The Best Instant Pot Birria
User Reviews
4.6
241 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
15 mins
-
Cook Time
1 hr 20 mins
-
Total Time
1 hr 35 mins
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Servings
12 servings
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Calories
668 kcal
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Cuisine
Mexican
The Best Instant Pot Birria
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The Best Instant Pot Birria uses chuck roast and short ribs cooked under pressure with a blend of dried guajillo and ancho chiles, whole spices like cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and cinnamon, plus onion, garlic, black peppercorns, and herbs. The meat becomes tender and richly infused with flavors from pureed tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo, Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, and bay leaves. This birria results in a deeply savory and aromatic stew with a complex layered taste and tender beef that falls apart easily.
Description
The Best Instant Pot Birria recipe combines flavorful cuts of beef, including chuck roast and short ribs, cooked with dried guajillo and ancho chiles, whole black peppercorns, cumin and coriander seeds, a cinnamon stick, and Mexican oregano. Fresh aromatics like quartered onion and whole garlic contribute to the broth. The mixture includes pureed tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo, smoked paprika, and bay leaves, providing depth and warmth.
The cooking process involves searing the meat first for browning, then pressure cooking with the spices and liquids to tenderize the beef thoroughly while melding the complex flavors. The toasting of whole spices and drying and deseeding the chilies enhances their aroma and intensity. The final dish showcases tender, fall-apart beef in a rich, well-seasoned broth with a balance of heat, smoky notes, and tangy, slightly sweet undertones from vinegar and spices.
This birria can be served as a stew or used as a filling in tacos or other Mexican dishes. It is versatile and rich, offering a satisfying meal experience with warming spices and tender meat.
Instructions for storing, freezing, and reheating the birria are available to maintain flavor and texture for later servings.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral high smoke point oil (grapeseed, vegetable, canola, etc)
- 4 lbs chuck roast cut in half, boneless
- 2 lbs short ribs English cut
- 6 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 white onion peeled and quartered, large
- 1 garlic peeled, head
- 4 dried guajillo chile peppers deseeded and stems removed
- 4 ancho chile peppers dried
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns whole
- 1 tsp cumin seeds whole
- 1 tsp coriander seeds whole
- 1 stick Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Mexican oregano fresh or dried
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo canned
- 1 pureed tomatoes 28 oz can
- 3 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 5 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Making the Birria
- Bring the meat to room temperature for about 30 minutes and then sprinkle liberally on all sides with kosher salt.
- Turn the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker onto Saute and once it says 'HOT', add your high heat oil. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the chuck roast, making sure not to crowd the pot, and sear on all sides until browned. Repeat with the short rib until every piece of meat is well browned. Set meat aside on a plate or in a large bowl for later.
- Destem and deseed the dried chilies by gently rolling the pods to loosen up the seeds inside. Cut the stems off and shake the seeds out of the pods.
- In a medium fry pan or skillet, dry toast the whole spices and chiles: the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, and cinnamon stick over medium heat. Place all the spices in an even layer across the pan, then give the pan a nice, gentle shake to ensure the spices get evenly toasted. They're done once they smell super fragrant, about a minute or two.
- In the Instant Pot on Saute on the highest power and when it says 'HOT' add the toasted spices and dried chiles, the large white onion quarters, garlic cloves, and oregano then pour enough cold water in to cover everything. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. This can also be done on the stove top in a large pot over medium heat.
- Pour through a mesh strainer and discard the most of the liquid (save 1 cup of it!) and discard the cinnamon stick, then transfer all the solids, the smoked paprika, the chopotle peppers with the adobo, the pureed tomatoes, and the reserved cup of liquids to a high powered blender. Blend until nice and smooth.
- Add the meat, the blended sauce, the bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, and the beef broth back into the Instant Pot. Lock the lid on for pressure cooking, set the Instant Pot to 'MANUAL' for 60 minutes and let the birria pressure cook.
- When time is up, let the Instant Pot naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the venting knob for a quick release of the rest of the pressure.
- Making Birria QuesaTacos
- Remove the meat from the consomme, shredding all of it with forks and removing the bones and bay leaves.
- Use a large spoon to skim some of the fat off the top of the consomme and into a shallow dish. This fat is what you'll dip the tortillas into to fry them with.
- Pour some of the consomme into a small serving bowl and add the chopped cilantro.
- Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat. Use tongs (or clean fingers) to dip both sides of a tortilla into the fat in your shallow dish. Place it flat into the hot nonstick pan and add a little birria meat and Oaxaca cheese to one side, fold the tortilla, and let cook for about 30 seconds to a minute, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds so the other folded side gets crispy as well.
- Move the cooked birria quesataco to a serving plate and repeat until you have enough tacos for serving immediately with consomme, diced onions, limes, and cilantro.
- Reserve the rest of the birria meat and the consomme in airtight containers in the fridge for up to five days, with the fat. This can also be done as a make ahead meal. Simply do Step 4 and Step 5, melting some of the cooled fat in the nonstick pan and cooking the tortillas and meat as written.
Notes
- Store leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate up to several days, or freeze for longer storage.
- Reheat gently to preserve tender texture and rich flavor.
- Remove seeds and stems from dried chilies before toasting to avoid bitterness.
- Toast whole spices evenly until fragrant for best flavor extraction.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1g
Calories
668kcal
(33%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
60g
(120%)
Fat
44g
(68%)
Saturated Fat
18g
(90%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
24g
(141%)
Trans Fat
2g
(100%)
Cholesterol
202mg
(67%)
Sodium
668mg
(28%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 668 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 668kcal | 33% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 60g | 120% |
| Fat | 44g | 68% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 24g | 141% |
| Trans Fat | 2g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 202mg | 67% |
| Sodium | 668mg | 28% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
241 reviews
Excellent
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