Instant Pot Birria
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This Instant Pot Birria recipe is tender, flavorful, and ready in a fraction of the time thanks to my homemade birria seasoning and pressure cooking! Made with bold, authentic birria spices and chiles, this birria recipe is perfect for making quesabirria tacos, ramen, bowls, or burritos. Big flavor and easy prep will make this your new favorite Instant Pot recipe for weeknight meals!
Why youโll love this recipe
Birria is an authentic Mexican dish made by marinating goat, lamb or beef, in a combination of chiles, spices, tomatoes, and vinegar. My original, authentic birria recipe is incredibly delicious, but itโs also a labor of love. It involves rehydrating chiles, blending up a marinade, then marinating the meat overnight before cooking it in a dutch oven or in a slow cooker.
I wanted to create a recipe that had the same authentic flavor, but could easily be made for a weeknight meal. This is when I created my homemade birria seasoning. Itโs filled with all of the same chiles, dried herbs and spices as my original recipe, but in powdered form and easy to mix up in just 5 minutes!
I took this delicious new homemade seasoning blend and immediately made Instant Pot birria. I knew that I wanted to use a pressure cooker so that the entire birria recipe could be made in an hour. Hereโs why I love it and I know you will too!
- It only takes 10 minutes of hands-on time! Simply mix up the seasoning, season the beef, then give it a sear. Pour the liquid over the beef, then let the Instant Pot do the rest of the work.
- The flavor is absolutely delicious! Just like traditional birria, this Instant Pot birria recipe is loaded with rich, bold flavors that will keep you coming back to this recipe again and again.
- Itโs versatile! You can make birria tacos with this recipe, but you can also make birria ramen, quesadillas, burrito bowls, or nachos. Itโs a versatile recipe that you can turn into a dozen different meals!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Instant Pot birria recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Birria seasoning โ sure you could purchase a birria seasoning packet at the grocery store, but my homemade seasoning is so much more flavorful, more affordable, and easy to make in just 5 minutes! Click the link for the full recipe and make it in advance, so this recipe comes together super quick. Itโs made with ground dried chiles and a combination of pantry staples like kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, ground cinnamon, and cumin.
- Beef chuck roast โ this cut of beef has a rich, beefy flavor, and is great for pressure cooking. You can also use a combination of chuck roast and short ribs, which are both primal cuts that come from the shoulder area. You can also make this recipe with chicken thighs to create chicken birria. Or you can make traditional goat birria with chunks of goat meat.
- Apple cider vinegar (or white distilled vinegar) โ Iโve used both to make this recipe and honestly I like them both for different reasons. If you want a more acidic, vinegar-forward flavor, go with the white distilled vinegar. If you want a more fruity, tangy flavor, go with the apple cider vinegar.
- Beef broth
- Tomato sauce
Instructions
Iโve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the beef. Cut a beef chuck roast into large pieces. Season on all sides with the birria seasoning.
- Sear the beef. Press the โsautรฉโ button on an Instant Pot and set it to โnormalโ heat. When the screen reads โhotโ, add the beef and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they form a nice crust on the outside. Press the โkeep warm/cancelโ button on the Instant Pot.
- Add the liquid. Pour beef broth, apple cider vinegar, and tomato sauce in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine all of the liquids and make sure sure the beef is covered in the liquid.
- Pressure cook the birria. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the โsealingโ position. Use the โmanualโ button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 40 minutes. Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to โventingโ and release any remaining pressure.
- Shred the beef. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the liquid and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks, or meat claws, to shred the beef. Depending on how youโre going to serve the birria, you can either add the beef back to the broth, or keep it separate. See the section below for all of the ways you can serve birria.
Ways to serve it
Itโs traditional to serve birria as a Mexican beef stew, known as birria de res, and top it with fresh cilantro and diced onions. If serving traditional birria stew, after shredding the beef, add it back to the broth and use a ladle to serve the stew in bowls, topped with cilantro and onions. Serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing fresh lime juice over the birria.
The cooking liquid from the Instant Pot is called a consommรฉ. It makes a delicious base for ramen or chilaquiles. The birria beef is perfect for making incredibly flavorful tacos, burritos or nachos! Try using prepared birria to make any (or all!) of these dishes.
- Quesabirria tacos (pictured above) โ these Instant Pot birria tacos are so simple. Corn tortillas, dipped in birria broth, then fried and filled with shredded beef birria and oaxaca cheese. Grab the recipe for quesabirria tacos to make them at home.
- Birria ramen (pictured above) โ bring the birria broth to a boil, add Instant ramen noodles, then add some shredded beef birria and serve with toppings like sliced jalapenos, lime wedges, fresh cilantro and diced onions. Grab the birria ramen recipe here.
- Chilaquiles โ I used my famous Chilaquiles Rojos recipe, but instead of enchilada sauce, I used the broth from the birria to simmer thick tortilla chips to make birria chilaquiles. I stirred in some of the shredded beef birria and topped the chilaquiles with sour cream, cotija cheese, cilantro and diced onion.
- Quesadillas โ I made quesadillas with the beef birria and Monterey jack cheese that were similar to the quesabirria tacos, but instead of dipping the tortillas in the broth, I served it on the side for dipping.
- Burritos โ add the shredded beef birria to the middle of a large tortilla with your favorite burrito fillings. Add shredded cheese on top, then roll up the burrito. I recommend searing both sides of the burrito in a hot skillet for 30-60 seconds. This will help seal the burrito closed and melt the cheese inside. Serve the burrito with a side of the birria broth for dipping.
- Fries โ prepare these carne asada fries, but replace the carne asada with beef birria.
- Nachos โ top a baking sheet full of chips with shredded beef birria, then shredded cheese. Place them under the broiler in the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese.
Storage and reheating
Store birria leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can reheat the beef in the braising liquid, or remove it from the braising liquid.
To reheat the beef birria in the braising liquid, place it in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Reheat for 15-20 minutes, or until the beef and liquid are hot and bubbling. You can also reheat it in a bowl in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
If reheating the beef without the liquid, I recommend wrapping the shredded beef in foil. Reheat it in the oven at 350ยฐF for 10-15 minutes. This way the beef wonโt dry out.
More Mexican recipes
With over 200 Mexican recipes on the blog, Iโm sure youโll find a new favorite! Start out by trying these popular recipes.
Instant Pot Birria
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large pieces
- 4 tablespoons birria seasoning, click link for homemade recipe
- 1 ยฝ cups beef broth
- ยฝ cup apple cider vinegar
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck roast into large pieces and season on all sides with the birria seasoning.
- Press the โsautรฉโ button on an Instant Pot and set it to โnormalโ heat. When the screen reads โhotโ, add the beef and sear on all sides for 2-3 minutes, or until they form a nice crust on the outside. Press the โkeep warm/cancelโ button on the Instant Pot.
- Pour the beef broth, apple cider vinegar, and tomato sauce in the Instant Pot. Stir to combine all of the liquids and make sure sure the beef is covered in the liquid.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the steam valve is in the โsealingโ position. Use the โmanualโ button to set the Instant Pot pressure to high for 40 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot finishes and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, move the steam valve to โventingโ and release any remaining pressure.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the beef from the liquid and place it on a cutting board. Use two forks, or meat claws, to shred the beef. Depending on how youโre going to serve the birria, you can either add the beef back to the broth, or keep it separate.
- If serving the birria traditionally as a soup or stew, place the beef back into the broth and use a ladle to serve the stew in bowls, topped with fresh cilantro and diced onions. Refer to the blog post above for other ways to use the birria, like in tacos, ramen, quesadillas and more.
Notes
- You can also make this recipe with chicken thighs to create chicken birria. Or you can make traditional goat birria with chunks of goat meat.
- Store birria leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
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