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–+ servings
Instant Pot Birria makes fast work of the complex, rich, flavourful Mexican stewed or braised meat that is Birria. While traditional birria is made with goat marinated and then simmered for hours, our version of “birria de res” is done in a fraction of the time and made with more readily available beef.

Instant Pot Birria

Rebecca Lindamood
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Instant Pot Birria makes fast work of the complex, rich, flavourful Mexican stewed or braised meat that is Birria. While traditional birria is made with goat marinated and then simmered for hours, our version of “birria de res” is done in a fraction of the time and made with more readily available beef. In our instant pot version, we take advantage of a countertop electric pressure cooker to drastically reduce the number of cooking vessels and time needed. Not only that, but marinating is rendered unnecessary when we cook in the pressure cooker! Party time

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or other 6 to 8 quart countertop electric pressure cooker
  • 2 quart saucepan
  • tongs
  • Blender or Immersion Blender
  • Measuring Cups
  • measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds to 4 pounds beef shoulder or chuck roast trimmed of excess fat, cut into 3-inch chunks
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt divided
  • 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
  • 4 Dried Ancho chiles
  • 4 Dried Guajillo chiles
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil or sunflower oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 whole cinnamon stick
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 1 onion peeled and cut into wedges
  • 8 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces each
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Optional for serving: cilantro chopped onion, fresh lime wedges.

Instructions
 

  • Season the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt and all of the black pepper and set it aside. Heat the dry instant pot on the sautee setting.
  • Snip the stem end off of the chile peppers with kitchen scissors and shake out the seeds. Split the pepper in half lengthwise.
  • Working in batches so the peppers can be in contact with the bottom of the pan without crowding, toast the peppers. Move them occasionally or flip them over from time to time for 3 to 4 minutes, or until fragrant.
  • Transfer the toasted chiles to a 2 quart saucepan and cover by 2 inches of water. Place the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil.
  • Cover the saucepan, and shut the heat off. Let the peppers soak for 10 minutes, or until tender.
  • While the peppers soak, drizzle the oil into the electric pressure cooker, still set on Sautee. Working in batches, brown the beef on each side and transfer to a plate.
  • With the cooker still on Sautee, add the onion wedges and cook, stirring constantly, until browned but not burned, about 4 minutes. Toss in the garlic cloves and cook 1 minute longer, or until fragrant.
  • Stir in the cumin, ginger, cinnamon stick, and cloves cloves and toast, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute or until fragrant again. Pour in the beef stock and vinegar and use a sturdy spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Drain the softened chiles, discard the soaking liquid, and add the chiles to the pot along with the remaining salt, fire roasted tomatoes, and oregano. Use an immersion blender to blend until the sauce is smooth.
  • If you do not have an immersion blender, put the drained peppers into a standard blender along with the tomatoes and purée until smooth. Pour this into the pressure cooker.
  • Return the beef to the pan and nestle the bay leaves into the sauce. Set the Instant Pot for HIGH pressure for 45 minutes.
  • When the cycle has finished, release the pressure according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The beef should be fall-apart tender when prodded with a fork.
  • If it is not, reseal the lid and add 10 more minutes of HIGH pressure. Turn off the pressure cooker.
  • When the beef is tender, use two forks to shred the beef in the stew, discarding any large pieces of fat. Allow the mixture to stand for a few minutes and skim the fat from the top.
  • Reserve the fat for use in future birria tacos. It is what you’ll dip the tortillas in.
  • Serve the beef in the consommé that formed around it as you cooked it. It is delicious topped with chopped onions, a squeeze of lime, and some fresh cilantro!

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 71gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 1713mgPotassium: 1537mgFiber: 10gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 7385IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 10mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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