Crockpot Birria is the easiest and most flavorful method for making this super popular Mexican beef stew! Serve as a stew with its flavorful 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!
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Why You'll ❤️ 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
Did you know I also have an oven-braised version? Birria Tacos with Consommé is made in a more traditional method. Use any leftover delicious meat and make Quesabirria Tacos and dip them in that amazing sauce! 🙂
Easy
I am a huge 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 on a weeknight. Enter, crockpot birria!
Super Tasty
Tender, juicy beef chuck cooked all day in a rich, smoky, and medium-spicy sauce. YES, please!
Healthy
Slow cooker birria is a healthy homemade dinner recipe perfect for the whole family.
- This recipe is gluten free, low carb, keto, dairy-free, and paleo.
- There are many ways to serve this recipe depending upon your dietary needs.
- Keto followers can add healthy fat through the toppings - sour cream, diced avocado, sliced olives, etc.
How To Serve
There are many ways to serve crockpot birria. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Serve birria de res 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.
- Pull the beef roast and shred the meat. Serve as a filling in burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, and tacos.
- Serve with warm flour or corn tortillas, shredded cheese, diced onion, cilantro, and lime.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make Crockpot Birria de Res:
Don't let the ingredients to make birria scare you! They are all common in most pantries, and I made sure to specify dried peppers that I most commonly see in the grocery store! See the recipe card for exact quantities. 🙂
- 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 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 - 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
- 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.
Equipment
Equipment and tools needed to make this slow cooker beef birria:
- 6-Quart Crockpot
- 12-Inch Skillet
- handheld blender
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
Variations
Here are a few ways you can vary or make substitutions to your crockpot birria de res:
- 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.
- 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.
Instructions
Here's how to make this crockpot birria recipe:
For complete instructions, please see the printable recipe card below.
Season the Beef
Season all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
Sear Beef and Carmelize Onion
Preheat a 12" skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the pan. When the skillet is very hot, sear each side of chuck roast until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Remove roast and set aside. Add onions and garlic, and saute until they are caramelized.
Note: if you're in a hurry, skip these steps and everything to the crockpot.
Add Everything To Crockpot
Add the dried 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.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the roast is very tender.
Shred Meat
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
Blend Liquids
Using an immersion blender, blend the liquids and solids that remain in the pot until smooth. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve
As a stew: serve the shredded beef and sauce in a bowl and top with diced onions and fresh cilantro - or any other favorite topping.
Dipping tacos: 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. Grill the taco if desired. Start dipping in the sauce. Enjoy!
Top Tips
- 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!
FAQs
What is birria meat used for?
Birria meat can be used in so many ways. You could serve it as soup or a stew. It makes a great shredded filling for Quesabirria Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and tostadas. It's also a great protein to top a salad. I love to have it for breakfast served with hash browns and runny eggs. Good stuff!
Can you make it ahead of time?
Yes, you can prep this entire recipe. Just take it out of the fridge, place the crock in its base, then turn it on! I put everything in the crock and store it in my refrigerator until the day I want to cook it.
How long will this recipe keep?
Up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.
Can you freeze birria de res?
Yes, birria de res can easily be frozen. Separate the meat from the juices, then shred the beef. Put the meat and the juices into separate freezer-proof containers, and once they are cool, you can freeze for up to 3 months.
✔️ More Mexican Recipes
If you are looking for more tasty Mexican-style recipes, check these out:
- Birria Tacos Recipe with Consommé
- Chicken Tinga Tostadas
- EASY Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole
- Mexican Ground Beef Recipe
- Mexican Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe
⭐ Let's Connect
If you tried Crockpot Birria de Res, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a star rating and/or a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please share photos of your creations with me and others on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
📋 Recipe
Crockpot Birria de Res
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 large sweet onion (chopped)
- 5 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3 ancho chiles (dried)
- 3 new mexico chiles (dried)
- 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 ounces chiles in adobo sauce (use more if you like it spicy!)
- 2 cinnnamon sticks
- 2 bay leaves (dried)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 cups beef broth
- serve with: tortillas, cheese, diced onion, lime wedges, and cilantro.
Instructions
- Season all sides of chuck roast with salt and pepper
- Preheat a 12" skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil. When skillet is very hot sear each side of chuck roast until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes each side.
- Remove roast and set aside. Add onions and garlic, and saute until they are caramelized.
- In a crockpot add the dried chilies, cooked onions and garlic, and then the beef roast. Add remaining ingredients on top.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until the roast is very tender.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and any hard chile pods or skin.
- Remove roast from crockpot and shred meat. Set aside and keep warm.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the liquids that remain in the pot until smooth.
- Serve the shredded beef and sauce with tortillas, cheese, diced onion, lime wedges, cilantro, and any other favorite topping.
Video
Notes
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- SUBSTITUTIONS: This recipe is medium spicy. If you prefer it spicier, substitute spicier dried peppers and/or use more chipotles in adobo sauce. If you prefer mild - half or omit the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or use mild);
- TOP TIPS: 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; 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 skip if you don't have time.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve as a stew or shred the beef and serve in quesabirria tacos. Use the sauce to dip your tacos in.
Nutrition
© 2022 Seeking Good Eats™
Carrie says
Made this yesterday and it was amazing! The whole family loved it!! I’m using leftovers for tacos today. 😍 Can’t wait.
Kori says
Awww! Thank you so much. I'm super happy you loved this recipe!!
Cori Ann Robertson says
I'm making this to serve for Easter breakfast. Wish me luck!
Kori says
Great! I hope you enjoy 🙂 That sounds so delicious - Kori
MARY TOGNAZZINI says
THIS LOOKS SO GOOD BUT I DO NOT USE DRIED CHILIS, WHAT CHILI POWDERS SPICES CAN I USE, I THINK I HAVE THEM ALL.
Kori says
Hello and thank you for trying the recipe out! I've only used the dried peppers in this recipe, but since both the dried chiles in this recipe are on the mild side so I would suggest maybe 1 tablespoon of standard dried chili powder and then use a little hot chili powder of choice (like cayenne) to add the spice in. I recently made this and added a little smoked paprika and it was amazing too! I'm a recent convert to using dried peppers. If you are up for it, give them a try sometime - it's as simple as tossing them in and they soften up wonderfully! With that said, why run to the store if you already have chili powders? 😉 Let me know how it turns out with the chili powder. Enjoy!