I am a Southern girl and making Southern food is my first love but my second love is Mexican food. I honestly could eat Mexican food once or twice a week. There are several Mexican food recipes here on my blog and I am excited to add another one to my collection. I was introduced to birria tacos through social media and after watching a few videos on how they were made...I knew I had to try them. It honestly was the dipping of the taco into the consome for me! Before I attempted to make them, I found an amazing restaurant here in the DC area that specialized in making them. The Little Miner Taco in Brentwood, MD makes amazing birria tacos and I highly recommend their food.
In order to make this recipe, you will need an Instapot. I made these tacos in my Instapot but I have seen people make them on the stove or in a crockpot but I recently purchased an Instapot so I wanted to give my new gadget a try. The beef for these tacos have to turn out as soft as butter and I find it hard to achieve that in a crockpot plus you don't have to wait all day for the end result. I have the 6 quart Instapot and I absolutely love it. I have made rice, chili and soup in it so far! The link to an Instapot is listed below in the recommended products section for this recipe.
Ingredients Needed for Birria Tacos
3 Pounds Chuck Roast, cut into 3 inch cubes 5 Cups Water, divided 1 Onion, halved 1 14oz can of Crushed Tomatoes 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil 5 Guajillo Chile Pods, stem and seeds removed
4 Ancho Chili Pods, stems and seeds removed 3 Chile de Árbol, stem and seeds removed (this pepper give the broth spice so add more if you like it spicy. I am not big on spice and 3 were perfect for me) 1 Teaspoon Annatto Seed Powder, (optional, gives the broth an extra bright red color without adding spice) 3 Bay Leaves 8 Garlic Cloves Pinch of Ground Cloves Fresh Ginger, ⅓ inch thick piece about the size of a quarter coin or 1 teaspoon of ginger powder 1 Teaspoon White Vinegar 1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds 1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon ½ Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorn 5 Teaspoons Coarse Kosher Salt + 1 Teaspoon for seasoning the shredded beef + garlic powder to taste)
White Corn Tortillas
Oaxaca Cheese, grated
Cilantro, chopped
White onion, chopped
Vegetable Oil for frying
Directions to Make Birra Tacos in an Instapot
1. Pour 3 Tablespoons of Oil into the Instant Pot, choose Sauté on High, once it’s says Hot, add 5 Guajillo Chile Pods, 4 Ancho Chile Pods, 3 Chile de Árbol, 1 Teaspoon Annatto Seed Powder, 1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds and sauté for about 3 minutes stirring constantly. **You must stir it constantly or the chile pods will burn**
2. Once the three minutes have passed, hit the cancel button to turn off Sauté mode. Add 3 Cups of Water, 1 Teaspoon White Vinegar, can of crushed tomatoes, 8 Garlic Cloves, Pinch of Ground Cloves, piece of Fresh Ginger, 1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds, 1 Teaspoon Mexican Oregano, 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme, 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin, ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder, ½ Teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorn, and 5 Teaspoons Coarse Kosher Salt.
3. Seal the Instant Pot lid and choose High Pressure for 5 Minutes, once the timer is up immediately switch the knob to venting and once the pin has dropped, open the lid. Pour everything including the liquid into a Blender or Nutribullet and blend on high speed for 3 minutes, until it is completely smooth.
4. Pour the blended spices back into the pot and add the Chuck Roast pieces, halved Onion, 3 Bay Leaves, and an additional 2 Cups of Water.
5. Seal the Instant Pot lid and choose High Pressure for 50 Minutes. When the timer is up, wait 20 minutes then switch the knob to venting, once the pin has dropped, open the lid. Discard the onion and bay leaves. Use tongs to move the beef into a large bowl, add ½ Cup of the broth and sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt and garlic powder, use forks to shred the beef. Leave the broth in the Instant Pot to keep it warm while you fry the tacos.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees and place tortillas in the oven for about 3-4 to dry the tortillas out a bit before frying. **I found that the tacos were crisper when I baked them for a few mins.
7. Heat oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Using tongs, quickly dip the corn tortilla into the broth and placed into the hot skillet. Place shredded Oaxaca Cheese and shredded beef onto the tortilla and fold in half to form the taco. Fry each taco for 2-3 minutes per side or until they are crispy. For each batch of tacos you fry, make sure to add more oil to the skillet. Garnish with plenty of chopped cilantro and diced onions. Serve with lime wedges and a bowl of the Consome/Beef Broth from the Instapot for dipping.
Recommended Products for this Recipe
If you are looking for a fancier version, check this one out!