. For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.

1. Season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a 12" skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the pan. When the skillet is very hot, sear each side of beef chuck roast until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

3. Remove roast and set aside. Add onions and garlic, and saute until they are caramelized.

Note: if you're in a hurry, skip steps 1 to 3 and add everything to the crockpot.

4. Add the dried ancho chilies and the cooked onions and garlic to the slow cooker, then place the beef roast on top. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.

5. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the roast is very tender.

6. Remove the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and any hard chili pepper pods. Remove roast from slow cooker and shred meat. Set aside and keep warm.

7. Using an immersion blender, blend the liquids and solids that remain in the pot until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed.

How to Serve Birria Stew

Serve as a stew, in a bowl with the incredible juices from the pot. Garnish with fresh cilantro and diced onion. I also love a dollop of sour cream and even grated cheese.

Make dipping tacos and serve shredded beef with warm tortillas and a side of the sauce topped with cheese, diced onion, lime wedges, cilantro, and any other favorite topping. Fry or grill the birria tacos if desired. Dip in the sauce. Enjoy!

Serve the shredded meat as a filling in burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, or birria tacos.

Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, diced onion, cilantro, and lime.

How to Store Beef Birria Stew

Store cooled leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. you can also freeze it for up to 4 months.

How long does Birria last in the fridge?

If stored in an airtight container birria will last about 4 days in the fridge.

Top Tips For The Best Birria De Res

• Sometimes you will get dried peppers with tough skins or pods. They will never soften enough to blend, so take a look to see if you have any in your stew and remove them. Why you are at it - don't forget to remove the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves too!
• If you are in a hurry, you do not need to sear the beef or caramelize the onions. These steps do add flavor to the recipe - but if you skip, it's still all going to taste great!

Birria De Res Recipe FAQs

📖 The recipe.

More Mexican Recipes

If you are looking for more tasty Mexican-style recipes, check these out:

• Green Chili Pork Stew Recipe
• Birria Tacos Recipe with Consommé
• Chicken Tinga Tostadas
• EASY Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
• Mexican Ground Beef Recipe
• Mexican Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe

Also, be sure to try:

• Barbacoa Chipotle
• Mexican Slaw Recipe
• Carne Enchiladas
• Homemade Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce