Birria Tacos (Instant pot and Stove top directions)
Taco night got a whole lot more fun with these crispy tacos filled with fall off the bone tender beef and dipped in a flavourful tangy and slightly spicy stew.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 3-4 dried guajillo chiles or any mexican dried chilli - ancho, morita, pasilla, etc. or skip it if you can't find any.
- 1.5 lb. short ribs, or beef shank bone-in meat means a more flavourful stew
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you can find it!)
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 can diced tomatoes approx. 26.9 fl. oz. or 796ml
- 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce approx. 6.8 oz. or 186 ml
- 1-2 fresh jalapeno peppers, rough chopped de-seeded, if you like
For the Birria (Stew)
- 1.5 lb. boneless beef brisket or beef chuck roast, cut into cubes boneless sirloin also works
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 cinnamon stick
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 2-3 bay leaves
- sodium free chicken or vegetable stock to cover the ingredients in stew.
For the Tacos
- 12-16 4" corn or flour tortillas, as needed or any tortilla of choice.
- 1 medium onion chopped optional
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped optional
- 1 cup mexican cheese blend, grated oaxaca or mozarella cheese works
- lime wedges, for garnish
- jalapeno slices, for garnish
Instructions
For the Birria (Stew)
- Boil a large pot of water and add the dried chillies to help them rehydrate. Set aside for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the marinade.
- Season all the beef with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a blender add the garlic, oregano, cumin seeds, jalapeno, adobo peppers in sauce and crushed tomatoes. When the dried chillies have rehydrated, hold them upside down over a separate bowl or the sink, and cut off the stem end so the seeds drop out. Discard the seeds. Add the remaining flesh of the chilli into the blender along with about 1 cup of the liquid the chillies had been soaking in.
- Blend into a smooth paste. Set aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to saute setting. Add the beef and 2 tbsp oil and saute until starting to turn brown on the outside. Turn off the heat and add the prepared marinade, and remaining stew ingredients (cloves, cinnamon stick, onion, bay leaves and stock). Making sure the liquid level doesn't go past the maximum level and making sure all ingredients are covered in liquid. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.
Stove Top/ Slow Cooker Instructions
- In a large dutch oven pan heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add the beef and saute until starting to turn brown on the outside. Turn heat to low (or transfer to slow cooker). Add the prepared marinade, and remaining stew ingredients (cloves, cinnamon stick, onion, bay leaves and stock). Making sure the liquid level is just to the top of the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours until the beef starts to fall off the bone.
To Make Tacos
- Remove the beef chunks from the stew liquid (de-boning as you go) shred the beef chunks and set aside. Dispose of any bones and whole spices you find.
- Prepare your taco making station by the stove: Keep the pot of beef broth close by, corn tortillas, shredded cheese, chopped onions and cilantro. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat.
- Optional - Add the shredded beef to the pan. Saute for a few minutes to get the beef golden and slightly crisp. Remove from the pan and keep by your taco station. Keep the frying pan on medium heat for the tacos.
- Using tongs, dip a corn tortilla in the top layer of the broth (there will be a layer of fat on top, this is what you want to dip the tortilla in for max flavour and crispiness). Immediately transfer to the frying pan. Top with shredded beef, onions, cheese and cilantro. Fold in half and continue to cook till golden brown on the bottom and cheese is melted inside (about 2-3 minutes). Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes to get golden and crisp on the other side. Repeat for as many tacos as you like.
- To serve, squeeze a bit of lime juice on the tacos, sprinkle with jalapeno slices and dip into a bowl of the broth (consomé) and enjoy! Save any leftover broth! See notes for leftover makeover ideas!
Notes
For Makeahead/ Meal Prep:
Prepare the marinade but skip the pan frying/saute step for the beef. Just pour the marinade over the beef and allow to marinade for 2 hours or overnight. When ready to cook -add the remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. (For stove top or slow cooker, add the beef with marinade and remaining stew ingredients to the pan or a dutch oven, cover and simmer for 4-6 hours on low heat).
Leftover Makeover - Got Leftover Birria Broth?
- Use like gravy and pour over fries with cheese for a mexican version of poutine.
- Use it as a dip for tortilla chips or fries.
- Turn it into Birria Ramen! Add some ramen, a boiled egg and any other remaining taco toppings you like.
- Or try sauteing with some leftover rice and veggies for a mexican fried rice.