Instant Pot Birria Tacos

I’ve been making birria for years, but once I figured out how to do it in the instant pot, it became a regular thing in our house. The pressure cooker cuts the cooking time way down while still giving you that deep, slow-cooked flavor.

For anyone who hasn’t tried birria tacos before, here’s what you need to know. It’s basically beef stew meat braised in a rich, slightly spicy chile sauce until it’s super tender and shreddable. You then use that flavorful broth, called consomme, to dip your tortillas in before crisping them up in a pan.

The chile sauce is made from dried guajillo and ancho peppers, which give it a deep, smoky flavor without being too spicy. You blend them up with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and a handful of spices to create this incredible sauce that the beef cooks in.

The whole recipe comes together in about an hour and a half from start to finish. Most of that time is hands-off while the instant pot does its thing.

It’s perfect for taco night, weekend dinners, or anytime you want something that feels special but doesn’t require a ton of effort. Here’s how to make these instant pot birria tacos step by step.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Instant Pot Does the Heavy Lifting – Birria traditionally takes hours of slow braising on the stove, but this version uses the Instant Pot to get fall-apart tender beef chuck in just 45 minutes of cook time. You get that same deep, rich flavor without babysitting a pot all day.

That Consomme Is Everything – The rich, chile-infused broth you get from cooking the beef is liquid gold. You use it to dip your tortillas before frying AND you serve it as a warm side for dunking your tacos, so nothing goes to waste.

Crispy, Saucy Tortillas – Dipping the corn tortillas in the consomme before pan frying them gives you those signature red, crispy-edged taco shells that birria tacos are famous for. It’s a simple extra step that takes these tacos from good to absolutely incredible.

The Chile Blend Brings Serious Flavor – The combo of toasted guajillo and ancho chiles creates a smoky, slightly sweet sauce that’s packed with flavor but not blow-your-head-off spicy. It’s the kind of depth you usually only get from a restaurant kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Birria

• 3 lb Beef Chuck Roast, cut into chunks
• 4 Dried Guajillo Chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 Dried Ancho Chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 White Onion, quartered
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 2 Bay Leaves

For Serving

• 12 Corn Tortillas
• 1 cup Fresh Cilantro, chopped
• 1 White Onion, diced
• 2 Limes, cut into wedges

Directions

Step 1

Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let them soak for 15 minutes until softened.

Step 2

Drain the chiles and add them to a blender along with the fire roasted tomatoes, onion quarters, garlic, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, ground cloves, black pepper, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.

Step 3

Place the beef chuck pieces into the instant pot. Pour the chile sauce and beef broth over the meat, then nestle in the bay leaves. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.

Step 4

Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the bay leaves and transfer the beef to a cutting board. Shred the meat using two forks and return it to the pot, stirring it into the rich consomme broth.

Step 5

Dip each corn tortilla into the consomme from the pot, then pan fry them in a skillet over medium-high heat until the edges are crispy. Fill each tortilla with the shredded birria and serve with a small bowl of warm consomme on the side, topped with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of lime.

Pro Tips

Toast the Chiles Just Right

When you toast the dried guajillo and ancho chiles, keep them moving in the skillet and watch them closely. You want about 30 seconds per side, just until they puff up slightly and smell smoky and nutty.

If they start to turn dark brown or black in spots, they have gone too far and will make your sauce taste bitter. It is better to pull them off the heat a few seconds early than to let them burn.

After toasting, make sure you cover them with boiling water, not just hot tap water. Boiling water softens them faster and more evenly during that 15 minute soak, which makes blending way easier.

Blend the Sauce Until It Is Completely Smooth

This is one of those steps where you really want to take your time. Blend the chile sauce for a solid 60 to 90 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender if needed. You should not see any chunks or bits of chile skin when you are done.

A smooth sauce is what gives birria that rich, velvety consomme. If your sauce still looks chunky after blending, you can pour it through a fine mesh strainer and press it through with a spoon to catch anything that did not break down.

If your blender struggles with the mixture, add a small splash of the beef broth to help everything move around more easily.

Cut the Beef Into Even Chunks

When you cut the chuck roast, aim for pieces that are roughly 2 inches in size and try to keep them similar so they cook at the same rate. If some pieces are way bigger than others, the smaller ones will turn mushy while the bigger ones might still be tough.

Chuck roast is the right choice here because it has a good amount of fat and connective tissue that breaks down under pressure and makes the meat incredibly tender. Leaner cuts like round roast will not give you the same fall-apart result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different cut of beef instead of chuck roast?

Chuck roast is ideal because it has great marbling that breaks down beautifully under pressure, making the meat super tender and the consomme extra rich. That said, you can also use beef short ribs, brisket, or stew meat and still get delicious results.

Just keep in mind that leaner cuts won’t produce as flavorful of a broth, so chuck roast really is the best option if you can get it.