Birria Sliders
Easy birria sliders made with slow-cooked beef, bold spices, and melty cheese, served on soft buns with savory consommé for dipping.
Servings: 6
Calories: 467kcal
Equipment
- Slow cooker (crockpot)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
- 5 dried ancho chilies seeded and stemmed
- 5 guajillo chilies seeded and stemmed
- 2 arbol chilies seeded and stemmed
- 1 white onion quartered
- 6 whole garlic cloves peeled
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 10 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3-4 pounds chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 pack slider buns
- Oaxacan cheese or any good melting cheese
- ½ white onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
Instructions
Part One: Make the Birria Sauce
- Step 1: Toast the peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant.
- Step 2: Add the toasted spices, dried peppers, onion, garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and remaining spices to a large pot.
- Step 3: Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the peppers are soft.
- Step 4: Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Pour the remaining ingredients into a blender.
- Step 5: Add some of the reserved cooking liquid to the blender.
- Step 6: Add crushed tomatoes and blend until smooth. Set aside while you prepare the beef.
Part Two: Sear the Meat
- Step 7: Cut the chuck roast into large chunks.
- Step 8: Season the beef with kosher salt.
- Step 9: In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sear the chuck roast on all sides until browned, about 4–5 minutes per side.
- Step 10: Remove the seared beef and place it into the crockpot.
Part Three: Finish in the Slow Cooker
- Step 11: Pour the birria sauce over the chuck roast.
- Step 12: Add beef broth.
- Step 13: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Step 14: Transfer the cooked beef to a large bowl.
Part Four: Assemble the Sliders
- Step 15: Shred the beef using forks (or your hands) and mix it back into the sauce.
- Step 16: Place the bottom half of the slider buns in a baking dish or on a sheet pan. Evenly spread the shredded beef over the buns.
- Step 17: Top with cheese.
- Step 18: Drizzle with birria sauce.
- Step 19: Brush the tops of the buns with consommé and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted.
- Step 20: Remove from the oven and top with diced white onion and cilantro, if desired.
- Step 21: Brush additional consommé over the tops of the sliders. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store leftover birria and consommé in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep the meat and broth together to prevent drying out.
- Freeze: Freeze birria (with some of the broth) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat (Stovetop): Add birria and broth to a saucepan over medium heat and warm until heated through. Add extra broth if needed to keep the meat juicy.
- Reheat Sliders: Wrap sliders in foil and warm in a 325°F oven until heated through. For best results, add a little extra consommé before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 467kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 1946mg | Potassium: 952mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 6mg
