Slow Cooker Birria Stew
A crock-pot version of the Mexican stew, Birria: Beef chuck roast slow cooked in a sauce made from dried chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, herbs, and spices.

servings: 4
total time: 7 hours
recipe by: Frankie
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 6 dried Guajillo chiles (or other dried chiles), stems and seeds removed
- 3 cups water
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- OPTIONAL FOR SERVING:
- diced onion
- freshly chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
- tortillas
Directions
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Generously season the beef with salt & pepper then brown the beef in the saute pan until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the beef to a 6-quart slow cooker and set aside.
- Keep the saute pan over medium-high heat then add the dried chiles and water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the chiles in the water for about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to release any stuck on bits then continue to cook, stirring often, for about 15 more minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat then transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture from the blender into the slow cooker with the beef.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for about 6 hours or until beef is tender.
- Transfer the beef to a large bowl using a slotted spoon then use two forks to shred the beef.
- Stir the shredded beef back into the slow cooker then taste and season with additional salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with diced onion and cilantro and lime edges on the side or serve as tacos in warm tortillas.
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