Crockpot Pork Birria Tacos with Rich Consomme Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Skim a little of the red chili oil from the top of the consomme and drizzle it over the shredded pork before building tacos; it carries most of the chile aroma and keeps the filling glossy.

When crisping the tacos, press each one gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the folded tortilla seals and the cheese bonds both sides together.

Blend the consomme in two batches if the blender is small, and never fill past halfway with hot liquid. If the consomme seems thick after blending, loosen it with the chile soaking water rather than plain water, which keeps the flavor concentrated.

For extra-crisp edges, let each taco sit an extra 30 seconds undisturbed before flipping; the cheese that touches the pan turns into a lacy, browned fringe.

Variations

• Quesabirria style: Add an extra handful of Oaxaca cheese to each tortilla before the pork so the cheese seals both edges, making a proper quesabirria with a cheese-pull in every bite.
• Birria ramen: Simmer ramen noodles directly in the hot consomme, then top the bowl with shredded pork, onion, and cilantro for a second-day meal that uses every drop of broth.
• Birria grilled cheese: Butter bread instead of tortillas, layer Oaxaca cheese and shredded pork between slices, and griddle until crisp; dunk it in consomme exactly like a taco.
• Spicier pot: Add one or two dried chiles de arbol to the soaking bowl with the guajillo and anchos; they blend invisibly into the consomme and raise the heat noticeably.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Pork and consomme keep separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days; the oil cap on the consomme is normal.

Freezer

Freeze shredded pork and consomme in separate freezer bags for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Reheat

Warm consomme in a saucepan until the oil melts back in; reheat pork covered with a splash of consomme, then crisp tacos fresh in a skillet.

Cool the leftover pork and consomme separately for no more than 2 hours, then refrigerate in airtight containers. The chili oil will set into a solid red cap on the consomme in the fridge; that is normal and melts again on reheating. Store the two components apart so the pork does not soak up all the broth and lose its texture.

Everything up to the shredded pork and blended consomme can be done a day ahead, which makes this a strong weekend-cook, weeknight-eat plan.

Refrigerate the shreds with a few spoonfuls of consomme stirred in, keep the rest of the consomme in its own container, and reheat both gently on the stovetop or in the slow cooker before crisping the tacos. The tacos themselves are always made fresh; they take 10 minutes and do not hold their crunch.

Serving ideas

Set the table birria-style: a stack of hot tacos on a platter, small cups of steaming consomme beside each plate, and bowls of chopped white onion and cilantro for topping both the tacos and the broth.

The proper sequence is a quick dunk, a bite, then a spoonful of consomme with onion and cilantro; the crunch-then-sip rhythm is the whole point.

These tacos stand on their own as a full dinner, but a simple side of pickled red onions or a squeeze of lime over the open taco before the first dunk cuts through the richness nicely. Serve the consomme hot, right out of the slow cooker on warm, so the chili oil stays liquid and glossy from the first cup to the last.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Crockpot Pork Birria Tacos with Rich Consomme

Prep 25 minCook 8 hRest 15 minTotal 8 h 40 minServes 6

Ingredients

• 4 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into large chunks
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 roma tomato, quartered
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups beef broth
• 10 oz Oaxaca cheese, torn into strands (mozzarella works too)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 white onion, finely chopped, for serving
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Tear the stems off the guajillo and ancho chiles, shake out the seeds, and flatten each pod with your palm. Cover them with very hot water in a bowl and let them soak for 15 minutes until supple and dark red. Keep the soaking water; a splash of it loosens the blend later.
2. Nestle the pork chunks into the ceramic insert in an even layer. Scatter the drained chiles over and around the meat, then add the quartered roma tomato, the cinnamon stick, the apple cider vinegar, and the beef broth. The liquid should come partway up the pork, not cover it.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Resist lifting the lid; every peek releases heat and adds 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time. The house will smell of toasted chiles and cinnamon by hour three, and the liquid will bubble gently at the edges by hour five.
4. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let it rest for at least 3 minutes, ideally 10 to 15, so the juices redistribute. Keep the chiles, tomato, cinnamon stick, and every drop of the cooking liquid in the insert; they become the consomme.
5. Pull the pork apart with two forks, discarding any large fat caps or gristle. The meat should fall into juicy strands with almost no pressure. Toss the shreds with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid so they stay moist while the consomme is blended.
6. Ladle the chiles, tomato, and braising liquid from the insert into a blender, filling it no more than halfway. Blend until completely smooth and deep red, about a minute, adding a splash of the soaking water if it is too thick to move. Return the consomme to the slow cooker to stay warm.
7. Heat a large skillet over medium. Dip each tortilla in the warm consomme, then lay it in the pan. Scatter a layer of shredded pork and a handful of Oaxaca cheese over one half, fold the tortilla over, and crisp for 2 minutes per side until the edges are brittle and the cheese melts.
8. Ladle the hot consomme into small cups and skim a little of the red chili oil onto each one. Top with chopped white onion and cilantro. Serve the crispy tacos straight from the pan alongside the cups, dunking each bite before eating while everything is piping hot.

Contains: milk, sulfites

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

610

Protein

38 g

Carbohydrates

22 g

Fat

38 g

Fiber

3 g

Sugar

3 g

Sodium

780 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.