Birria Tacos

Slow cooker birria meat stuffed tacos with melted cheese and a consommé dipping broth.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword tacos

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Total Time 8 15

Servings tacos

Calories 260kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

2.5 pounds chuck roast
1 white onion
6 cloves garlic
12 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce one can
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes one can
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon cayenne
1 lime plus more for serving
2 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
15 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mozzarella cheese
⅓ cup cilantro

Instructions

Pat the meat dry and liberally season with salt. Sear the meat on both sides. Then add it to your slow cooker.
In a blender or large food processor, add half the onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika, pepper, brown sugar, oregano, cloves, cayenne, lime juice and 1 cup of beef stock. Blend in to a thick sauce.
Pour this sauce over the meat in a slow cooker. Add another cup of beef stock, so the meat is covered. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
Cook on low for 8 hours. Or on high for 4 hours.
Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Reserve the stew but remove the meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
Dice the remaining half an onion as well as the cilantro.
Dip the tortillas on one side in the stew, aiming for the fat on top. Then pan fry with a little butter or oil. Add the meat and cheese to the tortilla and fold over on one side. Pan fry until the cheese is melted.
Serve with the onion and cilantro and extra lime wedges so you can squeeze a little fresh lime juice over the tacos before eating.

Notes

If you are able to find dried chilies such as ancho or guajillo chiles, these make great additions that will elevate and make this recipe more authentic. But I could not find any at the grocery store I usually shop at, so I didn’t include them here.

Use Mexican oregano and cinnamon sticks if you are able.

While I used chuck roast, you could use other cuts of beef or even lamb for this recipe.

I like white onion for this recipe, but yellow or red onion will work as well.

Instead of mozzarella cheese, you could use Oaxacan cheese for a more authentic recipe.

If you and your family prefer flour tortillas, you are welcome to use those instead or corn. You may want to simply warm them before filling, instead of the pan fried method.

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