12/10/2025
Birria Sauce Ingredients
12 guajillo chiles
5 ancho chiles
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion cut into chunks
1 bulb garlic
2 large tomatoes cut into chunks
3 tsp salt divided
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups beef stock
7 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
Crockpot Ingredients
3-4 lbs boneless beef roast cut into large chunks
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks
Assembling the Quesabirria Tacos
corn and flour tortillas
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 small red onion chopped
1 small white onion chopped
1-2 limes cut into wedges
oaxaca cheese shredded
Instructions
Birria Sauce
Start with the chiles: Rinse the dried ancho and guajillo chiles. Add enough water to a large pot to cover the peppers.
Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Put the dried peppers in the water and let them soak for about 15 minutes.
Save that water: Reserve one cup of the water you used for soaking to add to the blender.
Prep the chiles: Once theyâve had their soak, take the peppers over to your cutting board to remove the stems and seeds.
Prepare the vegetables: While the peppers are soaking, line a baking pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Cut your fresh tomatoes and onion into large chunks. Cut the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves, and place it on the baking pan cut side facing up.
Season: Drizzle olive oil over the prepared vegetables, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roasting time: Set your oven broiler to high. Roast the veggies for 8-15 minutes or until lightly charred. Keep an eye on them. Broiling times differ from oven to oven and can be affected by how close your oven rack is to the top broiler.
Load up the Blender: Place the prepared peppers plus one cup of the reserved cooking liquid into the blender. Add the roasted tomatoes and onions. Squeeze the garlic bulb releasing the roasted garlic cloves into the blender.
Add More Flavors: Next, add the beef stock, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, vinegar, Mexican oregano, cumin, ground cloves, ginger, and salt into the blender.
Time to Blend: Place the lid onto the blender, and blend on high. Youâre going for silky smooth here, so let it run until everything is totally combined. You could also use a food processor or immersion blender for this step.
Cooking the Beef in the Crock Pot
Chop the Beef: I start with a big, 3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast and cut it into large chunks. If you canât find a big roast, I suggest getting 2 smaller ones.
Sear for Flavor: Each piece of beef gets a quick sear in a pan over medium-high heat until itâs golden brown. You'll need to do this in small batches.
Layer in the Crock Pot: Next, I place all of the seared beef chunks in the crock pot and pour the blended sauce over them.
Add Spices: Tuck in a few cinnamon sticks and bay leaves among the beef pieces, and add a teaspoon of black peppercorns. Be sure to gently stir everything into the sauce and make sure every piece of beef is submerged in the birria sauce.
Low and Slow Cooking: Set your crockpot to low, and cook for 8-10 hours. If youâre short on time, you can also cook it on high for 4-6 hours.
