Authentic Slow Cooker Birria (Birria de Res)

What is Birria?

I was telling my mom about the cheesy beef birria tacos served with consommé that took the world by storm in 2020. When I asked if she knew how to make birria, she said, “Wow, I haven’t heard about that dish in years!”

According to my mom, birria is a traditional meat stew from the Mexican state of Jalisco. In Mexico, it’s traditionally made with goat meat, but it can also be prepared with beef or lamb. Since beef birria wasn’t something I grew up eating, I wanted to ensure I shared an authentic Mexican recipe with you.

During my research, I came across a Birria de Res recipe by Doña Ángela, the beloved YouTube grandma from De Mi Rancho A Tu Cocina. Her version is rustic—slowly simmered in a big pot over a wood-burning stove. Inspired by her technique but wanting to make it more accessible for the everyday home cook, I developed my own birria de res recipe using a slow cooker.

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Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, this simple beef birria recipe is made with easy-to-find ingredients. See recipe card below for the full recipe.

• Boneless Beef Chuck Roast: Since Doña Angela’s recipe called for slow-cooking meat, I opted for chuck roast. It’s relatively inexpensive and has lots of connective tissue, which makes it a tough cut at first, but slow cooking turns it deliciously fork-tender. You’re also welcome to use beef shank or even beef short ribs, though the latter are quite expensive.
• Onion and Garlic: I used white, but yellow would also work fine. You’ll want fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
• Bay Leaves: It’s kind of wild how much flavor a few little leaves can impart. I recommend buying them from your local Latin American grocer; they are generally much cheaper since they are packed in plastic bags rather than glass jars.
• Dried Mexican Oregano: If possible, reach for Mexican oregano rather than Mediterranean. If you don’t have any on hand, dried marjoram is the closest substitute.
• Dried Chiles: Dried Guajillo Chiles add sweet, smoky, fruity flavor in the flavorful red chile sauce. Dried California or New Mexico chiles will also work beautifully! I also added Dried Ancho Chiles, but they are optional. Learn about the wide world of Mexican chiles.

How to Make Birria de Res in a Slow Cooker

While this birria de res recipe does take a bit of time, I can guarantee that it is neither difficult to pull off nor does it require any fancy equipment. I’ve also made sure to tailor the recipe to ingredients that can easily be sourced from a regular U.S. grocery store.

Step 1: Cook beef in slow cooker. In a slow cooker add water, beef chunks (cut into 4-inch cubes), onion, garlic, salt, black peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano, marjoram, mint, and thyme (if using). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Step 2: Remove and shred the beef. Once the beef is fall-apart tender, carefully remove it from the pot and shred it with two forks. Set aside.

Step 3: Strain the broth. Pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer to remove the whole peppercorns, bay leaves, and vegetable solids. Discard the solids. This leaves you with a rich consommé to serve with the birria.

Step 4: Make red chile sauce. While the meat is cooking, whip up this easy 30-minute sauce. Remove stems, seeds, and veins from the chile pods. Place in a colander and rinse well with cool water. Add chiles, garlic, onion, and water to a large pot. Bring water to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes. After 10 minutes turn the chiles over with tongs to make sure the chiles soften evenly. Allow time to cool down before blending. Do not discard water.

Step 5: Blend. Once cooled, place in blender with salt. Blend until smooth. If necessary, season with more salt.

Step 6: Strain. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into the slow cooker and stir. The broth combined with the red chile sauce is the “birria consomé”. Discard any skins and seeds that the sieve catches. 

How to Make Quesabirria (a.k.a. Birria Cheese Tacos)

1. Heat a comal (cast iron griddle) over medium-low heat. Dip the tortillas one at a time in the consommé (beef broth combined with red chile sauce). Place on the comal and top with cheese, I recommend Queso Oaxaca, if making quesatacos (cheese birria tacos). Add shredded beef over half the tortilla and chopped cilantro and onion. Drizzle the beef with a little more consommé.
2. When the cheese is melted, fold each tortilla in half. Cook, flipping halfway through, until browned and slightly crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. Serve tacos garnished with additional diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges, and small bowls of warm consommé (beef broth red chile sauce mixture) for dipping.
4. Keep warm: Transfer the tacos to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat assembling and cooking the remaining tacos.

Optional Variations

• Birria de Chivo: For an even more traditional birria con consomé, swap in goat meat. I recommend using goat leg or goat shoulder.
• Birria de Borrego: You can also make authentic birria tacos using lamb leg or lamb shoulder. Check out my latest cookbook, Muy Bueno Fiestas for a Lamb Birria recipe.
• Vegan Birria: Don’t eat meat? Try making a yummy vegan birria using pulled oyster mushrooms and pulled green jackfruit.

Serving Suggestions

The best thing about this birria crock pot recipe is that it makes a ton of meat, which you can use for a different meal for each day of the week. Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

• Drinks: Serve birria de res alongside a classic Mexican beer, a Chelada, or a bright and creamy Strawberry Horchata.
• Sides: Sopa de Fideo is a great choice.
• Leftovers: Make birria pozole replacing chicken using this Chicken Pozole recipe. Ramen with Birria and Birria Grilled Cheese Sandwiches are excellent weeknight dinners using leftover birria meat.
• Appetizers: Make birria nachos similar to these Brisket Nachos and Birria Flautas for the perfect party appetizers.
• Dessert: Need something to cool your tongue? Serve Paletas de Tamarindo for dessert. 

Storage & Reheating

• The red chile sauce can be made in advance and kept in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Red chile sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or frozen for up to six months.
• As with most soups and stews, birria de res does beautifully in the fridge, making it a perfect recipe for your meal prep day. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.
• To serve leftovers, allow them to defrost overnight in the fridge, then warm both the birria and consomé in a microwave, crockpot, or saucepan on the stovetop on medium high heat until heated through.

More Mexican Slow Cooker Recipes

Slow Cooker Borracho Beans

Mexican Flautas with Slow-Cooker Pork Tinga

Slow Cooker Beef Tongue Tostadas (Tostadas de Lengua)

Slow Cooker Lamb Barbacoa

If you tried this Authentic Birria de Res or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! Or, if you decide to Instagram your creations, tag me (@muybuenocooking) so I can see your delicious birria tacos.