Instant Pot Birria
Beef Birria is made with tender beef cooked in a rich chile sauce until it easily shreds apart. Making birria in the Instant Pot cuts down the cooking time while still giving you juicy, flavorful meat and plenty of consommé for making QuesaBirria Tacos.
Reader Isabelle says: “I made this and it was great. I added 2 chiles de arboles, a little bit of marjoram, and I used ground cinnamon since I didn’t have any sticks.” ★★★★★
Birria is commonly served at parties and weddings in Mexico. It’s traditionally made with goat meat and cooked low and slow until tender.
This version uses beef and the Instant Pot to get tender meat in a fraction of the time. You can serve the birria as-is or use it to make crispy, cheesy QuesaBirria Tacos.
Ingredients
- Chuck Roast – The marbling makes it a great choice for juicy, tender birria. I used just under 3 pounds, which made about 12 good-sized tacos.
- Beef Bones – Add richness and flavor to the consommé. Short ribs or beef shank can also be used.
- Guajillo and Ancho Chiles – Dried chiles create the base of the birria sauce without making it overly spicy.
- Roma Tomatoes – Add body and flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic – Adds savory flavor to the chile sauce.
- Mexican Oregano – Gives the sauce its distinctive earthy flavor.
- Whole Clove and Cumin Seeds – Add warm, aromatic flavor.
- Cinnamon Stick – Adds subtle warmth to the sauce.
- Bay Leaves – Add another layer of flavor as the sauce cooks.
- Salt and Pepper – Used to generously season the beef before searing.
How to Make the Sauce
The chile sauce is what sets Birria apart from Barbacoa. This sauce isn’t spicy, but you can add a few chile de arbol peppers for some heat or serve the finished birria with Chile de Arbol Salsa.
- Prepare the chiles. Remove the stems and shake out most of the seeds from the dried chiles.
- Rehydrate the chiles. Boil them in a small pot of water for 5 minutes.
- Blend the sauce. Add the rehydrated chiles, tomatoes, garlic, spices, salt, and water to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and adjust the salt if needed.
What Kind of Beef Should I Use?
I use chuck roast because it has plenty of marbling, along with beef bones to add richness to the consommé.
If you can’t find beef bones, use chuck roast with short ribs or beef shank, also called chamorro de res.
Season the meat generously with salt and pepper, then sear it over high heat until browned. This adds more flavor to both the beef and broth.
How to Make Birria in the Instant Pot
- Add the beef. Place the seared beef and bones in the Instant Pot.
- Strain the sauce. Strain the blended chile sauce directly over the beef, pressing it through with a spoon or spatula until only the pulp and seeds remain.
- Add water. Add 1 cup of water and arrange the beef in an even layer. Add more water as needed to mostly cover the meat. I used about 2 cups total.
- Pressure cook. Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes for 3 pounds of beef. Add 5 minutes for each additional pound: 55 minutes for 4 pounds or 60 minutes for 5 pounds.
- Release the pressure. Carefully quick release the pressure once the cooking time is complete.
- Check the beef. The meat should easily pull apart. If it’s still tough, pressure cook for another 5–10 minutes.
Keep the birria warm using the Keep Warm setting if you’re not serving it right away.
Stovetop and Slow Cooker Methods
For the slow cooker, prepare the sauce and sear the beef as directed. Add the beef, sauce, and just enough water to cover the meat to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is tender.
For the stovetop, sear the beef in batches in a Dutch oven. Return the beef to the pot with the sauce and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–4 hours, checking and stirring about every 30 minutes, until the beef is tender.
How to Make QuesaBirria Tacos
Once the birria is cooked, remove the beef from the consommé and shred it with two forks or chop it with a knife. Keep the consommé nearby for dipping the tortillas.
- Heat the skillet. Heat a nonstick skillet or comal over medium-high heat.
- Dip the tortilla. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria consommé, then place it on the hot skillet.
- Add the filling. Top with shredded Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, birria meat, and a little extra consommé.
- Fold and cook. Fold the tortilla in half and cook for a couple of minutes on each side until golden and the cheese has melted.
Serve with chopped white onion, cilantro, lime wedges, and extra consommé for dipping.
Tips and Notes
- Sear the beef first. Browning adds extra flavor to the meat and consommé.
- Don’t add too much water. Use only enough to mostly cover the beef so the consommé stays rich and flavorful.
- Add heat if you like. The birria sauce itself isn’t very spicy, so add chile de arbol peppers if you want more heat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve birria with Mexican Rice, Beans, or Ensalada de Nopales. For extra heat, serve it with Chile de Arbol Salsa.
You can also use the shredded beef for tacos, quesadillas, or birria ramen.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover birria with some of its consommé in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For longer storage, freeze the meat with some broth for up to 3 months. Freeze any extra consommé separately so you can use it for reheating or dipping.
Beef Birria FAQs
Tough beef usually needs more cooking time. If the meat doesn’t easily shred after pressure cooking, cook it for another 5–10 minutes and check again.
Yes. Birria is a great make-ahead dish. Store the cooked beef with some of its consommé in the refrigerator, then reheat them together before serving.
Oaxaca cheese is my preferred option, but Monterey Jack is another good choice because it melts easily.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Birria
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Equipment
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot
Ingredients
Beef Birria
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 pounds Chuck Roast each side seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 Roma Tomatoes sliced in half
- 4 Guajillo Chiles Dried
- 1-2 Ancho Chiles Dried
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ Cinnamon Stick
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Whole Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2-3 cups Water
QuesaBirria Tacos
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 8 ounces Oaxaca Cheese Shredded
- Chopped White Onion and Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the chuck roast and season it with salt and pepper generously on each side, then cut into large chunks.
- Remove stems from guajillo and ancho chiles and shake out most of the seeds.
- Place the dried chiles in a small pot with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the lid on the pot while you prep the other ingredients.
- In a blender add roma tomatoes, garlic cloves, oregano, cumin seeds, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, and 1 bay leaf (save the other one). Use a slotted spoon to remove the softened chiles and add them to the blender along with 1 cup of new water. Don't use the water from the dried chiles. Blend until a smooth sauce forms. Taste to see if additional salt is needed. Leave sauce in blender until next step.
- Turn instant pot to saute (high). Add oil and begin searing each piece of meat. Do this in batches to prevent overcrowding the pot. Once all the meat is browned, turn off the instant pot and add all the pieces back to the pot. If you are using any beef bones add them now.
- Place a strainer directly over the instant pot and pour in the blended sauce. Use a flexible spatula or spoon and press the sauce through the strainer. Keep working it until you are left with just the seeds and pulp (discard those).
- The add 1 cup of water to the pot. Move the meat around to try and get it in an even layer. If all the meat isn't covered, add more water. I ended up using 2 cups total. You don't want too much liquid since that will dilute the broth or consomé.
- Add the second bay leaf on top and close the instant pot lid. Move the valve to sealing and set the timer to high pressure for 50 minutes. If using 4lbs of meat then 55 min, 5 lbs= 60 min.
- Once the timer goes off, carefully release the pressure in an open area of under the kitchen hood. Or if you don't plan on eating it right away then just keep the instant pot to Keep Warm and the pressure will release naturally.
- Remove the lid and the beef should be very tender. Place the beef and bones in a dish to shred or chop. Don't toss the broth! This is the consomé and we'll use it to make the tacos or use for a dipping broth.
QuesaBirria Tacos
- Heat a comal or non stick skillet over medium high heat and allow it to get hot.
- Dip a corn tortilla in the birria broth, then place it on the skillet. Add a layer of shredded cheese and birria.
- Fold in half with a spatula, and allow each side to crisp. This takes a couple minutes.Keep tacos warm in an oven until ready to serve. Add chopped onion and cilantro either inside the taco or on top. Serve with extra consomé as a 'dip'.
Video
Notes
Remove lid, stir, place lid back on, and reduce heat to low. You want a gentle simmer, not a rapid boil. This method can take 3-4 hours for the meat to be tender.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and depends on ingredients and amounts used. Thai Caliente makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Hi Renee,
You said don’t use the water from dry chiles, why not? Is it because it will make the sauce too hot?
I’m going to try this recipe this weekend. It looks delicious!
Thanks for your blogging!! Thai and Mexican –my most favorite foods.
Hi! Sometimes it can make the sauce a little bitter, but you can always try it 🙂
Hello! Can I use beef stew meat instead of chuck roast? And if I used stew meat, do you have an estimate for how that would impact the cooking time?
Thank you!
Hi Isabelle, I haven’t used stew meat before so I can’t offer any specific recommendations. Since stew meat is a leaner cut of meat, it should take less cooking time. Try shaving off 10 minutes from the numbers I listed. For example, 4 pounds do 45 min instead of 55 min. Please let me know how it turns out!
Hi Renee,
I tried it with stew meat and it still tasted great! I couldn’t taste the difference between using the stew meat and chuck roast (but perhaps if I had them both in front of me I would). Pro of the stew meat is I didn’t have to cut it (so saved washing a cutting board), but it did take a bit more time to sear all the pieces and season them. I also used 2 chiles de arboles and marjoram and extra cinnamon powder (since I didn’t have any cloves).
I made the sauce the day before which made the process a bit smoother for me.
Great recipe!
Thank you for letting me know! I’m so glad the stew meat worked out well. I will have to try that next time. Glad you enjoyed it!!
I made this and it was great. I added 2 chiles de arboles, a little bit of marjoram, and I used ground cinnamon since I didn’t have any sticks.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
These are great for breakfast!
Yes! Top them with a fried egg 🙂