Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos

Traditionally, Beef Birria- or Birria de res- is this insanely flavorful, spicy Mexican stew made of beef, or goat. I’ve tasted beef birria tacos in my local Mexican joints, and if you’re lucky, they’ll give you the broth in a little cup. Mmmm, the stuff will warm your soul, you guys. It’s this perfect balance of savory and spicy, and packs tons and tons of flavor.

So, when I set out to make the Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos, I set my goals high. I wanted that same beef birria flavor in an easy to make, (almost) one pot dish. After a few tries, I nailed it! It’s the best shredded beef I’ve ever made, so full of flavor and juicy and just the right amount of spice.

I made in the instant pot, but this could easily be made in your slow cooker. This is the instant pot that I use. (See recipe notes for slowcooker instructions).

These pair up perfectly with my quick and easy Pickled Red Onions – click here for the recipe!

Head’s Up:

There’s a parts in the prep of this recipe that may seem complicated but it’s actually really simple once you give it a shot. We use dried ancho chili peppers, and dried aneheim (or California) chili peppers. I find these in the “international” aisle of my grocery store. We have to prep them for use but it sounds like more work than it really is- promise!

Making the Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos:

First, you’ll cut off the stems, slice them open and scrape out the seeds– just like you would with a fresh pepper.

Then, pop in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes and you’re ready to rock. These peppers are inexpensive and easy to work with, and give us that authentic flavor we want in our beef birria.

Alrighty, lets get down to bizznass- we’ll blend up our flavor loaded base. One can of diced tomatoes, half an onion, 3 garlic cloves, juice of a lime and an orange, 1/2 cup of beef broth, our chili peppers, and our spices: salt, cumin, oregano, cinnamon. Purée until smooth and set aside.

• 

• 

Cut your 3-pound chuck roast into three pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Then, turn your instant pot to sauté and once its nice and hot, add a tablespoon of canola oil- or any oil with a high smoking point. Sear the beef for 3 minutes on each side.

Turn off the heat and pour the puréed base over the chuck roast. Seal instant pot and using the manual feature, cook for 75 minutes. I played around with other cooking times, but we need to cook it long enough for the collagen in the tissue to break down, which will give us meat that falls. right. apart. 75 minutes was perfect for my 3- 1 lb pieces of roast.

Once cooked, carefully turn the sealing valve to vent. When the steam is released, transfer your beef into a serving dish.

Turn the instant pot back to sauté and thicken up sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Shred beef with forks, and pour thickened birria sauce over the beef to desired juiciness. Holy moly. Is your mouth watering yet?

Well, there you have it – easy and flavorful Instant Pot Beef Birria Tacos. Serve in your favorite tortillas with my amazingly easy pickled onions and some cotija cheese. Or, make the ultimate delicious burrito bowl with black beans, rice and some avocado. It can also freeze in a flat ziplock freezer bag for easy weeknight enchiladas! Thaw before work and you’re ready to go. The tacos are my favorite way to eat it, and they are off the charts! I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!