On a chilly day, there’s nothing like a big bowl of birria with warm consommé. But birria tacos—and specifically quesatacos? Well, there’s a reason I can’t stop making them. Quesatacos (also known as quesabirria) are a cross between a taco and a quesadilla, filled with melty cheese and the delicious shredded beef.
Why You’ll Love It
Birria cooks up faster in an Instant Pot. Birria in the pressure cooker is much faster than braising in a Dutch oven (it’s ready in about one third of the time) and the flavors are rich and deep.What Is Birria?
Birria is a savory Mexican stew that originated in Jalisco. Although it’s traditionally prepared with goat or sheep, the beef version has gained popularity in the past three years since goat isn’t as readily available. (I’ve tried birria prepared with goat and it’s delicious, but I have to say, I prefer the beef version.) The surrounding states of Zacatecas and Colima have their own unique versions of birria as well.Key Ingredients in Instant Pot Birria Tacos
- Beef chuck roast: Cut 3/12 pounds boneless beef chuck roast into 12 pieces.
- Dried chiles: Use a combination of dried guajillo chiles and ancho chiles.
- Aromatics: White onion, ginger, and garlic are the aromatics that are cooked with the dried chiles and tomatoes.
- Tomatoes: Use two medium plum or Roma tomatoes.
- Apple cider vinegar: You’ll blend the cooked aromatics with apple cider vinegar and lots of dried spices to create a flavorful sauce.
- Spices: A mixture of black peppercorns, dried Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves flavor the sauce.
- Beef broth: You’ll need 5 cups of beef broth for the consommé.
Ways to Serve Birria
Once the cook time is up and you shred the beef, you have two options for serving. Either way you do it, a simple garnish of cilantro, onion, lime, and a spicy salsa is a must.- In a bowl. Serve the birria in a bowl with plenty of consommé and a side of warm corn tortillas.
- As tacos. You can also serve the birria as tacos or quesatacos with the consommé on the side. To go the taco route, you’ll dip tortillas in the warm consommé, fill them with cheese (don’t be skimpy!) and shredded beef, and crisp them on the stovetop until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are browned and crispy.
More Ways to Cook Birria
- Stovetop pressure cooking: If using a stovetop pressure cooker, cook the chiles and sear the beef in the cooker over medium-high heat. When ready to pressure cook, lock the lid on. Place over high heat. In about 10 minutes, the pressure cooker will come up to high pressure. Reduce the heat to below medium and pressure cooker for 40 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Slow cooker: Cook the chile sauce and sear the beef in a Dutch oven, then transfer to a slow cooker. Use some of the beef broth to deglaze the browned bits from the pan, and add that to the slow cooker also. Proceed with the recipe and cook on the LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours.
- Dutch oven cooking: Sear and braise in a covered Dutch oven for 4 hours over medium heat.
What to Serve With Birria Tacos
Instant Pot Birria Tacos
Makes about 18 tacos- 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 12 pieces
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 large white onion, peeled and halved
- 5 cloves peeled garlic
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut in half
- 2 medium plum or Roma tomatoes
- 5 cups water
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup avocado, grapeseed, or canola oil
- 5 cups beef broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 18 (about 6-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 medium limes, cut into wedges
- 1 pound shredded Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or Monterey jack cheese (optional for quesatacos)
2. Prepare the chiles. Using kitchen shears, cut the stems from 4 guajillo and 2 ancho chiles. Remove the seeds.
3. Cook the aromatics. Place the chiles, half the white onion (reserve the other half of the onion), and 1-inch peeled fresh ginger in a 6-quart or larger pressure cooker. Add 5 peeled garlic cloves, 2 plum tomatoes, and 5 cups water. Using the highest Sauté setting, bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes.
4. Blend the sauce. Turn off the cooker. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and ginger to a blender. Add 2 cups of the cooking liquid, the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
5. Strain the sauce. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain the sauce and push it through the strainer with the bottom of a ladle until only a thick paste remains in the strainer. Discard the contents of the strainer.
6. Sear the beef. Empty, wash, and dry the insert of the pressure cooker. Add 1/4 cup avocado oil to the pressure cooker and heat on the highest Sauté setting for 5 minutes. Add half the beef and sear until browned on a few sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat searing the remaining beef.
7. Pressure cook the beef. Return all the beef and any accumulated juices to the pressure cooker. Add the strained sauce, 5 cups beef broth, and 4 fresh thyme sprigs. Lock on the lid and make sure the valve is set to seal. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes. It will take 15 to 20 minutes to come up to pressure. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings.
8. Prepare the toppings. Dice the reserved 1/2 onion. (If you’d like a less spicy onion, rinse under cold water.) Store 1 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and 1 pound of shredded cheese in separate containers in the refrigerator until serving.
9. Release the pressure naturally. When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.
10. Shred the beef. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Using a slotted spoon, transfer all of the beef to a large bowl. Shred the beef with two forks, discarding any chunks of fat. Discard the thyme sprigs. Taste and season the beef and cooking liquid (consommé) with kosher salt as needed—they should be very well seasoned.
11. Dip the tortillas. Heat a griddle or large nonstick frying pan over medium heat (or about 350 degrees F on a griddle). Working with as many tortillas will fit in a single layer in the pan or griddle, dip the tortillas one at a time in the consommé. Place in the pan in a single layer.
12. Fill the tacos. If making quesatacos (cheese birria tacos), sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the cheese onto each tortilla first. Top one half of each tortilla with about 1/4 cup shredded beef. Drizzle the beef with a little more consommé.
13. Cook until crispy. When the cheese is melted, fold each tortilla in half. Cook, flipping halfway through, until browned in spots and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes total.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The chile sauce can be made ahead of time and kept frozen for a few months.Storage: Once cooled, the birria and consommé can be stored in the refrigerator in separate airtight containers for up to three days or frozen for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator the day before and reheat over medium heat for until warmed through, adding some of the consommé to the birria if it seems dry.
