Description
Slow-Cooked Spicy Mexican Birria Enchiladas feature tender shredded beef simmered in a rich, smoky chili sauce, wrapped in warm corn tortillas, topped with melted cheese, and baked to perfection. This comforting dish combines traditional Mexican flavors with the ease of slow cooking, resulting in delectably flavorful enchiladas perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Marinade
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 2 dried guajillo chilies
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 1 dried pasilla chili
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Liquid
- 2 cups beef broth
Assembly
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Chilies: In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add the dried guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies. Cover and remove from heat, allowing them to soak for about 15 minutes until softened.
- Make the Birria Sauce: In a blender, combine soaked chilies, garlic, onion, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, adding some of the soaking water if necessary to achieve a smooth sauce.
- Cooking the Beef: Place the beef chunks in a slow cooker. Pour the birria sauce over the beef, ensuring each piece is well coated. Add the beef broth and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Prepare the Enchiladas: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove beef from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Reserve some sauce for later, then mix the remaining sauce with the shredded meat.
- Assemble Enchiladas: Warm tortillas in a dry skillet for a few seconds to make them pliable. Spoon a generous amount of shredded beef mixture onto each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, then roll and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
- Bake: Pour the reserved sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with more cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish enchiladas with fresh cilantro. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Soaking the dried chilies softens them and intensifies their flavor for a rich sauce.
- Use Oaxaca cheese for authentic Mexican flavor or mozzarella for a milder taste and easier melting.
- Warming tortillas before assembling prevents cracks and makes rolling easier.
- Reserve some sauce for pouring over enchiladas before baking to keep them moist and flavorful.
- Slow cooking the beef ensures it becomes tender enough to shred easily.
- Adjust the number of chilies according to your heat preference.
- Leftover birria meat and sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
