Description
Savory Mexican birria crockpot recipe delivers tender, spice-laden beef steeped in rich, complex flavors. Slow-cooked perfection invites culinary adventurers to savor authentic Mexican comfort with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 4 cups (946 ml) beef broth
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 dried pasilla chile, stemmed and seeded
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 1 large tomato, quartered
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Sliced lime
- Corn tortillas
Instructions
- Chile Preparation: Submerge dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles in water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes until completely softened. Drain and reserve rehydrated chiles.
- Sauce Creation: Blend softened chiles with onion, garlic, tomato, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and beef broth until smooth and silky. The sauce should have a uniform, vibrant consistency that promises deep, complex flavors.
- Meat Preparation: Season beef cuts generously with salt and black pepper. Transfer seasoned meat to the crockpot, ensuring an even layer that maximizes sauce coverage and flavor absorption.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour chile sauce over the meat, adding bay leaves, remaining beef broth, and apple cider vinegar. These ingredients will create a rich, aromatic braising liquid that tenderizes and enhances the meat’s natural flavors.
- Slow Cooking: Cover crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours. The prolonged, gentle cooking process will transform the meat into meltingly tender, easily shreddable protein infused with complex chile flavor.
- Finishing and Serving: Remove bay leaves and shred meat directly in the cooking liquid using two forks. Mix thoroughly to ensure meat is completely coated with the robust sauce. Serve as a hearty stew or traditional tacos, garnishing with fresh cilantro and lime wedges for a bright, authentic touch.
Notes
- Optimize Chile Selection: Choose fresh, high-quality dried chiles for maximum flavor depth and authenticity. Slightly toast chiles before rehydrating to enhance their natural smoky undertones.
- Control Meat Tenderness: Select fatty beef cuts like chuck roast or beef short ribs, which break down beautifully during slow cooking and create rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Master Sauce Consistency: Strain blended sauce through fine-mesh sieve to eliminate chile skin fragments, ensuring silky-smooth sauce without unwanted texture interruptions.
- Prevent Flavor Dilution: Use concentrated beef broth or add additional spices if liquid seems thin, maintaining robust Mexican flavor profile during extended slow-cooking process.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg