Birria Tacos (Quesabirra) were trending when I posted a recipe a while back, and still are, for good reason. They’re everything you love about Mexican food, plus more! Tender beef, luscious and juicy, lots of gooey cheese and crispy goodness, and best of all, dippable. The broth, consomme, that results from cooking takes everything over the top! And now you can make them faster at home with my Instant Pot Birria Recipe.
Instant Pot Birria Quesabirria Tacos
A word of caution: this is a real deal Beef Birria, adapted to the Instant Pot. The IP speeds things up, knocking off about an hour and a half, but Birria is a project and takes time. The reward: mounds of beef to serve as a stew with tortillas, or to shred and make almost endless quesabirria tacos!
Why You’ll Want To Make Instant Pot Birria:
Why even bother to make Birria at home? For one, eating out is crazy pricey, and sometimes, just not worth it. If you’re thinking “same,” then this is for you!
Mexican food is always a fave, and I can’t resist ordering Birria Tacos when they’re on the menu. But sometimes they hit the spot, while sadly, sometimes, not so much. Making at home is the way to go: I know exactly what I’m getting in every flavor-packed bite, every time. Try this recipe once and you’ll see what I mean. Feel free to tweak to your liking; after all, that’s how I perfected this one!
Now let’s talk price tag: If I want birria at home, it’s so worth the effort. The Instant Pot Birria is fire, about $35 to make (about $4.00 for 3 tacos), and maximizes both ingredients and effort. It makes a lot and takes very little to fill a taco, so it will feed a crowd, make a meal for your family with leftovers, or make enough to serve now and freeze some for later.
The last time I ordered Birria, it was $17.99 for three tacos, no sides. Plus, I was “forced” to order a margarita! (Hate it when that happens, lol!) Hypothetically, 25 tacos there would run: $149.00 + tax and tip. Even my fave taco place, at $14.99 for three, would be $129.00 +.
Instant Pot Birria Quesabirria Tacos – yes you need a generous amount of cheese!
Making Instant Pot Birria:
All the deets are in the recipe, but here’s a quick rundown with hints to make things easier…first of all, you’ll make the stew (Birria de Res), then the tacos (Quesabirria).
Before starting, empty the sink and dishwasher, clear your stovetop, and counter space. Get out your blender and strainer, and if you have a griddle (for searing the tacos), use it.
Allow time: This is a multi-step process, including a 30-minute marinade. When prepping the beef, cut off the excess fat, sinew, or silverskin, but leave the softer fat and marbling. When the stew is done, the fat floats to the top, which is a good thing. The tortillas for the tacos are dipped in it, then griddled. That gives them color, flavor, and the signature crispiness.
While the beef is marinating, make the chile sauce. Grind a few spices in the blender, toast and soak the chiles (20 minutes), and broil and char tomatoes, onion, and garlic, turning as needed, removing each when done. (Make it easy – line the pan with foil.) Add the chiles (and liquid) to the blender, whiz; repeat with the vegetables. Strain the sauce.
Now it’s time to cook: Sear the beef in batches. Remove and deglaze the liner. (Searing is optional but gives deeper flavor.) Remove the beef, deglaze, and add the beef back in with the sauce and water or broth.
Set the timer for 40 minutes, high pressure with natural release. (Time to come up to pressure and release is built into the recipe.) While the IP is doing its thing, clean up, grate your cheese, ready sides, and garnishes. Directions for the tacos are in the recipe – no need to repeat here.
Serve With:
Classic garnishes are finely diced onion, cilantro, thinly sliced radish, and lime. Add any favorites.
Refried beans and rice make it a “meal” without paying $3.99 per side! I have multple recipes here, but my favorites are Restaurant Style Refried Beans (from a can!) and Restaurant Style Mexican Red Rice.
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
How to doctor up canned refried beans
How to Store Leftover Birria de Res & What to Do with It!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three to five days. Reheat in the microwave, covered. Add water if needed. Birria freezes well. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge.
If you’re “over” tacos, use leftovers for Birria Ramen, quesadillas, or layer into Nachos.
Other Recipes You Might Like:
New Mexican Carne Adovada
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low price for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Chuck Roast:
Chuck has risen dramatically, but it’s still one of the cheaper roasts, sometimes less than ground beef. Stock up and freeze when it’s on sale.
- Watch for sales in the fall after beef goes to market and January – February; there’s great demand for better roasts and steaks during the Winter Holidays (and Valentine’s Day). The market is flooded with lesser cuts, and the price drops.
- Throughout summer, increased use of ground beef (often made from chuck) keeps demand high; prices follow. Sales are sporadic, far and few between.
Mexican/Southwestern Items:
You may have access to a Latino market or have grocery stores with a variety of products.
- While typically not expensive, where the chiles, cheese (if using Oaxaca) are purchased makes a difference. They’ll be fresher and cheaper from a market.
- Most markets have a huge variety of spices and herbs, usually cheaper than at the grocery.
- If a market isn’t an option, the location and demographics of the grocery, even the same chain, can make a difference in pricing.
Instant Pot Birria Quesabirria Tacos
Instant Pot Birria
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes + heat & release
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: around 25 tacos 1x
- Category: Main Dish Beef
- Cuisine: Mexican or Southwestern
The Beef:
- 1 (3 to 3 1/2) pound Chuck Roast, cut into largish 2 to 2 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup vinegar
The Chile Mixture:
- 1 one-inch piece cinnamon
- 2 whole cloves
- 3 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 6 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 to 8 chile de arbol, stems and seeds removed
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 onion, halved
- 2 plum or one large tomato
- 6 cloves garlic with the skins on
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano or marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
To Cook:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3 cups beef broth or water, divided, 1 cup to deglaze pan and two before adding the chili mixture)
For Birria (Stew):
- Rice for serving
- tortillas
- lime wedges
- garnishes as desired: red or white onion or pickled onions, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes
For Quesabirra (Tacos):
- corn or flour tortillas
- shredded cheese, Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack, or another good melting cheese (recommend at least 1 ounce per taco)
- lime wedges
- garnishes: red or white onion or pickled onions, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes
The Beef:
Marinate the beef. Add beef to a large bowl, add a liberal amount of salt and pepper, and rub in. Drizzle with vinegar. Toss to combine. Set aside at room temperature.
The Chile Mixture:
Add the cinnamon and cloves to blender and pulse to break down.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Ancho and Guajillo chiles and toast, turning often, until fragrant and beginning to puff. (Some older chiles may not puff but will become more pliable.) Add the chile de arbol and toast for just a quick minute. Remove immediately if any of the chiles are in danger of burning.
Place in a bowl, cover with 2 1/2 cups of very hot water, and add a weight to submerge them. Leave for 15 minutes, then add to the blender along with the soaking water and blend.
In the meantime, place the onion, tomatoes, and garlic on a foil-lined sheet pan and place under broiler. Broil, turning as necessary, removing each item when softened and slightly charred. Remove the skins from the garlic. Add onion, tomatoes, and peeled garlic to the blender, along with any juices from the pan.
Add the remaining spices and herbs (salt, oregano or marjoram, pepper, and cumin) and blend again. The mixture should look homogeneous.
Strain the sauce.
To Cook:
Add 1/4 cup of oil to the Instant Pot liner. Set to saute, high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef, removing as each batch is finished. Turn off heat, and while the pot is still hot, add one cup of broth or water. Scrape the bottom of the pot (and sides if needed), loosening any browned residue (fond) until the bottom looks clean.
Add the beef, along with any accumulated juices back to the Instant pot. Add two more cups of broth or water, and top with the chili mixture. Do not stir.
Seal, set on high, 40 minutes, then use a natural release.
To Serve Birria:
- If serving as Birria (stew), serve the stew with tortillas on the side, along with lime wedges, onion, cilantro, and radish.
To Serve Quesobirria Tacos:
- If making Tacos, shred or chunk beef as desired and use the cooking liquid first to dip the tortillas (below) and serving the remainder as a dipping sauce (consomme). If desired, after dipping, thin the sauce with a little water or broth.
- Dip one side of tortilla in the fat accumulated on the top of the stew; if there’s not much fat and the sauce is thick, remove any exess on the tortilla. (Clean fingers work best.) Add tortillas, coated side down to a griddle set to medium-low heat.
- Add the cheese (be generous) across the top. Add beef (shredded or in chunks) in a line just off-center. Once the taco begins to brown on the bottom, use a spatula to flip the half without beef over the top of the beef, forming a taco. Continue to cook slowly until the bottom half is crispy and browned, then turn over and cook the other side.
- Serve warm with some of the juices from the Birria (the consomme) as a dipping sauce, sprinkled first with the diced onion and cilantro, and serve lime.wedges and radish on the side.
Nutrition per taco, using about 1 ounce cheese
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 25.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 301 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 14 g | 21 % |
| Saturated Fat 5 g | 23 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 69 mg | 23 % |
| Sodium 551 mg | 23 % |
| Potassium 219 mg | 6 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 18 g | 6 % |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 13 % |
| Sugars 4 g | |
| Protein 28 g | 55 % |
| Vitamin A | 10 % |
| Vitamin C | 19 % |
| Calcium | 22 % |
| Iron | 10 % |
