Traditional Slow-Cooker Beef Birria
FreshJax Team
6-8
15 minutes
Mexican
A Shortcut to Authentic Flavor
Experience classic Mexican street food right at home. Traditional birria requires stemming, seeding, boiling, and blending dried chiles with cinnamon and cloves. FreshJax Birria seasoning packs all those complex, earthy flavors into one jar so you can skip hours of tedious prep work.
Slow-Cooked Perfection
This hands-off slow-cooker method yields melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef floating in a reddish-brown broth. It’s ideal for filling crispy tacos or enjoying as a rich, comforting soup.
Good to Know: Traditional birria originates from Jalisco, Mexico, and was traditionally made with goat (birria de chivo). Using beef chuck roast provides an accessible, savory alternative packed with natural gelatin.
Ingredients
3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
4 tbsp FreshJax Birria Seasoning
1 medium white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
4 cups beef bone broth
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt, to taste
Directions
Rub the beef chunks generously with 2 tbsp of the Birria seasoning and a pinch of salt.
Heat a splash of oil in a skillet over high heat; sear the beef chunks for 2-3 minutes per side until a crust forms, then transfer them to your slow cooker.
To the slow cooker, add the chopped onion, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, remaining 2 tbsp of Birria seasoning, beef broth, bay leaves, and apple cider vinegar.
Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours (or High for 4 hours) until the beef is effortlessly fork-tender.
Remove the beef, shred it with two forks, and discard the bay leaves. Skim the reddish fat from the top of the remaining broth (consommé) and save it for making tacos later! Return some broth to the beef to keep it juicy.
