Ingredients
Meat and Marinade
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 3 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- Corn tortillas
- Oil for frying (such as vegetable or canola oil)
- Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Diced onion, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chilies: Soak the dried guajillo and ancho chilies in hot water for 15 minutes until softened. Drain and transfer to a blender.
- Make the chili sauce: Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves, and diced tomatoes to the blender with the soaked chilies. Blend until a smooth sauce forms.
- Set up the crock pot: Place the beef chuck roast chunks into the crock pot. Pour the blended chili sauce over the meat. Add beef broth, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, ground cumin, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper to the pot.
- Cook the beef: Cover the crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily shredded with a fork.
- Shred the beef: Remove the beef chunks from the crock pot and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the sauce in the crock pot and mix well to absorb the flavors.
- Prepare the tortillas: Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Dip each corn tortilla briefly into the fat layer on top of the crock pot broth, then place it in the skillet and fry until crispy and lightly browned on both sides.
- Assemble and fry tacos: Fill each crispy tortilla with a generous amount of the shredded beef mixture. Fold the tortilla over and fry again in the skillet until the taco is crispy and golden on both sides.
- Serve: Serve the birria tacos hot with additional broth from the crock pot on the side for dipping, and garnish with chopped cilantro and diced onion as desired. Enjoy your flavorful homemade birria tacos!
Notes
- Soaking the dried chilies removes bitterness and softens them for blending.
- Using the fat layer from the broth is key for frying the tortillas to achieve authentic flavor.
- Cook on low for tender, shreddable beef but cook times may vary depending on your crock pot.
- Leftover birria and broth store well refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- For a spicier version, add chipotle peppers or extra dried chilies to the sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
