Slow Cooker Chicken Birria Tacos
Slow Cooker Chicken Birria Tacos
Slow cooker chicken birria tacos start with 10 minutes of hands-on work. Then the slow cooker takes over for 6–8 hours, and the result tastes like it took all day.
The slowest cook in our taco recipes lineup, and the one that asks the least of you while it happens.
Load boneless chicken thighs into the slow cooker with chicken broth, a full packet of Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning, a cinnamon stick, and two bay leaves. That’s the setup. Cover it, walk away, and let the broth do what braising is supposed to do, break down the protein, pull in the spice, and build a consommé that’s worth serving alongside the tacos as a dipping sauce.
Birria’s depth comes from dried chilis, warm spices, and tomato. Spanglish Asadero’s blend delivers that in one packet, the kind of complexity that’s genuinely hard to build from scratch on a weeknight. It seasons from the inside out, not just on the surface. That’s the difference between chicken that tastes seasoned and chicken that actually is.
After 6–8 hours, shred the chicken with two forks and stir it back into the consommé. The chicken absorbs more flavor while it sits in the broth, and the consommé becomes the dipping sauce on the plate.
For the tacos: brush a small flour tortilla with canola oil, load it with shredded Oaxaca cheese and pulled birria chicken, fold it in half, and cook 2–3 minutes per side until the tortilla is golden and the cheese pulls. Serve immediately with warm consommé on the side.
This recipe yields 6 servings and holds in the fridge for up to 3 days, a real meal-prep option. It also shows up hard on game day: cook the broth overnight, reheat, and you’re building tacos while everyone else is ordering delivery.
Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning is the foundation. If you can’t find it, the ingredients list has an exact substitution built from pantry staples.
Flavor First.
SLOW COOKER CHICKEN BIRRIA TACOS
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Prep: Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
- Pour chicken broth over the chicken. Add entire packet of Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6–8 hours, until chicken is very tender and shreds easily.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir into the consommé. Keep warm. Discard cinnamon stick and bay leaves.
- For tacos: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla lightly with canola oil. Place oiled side down in skillet. Add generous layer of shredded Oaxaca cheese, then shredded birria chicken. Fold tortilla in half (quesadilla style) or leave open-face. Cook 2–3 minutes per side until cheese is melted and tortilla is golden and crispy.
- Serve immediately topped with chopped white onion and cilantro, with extra warm consommé on the side for dipping.
- PRO TIPS & DIAL-INS
- Seasoning: One full packet of Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning gives rich, authentic flavor. Add extra ½ packet if you like it bolder.
- Consommé: Skim some fat off the top before serving if desired, or leave it for extra richness.
- Cheese pull: Oaxaca melts beautifully — mozzarella works as a sub.
- Make-ahead: Cook and shred chicken up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in the consommé before assembling tacos.
- Spice level: Add a diced jalapeño or chipotle to the slow cooker for more heat.
Nutrition
Notes
- Use the full packet — One full packet of Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning is the right amount for 2½ lbs of chicken and 4 cups of broth. Under-season here and you get under-flavored throughout. Add half a packet more if you want it bolder.
- Stir the chicken back in — After shredding, return the chicken to the consommé and let it sit. The longer it stays in the broth, the more flavor it absorbs. Don’t skip this step.
- Skim or don’t — Before serving, skim some fat from the top of the consommé if you want a cleaner dip. Leave it if you want richness. Both are right.
- Tortilla size — Use small street-taco-size tortillas (4–5 inch). Standard-size tortillas get unwieldy folded with filling inside. Smaller surface means crispier taco.
- Make-ahead — Cook and shred the chicken up to 2 days ahead. Store it in the consommé. The flavor deepens overnight and the tacos build faster when you need them.
- Heat on demand — Add a diced jalapeño or a chipotle in adobo to the slow cooker before it runs for heat built into the broth. Add fresh sliced jalapeño as a topping if you want heat you can control at the table.
- Set up a build-your-own station: bowls of chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and individual ramekins of warm consommé for dipping. The consommé isn’t a side note — it’s part of the dish. Squeeze of lime over the top before the first bite.
- A side of Mexican rice and black beans rounds the plate out without adding much prep. If you want contrast, pickled red onions cut through the richness of the braised chicken cleanly. The birria is rich and the consommé amplifies that — something acidic on the plate keeps it balanced.
- Flour street tacos are called for in this recipe. Corn tortillas are a legitimate swap — some people strongly prefer them for birria — and they crisp the same way with canola oil in a skillet.
- Store the shredded chicken and consommé together in an airtight container. Keeping them combined prevents the chicken from drying out. Refrigerates for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a small pot over medium-low heat or in the microwave covered on medium power. If the broth has thickened in the fridge, add a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen it before reheating. Don’t push the heat — high heat fades the seasoning and toughens the chicken.
- Build the tacos fresh each time. The tortillas and cheese don’t hold well assembled — crisp fresh tortillas for every serving.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Frequently Asked Questions
What is birria consommé and how do I use it?
The consommé is the braising liquid from the slow cooker, seasoned broth the chicken cooked in for 6–8 hours. After shredding, stir the chicken back into it. Serve it warm on the side as a dipping sauce. That’s what separates birria tacos from a standard chicken taco.
Can I substitute the Spanglish Asadero Beef Birria Seasoning?
Yes. The ingredients list has an exact substitution: ancho chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground cloves, salt, and tomato paste. It won’t be identical, but it replicates the core flavor profile. If you can find Spanglish Asadero at your local store or online, it’s worth tracking down.
Can I cook this on high instead of low?
Yes, cook on high for 3–4 hours instead of low for 6–8. The texture is slightly less tender, but still fully shredable. Low and slow is the better result when you have the time.
What internal temperature should the chicken reach?
165°F at the thickest part. Use an instant-read thermometer. After 6–8 hours on low, the chicken will be well past that and pulling apart easily, the thermometer confirms what the texture already tells you.
Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour?
Yes. Small corn tortillas work, crisp them the same way with canola oil in a skillet. They give a slightly more traditional result. Make sure they’re fresh, not stiff from sitting.
How do I reheat if I made the chicken ahead?
Reheat the chicken in the consommé. Build and crisp the tacos fresh every time, pre-assembled tacos get soggy and the cheese won’t pull the same way. The chicken keeps; the assembled taco doesn’t.
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