These crispy Instant Pot birria tacos bring all the flavors of your favorite taco truck into your kitchen, just like these nachos with ground beef. Perfect for family gatherings, taco nights, or cozy weekend meals, they’re easy, flavorful, and irresistibly crispy. Serve with consomé, toppings, and fresh tortillas for a truly restaurant-quality experience at home.
If you love visiting farmers markets for tacos, this recipe will remind you of that savory, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Crispy tortillas, gooey cheese, and rich shredded beef — it’s a flavor experience everyone will love.
Jump to:
- What Are Beef Birria Tacos?
- Why You’ll Love This Birria Tacos Recipe
- Ingredients for Instant Pot Birria Tacos
- How to Make Beef Birria Tacos
- Top Birria Tips
- How to Store & Reheat Instant Pot Birria Tacos
- What to Serve with Birria Tacos
- FAQs About Birria Tacos
- More Easy Taco Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- 📖 Recipe
What Are Beef Birria Tacos?
Beef birria tacos are made with meat that’s slow-braised in a rich chile sauce until fall-apart tender. The shredded beef is tucked into tortillas, often with cheese, dipped into the flavorful birria consomé, and pan-fried until crispy.
When cheese is added and the tacos are fried until golden, they’re often called quesabirria tacos.
Why You’ll Love This Birria Tacos Recipe
- Quick & flavorful. Your Instant Pot does the hard work while you relax.
- Crispy quesabirria. Soft tortillas with melty cheese, fried to golden perfection.
- Family-friendly. Perfect for sharing with kids or at a casual dinner party.
- Restaurant-style at home. Enjoy tacos just like your favorite taco truck without leaving the kitchen.
- Customizable. Adjust spice, toppings, and cheese to your taste.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Birria Tacos
This birria taco recipe is rich, flavorful, and satisfying. Here’s what you’ll need:
Meat
- Beef pot roast (chuck): Tender and juicy, the perfect base for slow-cooked birria.
- Beef ribs: Adds depth, richness, and flavor to the consomé.
Chiles & Sauce
- Dried guajillo peppers: Mild and smoky, essential for authentic birria flavor.
- Dried ancho peppers: Adds subtle sweetness and richness.
- Chipotle peppers and the sauce: Smoky heat to enhance the chile paste.
- Crushed tomatoes: Provides body and richness for the consomé.
- Garlic cloves: Classic savory flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Balances richness with a touch of acidity.
- Dried oregano, smoked paprika, cumin: Essential spices for deep, bold flavor.
Aromatics & Spices
- Large onion: Adds natural sweetness and depth to the broth.
- Cinnamon stick, bay leaves, whole cloves: Aromatics that infuse the consomé with warmth.
Liquid
- Beef or chicken broth + water: The base of your flavorful consomé.
For Serving / Tacos
- Corn tortillas: Soft and pliable for dipping.
- Mexican cheese or Cotija cheese: Melts perfectly for quesabirria tacos.
- Chopped cilantro: Fresh herb flavor for topping.
- Chopped onion: Adds crunch and freshness.
How to Make Beef Birria Tacos
Step 1: Brown the Meat
First, heat 2–3 tablespoons oil in the Instant Pot on Sauté mode, or large skillet over medium-high heat.
Next, working in batches, sear the meat until deeply browned and caramelized, about 3–5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Step 2: Prepare the Chiles & Sauce
While the meat is searing, bring a pot of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the guajillo and ancho chiles and soak for 15 minutes, until softened.
Drain the chiles and remove stems and seeds. Transfer to a blender and add chipotle peppers and the sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin. Blend until completely smooth.
Step 3: Sauté the Onion
In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and sauté until soft, golden, and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.
Deglaze with ½ cup of the beef broth–water mixture, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn off heat and set aside.
Step 4: Cooking Birria in the Instant Pot
Return the browned meat to the Instant Pot. Next, pour in the prepared chile sauce, then add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, and remaining beef broth and water. Secure the lid and cook on High Pressure for 50 minutes.
Now, allow a natural pressure release (when cooking is done, let the pressure release naturally until the pin drops, then open the lid, it usually takes about 15 minutes), then remove the meat, discard bones, and shred.
Slow Cooker or Stovetop Method
Add all ingredients to the pot and cook on low for 5–6 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender. Shred and discard bones.
Step 5: Reduce the Sauce
Now, simmer the braising liquid uncovered (use Saute mode on Instant Pot) for 10–15 minutes, until slightly thickened and concentrated in flavor.
Step 6: Assemble the Quesabirria Tacos
Now, warm tortillas in the skillet until soft. After, dip each tortilla lightly into the birria consomé, fill with shredded beef birria, onion and cheese. Next, fold and fry in a skillet until golden and crispy on both sides.
Finally, top with chopped onion, fresh cilantro, cheese, and lime wedges. Serve immediately with a bowl of hot consomé for dipping.
Top Birria Tips
- Brown the meat first to build deep, savory flavor before pressure cooking or braising.
- Use bone-in beef when possible (short ribs or shank) for a rich, silky consomé.
- Don’t overcrowd the pot when searing — brown in batches for better caramelization.
- Stick to flavorful dried chiles like guajillo and ancho; avoid overpowering heat (unless you like the heat).
- Blend the chile sauce until completely smooth for a restaurant-quality texture.
- Skim and save the red fat from the top of the consomé — it’s essential for frying tacos.
- Fry tacos over medium heat, not high, so tortillas crisp while cheese melts evenly.
- Dip tortillas in consomé fat, not oil, for authentic quesabirria flavor.
- Make birria a day ahead — it tastes even better the next day.
- Always serve with hot consomé for dipping; it’s part of the experience.
- Finish with fresh toppings like chopped onion, cilantro, and lime for balance.
How to Store & Reheat Instant Pot Birria Tacos
Refrigerating Birria
Allow the birria to cool completely before storing. For best results, store the shredded beef and consomé separately in airtight containers. This helps preserve texture and prevents the meat from becoming overly soft.
Birria will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Pro tip: The red fat will naturally rise to the top as it chills — don’t discard it! This flavorful fat is perfect for dipping tortillas when reheating quesabirria tacos.
Freezing Birria
Birria freezes exceptionally well, making it perfect for meal prep. Transfer the cooled meat and broth into freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freeze meat and consomé together or separately
- Leave a little space in containers for expansion
- Label with the date for easy tracking
To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight or gently defrost on the stovetop.
How to Reheat Birria
For the best flavor and texture, reheat birria gently:
- Stovetop (Best Method): Warm the meat and consomé together over medium-low heat until hot. Stir occasionally and add a splash of broth if needed.
- Instant Pot: Use the Sauté – Low setting or Keep Warm to gently heat without drying out the meat.
- Microwave: Reheat in short intervals, stirring between each, and cover loosely to prevent splattering.
Once heated, use the warm consomé to dip tortillas and crisp up fresh quesabirria tacos just like day one.
What to Serve with Birria Tacos
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- 10-minute Avocado Corn Salsa Recipe
- Simple Guacamole Recipe with Jalapeno
- 10-minute Mango Avocado Salsa
- Bacon Jalapeno Poppers Recipe (VIDEO)
- Salsa With Fresh Tomatoes
- Easy Mojito Pitcher Recipe (Virgin Mojito)
FAQs About Birria Tacos
Chuck roast has excellent marbling and connective tissue, which breaks down during slow cooking or pressure cooking like in this 3-ingredient Chuck Roast recipe, creating tender, juicy, shreddable meat and a rich, flavorful consomé.
For even deeper flavor, many chefs combine chuck roast with a bone-in cut like beef short ribs or beef shank, which adds richness and body to the broth. Lean cuts such as sirloin or round are not ideal, as they don’t become as tender or flavorful when cooked this way.
No. Birria is traditionally rich and savory, not overly spicy. You can control the heat by using mild dried chiles like guajillo and ancho and adjusting the amount of chipotle pepeprs or omitting hotter chiles.
The tortillas are dipped in the fat from the birria consomé before frying. This creates the signature crispy, golden exterior without deep frying.
Corn tortillas are traditional and hold up best when dipped in consomé. Flour tortillas can be used, but they won’t get quite as crispy.
The best cheese for quesabirria tacos is Oaxaca cheese for its stretchy, melty texture. For extra flavor, sprinkle Cotija cheese on top after frying. Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend also work.
Consomé is the rich broth created during cooking. It’s served on the side for dipping and is essential to the full birria taco experience.
Yes, it will still be tender and flavorful.
Yes — birria tastes even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
More Easy Taco Recipes
- How to Make Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Guacamole Beef Pot Roast Tacos
- Best Smash Tacos (Video)
- Easy Carne Guisada Tacos
- Beer Battered Baja Fish Tacos Recipe
- Best Crunch Wrap Supreme
- How to Make Taco Bowl (Video)
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Birria Tacos – Crispy Quesabirria with Rich Consomé
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
Meat
- 2 lb beef pot roast, cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- 2 lb beef ribs flanken or short ribs, trimmed
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Chile Sauce
- 5 dried guajillo peppers
- 3 dried ancho peppers
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo or to taste
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or vinegar
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes or diced
- 8 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 ½ teaspoons oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
For Braising
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 whole cloves
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
For Serving Tacos
- 16 small corn tortillas 4-inch corn tortillas
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 bunch cilantro washed and chopped
- Cotija cheese to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Chiles & Sauce
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Place the guajillo and ancho peppers in the hot water and let them soak for 15 minutes until soft and pliable.
- Wearing gloves, remove the stems and shake out the seeds to avoid bitterness, under cold running water.
- Transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, crushed tomatoes, garlic cloves, oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin.
- Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed, if needed add few splashes of broth, so it blends easier. The sauce should be thick but pourable — this is your flavorful chile paste for the birria.
Brown the Meat
- While the peppers are soaking, pat the beef pot roast and ribs dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides.
- Heat 2–3 tablespoons of oil in the Instant Pot on sauté mode (I like to use a large skillet) over medium-high heat.
- Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides for 3–5 minutes per side. The exterior should be deep golden brown — this step locks in flavor.
- Remove browned meat and set aside on a plate. Don’t crowd the pan; too much meat at once will steam instead of brown.
Sauté the Onion
- In the same skillet with remaining oil and browned bits, add the chopped onion. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until golden and translucent.
- Pour in ½ cup of beef broth/water to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom — these add rich flavor to the sauce.
Braise the Meat
- Return the browned meat to the pot.
- Pour the blended chile sauce over the meat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, and the remaining beef broth + water.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 50 minutes.
- Allow a natural pressure release, don't touch the pot for 15-20 minutes. Carefully remove the lid, discard bones, and shred the meat with two forks.
Slow Cooker / Stovetop Method
- Place the browned meat, chile sauce, spices, and broth/water in a slow cooker or Dutch oven pot.Cook on low heat for 5–6 hours, until the meat is tender and shreds easily.
Shred the Meat and Reduce the Sauce
- Remove the meat to the big bowl and shredded it using 2 forks.
- Simmer the braising liquid over medium heat for 10–15 minutes to slightly thicken (I use SAUTE mode). If needed season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour about 1 cup of sauce over the shredded meat and mix.
Assemble Quesabirria Tacos
- Warm the tortillas until soft on a dry non-stick skillet.
- Briefly dip each tortilla into the reduced braising liquid, coating lightly but not soaking.
- Add a generous amount of shredded meat and your choice of cheese (Oaxaca, Cotija or Mexican blend).
- Fold the tortilla in half and fry on a oiled skillet over medium heat until golden and crispy on both sides.
- Sprinkle with Cotija cheese, chopped onions, and cilantro. Serve immediately with hot consomé for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown meat in batches for the best flavor.
- Use bone-in cuts (ribs or shank) for richer consomé.
- Natural pressure release keeps meat tender.
- Fry tacos over medium heat for crispy, melty perfection.
- Make ahead: birria tastes even better the next day.
Bonus Tip
The best birria tacos don’t taste rushed. Time, patience, and balance are what make them unforgettable — not extra spice or extra ingredients.Nutrition
Happy Cooking!
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