Instant Pot Birria Tacos
If there’s one meal that can silence a room, it’s Birria Tacos – especially when they’re dunked in that rich, velvety consomé. This version combines short ribs for depth and chuck roast for juicy tenderness, all pressure-cooked in the Instant Pot to speed things up without sacrificing flavor. It’s everything you love about slow-simmered birria, ready in a fraction of the time.
The broth? Smoky, spiced, and just the right amount of heat from ancho, guajillo, and chipotle chiles. The tacos? Crispy, cheesy, and gloriously messy, because if you’re not dripping consomé down your wrist, are you even doing it right?
Perfect for game days, cozy weekends, or any time you want to wow a crowd. Fair warning: once you make these, no taco night will ever be the same.
Before You Get Started
- Use both cuts: The short ribs bring that buttery richness, while the chuck roast keeps things hearty and balanced.
- Don’t skip toasting the chiles — it deepens the flavor and adds a subtle smokiness.
- Save the fat from the broth — that’s the secret to crisp, restaurant-style tacos.
- Instant Pot timing means tender meat in under an hour instead of half a day.
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything to make this viral-worthy Birria Tacos recipe (exact amounts below):
For the Meat & Sauce:
- Bone-in short ribs and chuck roast
- Tomatoes, onions, garlic
- Ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles
- Bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, thyme, oregano, cumin
- Smoked paprika (your signature twist)
- Chipotle peppers in adobo
- Better Than Bouillon beef base
For the Tacos:
- Corn tortillas
- Shredded Monterey Jack
- Fresh cilantro, lime, and diced onion for garnish
How to Make Instant Pot Birria Tacos
1. Toast & Soak the Chiles
Remove stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet until fragrant (30–60 seconds), then soak in hot water for 15 minutes to soften.
2. Build the Flavor Base
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil, then tomatoes, onions, garlic, the soaked chiles, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, herbs, and spices. Add the chipotles and let everything cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in 2 cups of water and simmer 7 minutes more. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
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3. Blend the Sauce
Transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit of warm water if needed to reach a pourable consistency
4. Combine Everything in the Pot
Return the sauce to the Instant Pot. Add both meats, beef bouillon, salt, and enough water to just cover. Stir to combine.
5. Pressure Cook
Seal and cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes, then let it naturally release for 20 minutes. The meat should be fall-apart tender.
6. Shred the Meat
Remove the meat, discard bones and excess fat, and shred. Skim some of the fat off the top of the broth and reserve it for frying.
7. Fry the Tacos
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Dip tortillas in the top layer of fat from the consomé and fry until just starting to crisp. Add cheese and shredded meat, fold, and cook until both sides are crispy and golden.
8. Serve
Garnish with diced onion, cilantro, and lime. Serve with a small bowl of consomé for dipping, the ultimate taco experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without an Instant Pot?
Yes! Use a Dutch oven and braise in the oven at 325°F for about 3½ to 4 hours until the meat is tender.
What kind of chiles can I substitute?
If you can’t find pasilla or guajillo, use New Mexico or ancho chiles, they give a similar depth without too much heat.
What cheese melts best?
Monterey Jack or Oaxaca are perfect, they melt beautifully and don’t overpower the birria flavor.
Can I make it ahead?
Absolutely. The flavors deepen overnight. Just reheat the meat and broth before frying up fresh tacos.
Instant Pot Birria Tacos
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prep chiles: Remove stems and seeds from all dried chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet until fragrant. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Using the saute function on the Instant Pot, add a splash of oil, then add tomatoes, onions, garlic, toasted/soaked chiles, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, thyme, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, peppercorns, and chipotles in adobo. Sauté until softened and aromatic (about 5–7 minutes). Add 2 cups water, simmer for 7 minutes more, then discard bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
- Blend: Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender, blend until smooth. (Add a bit more warm water if needed for blending.)
- Combine: Return sauce to Instant Pot. Add both short rib and chuck roast, salt, beef bouillon, and enough water to just cover the meat. Stir well.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, natural release for 20 minutes. (You want the meat very tender.)
- Shred the meat: Remove meat to a bowl and shred, discarding bones and extra fat. Skim as much fat off the top of the broth as you can (reserve for frying tacos).
- Make the tacos: Dip tortillas quickly into the braising liquid, fry in a skillet with a little reserved fat. Add shredded meat, plenty of cheese, and cook until crisp. Fold into tacos.
- Serve: Garnish tacos with chopped cilantro, diced onion, and serve with a bowl of the birria consomé for dipping. Squeeze lime over everything just before eating!
Busy mom of 4 here and I found this recipe so super simple to follow along and the end result was nothing shy of AMAZING! Everyone ate it up and went back for more! Will definitely be making again (per the request of the kiddos and hubby too)!