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Birria is a Mexican dish that can be hard to find in U.S. restaurants.  However, beef birria has a rich history in Tijuana and it is growing increasingly popular across the border in San Diego.  This is an Instant Pot beef birria recipe.

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Apparently birria originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco.  In central Mexico, where it originated it is made from goat.  This article has a nice recipe for the traditional goat birria.

In north Mexico, including Tijuana, birria is commonly made from beef.  This is the version I am familiar with and the one make.

Birria, as it is served in San Diego, is very similar to the Mexican shredded beef dish barbacoa.  Barbacoa is also hard to find at restaurants, however it has gained some popularity via the restaurant chain Chipotle.

It appears the main difference is that birria is traditionally served as a stew.  Eat Mexico City has a nice article comparing barbacoa and birria.  Apparently both meats are cooked in a hole in the ground.  Birria is basically barbacoa that is submerged in a sauce to make a stew.

In San Diego most birria is found in restaurants in the South Bay area, close to the Mexican border.  My favorite is Ed Fernandez Restaurant on the border of San Diego and Imperial Beach.  At Fernandez you can order birria as a stew or served in tortillas.

The San Diego Reader had an article on a place in Tijuana that serves goat birria.  They claim goat is much better than beef.

Birria is a perfect dish to make in an Instant Pot.  In looking at recipes, there seems to be no standard.  In many recipes, cinnamon and/or cloves are used.  I have noticed a slight cinnamon taste in some birria I have tried at San Diego restaurants.  However, I am extremely cautious using cinnamon in meat recipes and will often leave it out.

I came across some videos of more complicated beef birria recipes.  Views on the Road has a 40-minute video with a recipe that looks really good.  I plan to try this version one day.  Norma Cristina has a video of an Instant Pot recipe that uses a similar technique to mine but looks like it would be significantly spicier.

Chuck roast works best for this recipe.  However, it is nice to have some beef bones.  At our local Mexican market, they sale both a chuck roast and bone-in beef shank that work perfect for this recipe.

Roasted chili peppers are an essential ingredient.  I have played with several combinations and the version in this recipe is fairly mild.  You can see our guide to making chili powder for an overview of the different heat levels of peppers.

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In this beef birria recipe the main source of heat is the arbol peppers.  If you would like a hotter version you can simply add more.  You can even leave out the arbol peppers if you don’t like spice.

The only thing we always note is that when roasting chili peppers look out.  The fumes can be pretty strong.  My family always knows when I am roasting peppers!

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The Instant Pot makes this recipe fairly foolproof.  The meat cooks for a total of about an hour at which point it is removed to be shredded.  The shredded beef is added back to the sauce to make a stew.

I serve beef birria in bowls with cilantro, onions and lime as traditional toppings.  There are also tortillas on the side for either dipping or making your own tacos.

Beef birria has become a popular staple in our household.  It is similar to our popular pork chili verde.  Compared with chili verde, beef birria is easier to make.  This recipe is a great step to Mexican cooking that many people are not familiar with.

Instant Pot Beef Birria

Dave Cole

This is a Mexican beef birria cooked in an Instant Pot. Birria is a Mexican stew that can be made from a variety of meats. In north Mexico and along the San Diego border it is usually made from beef/

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 4 guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
• 4 ancho or pasilla chiles stemmed and seeded
• 4 chile de arbol stemmed and seeded
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 4 pounds chuck roast or bone-in beef shank cut in large chunks (use a combination)
• 1 onion diced
• 1- inch cinnamon stick optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup water

Instructions

 

• Cook chiles on stove in pan or griddle until they start to smoke, about 3 minutes. Place chiles in hot water and let soak for 20 minutes.
• Place chiles, garlic, oregano, thyme and cumin in blender with small amount of water and grind to a paste.
• In Instant Pot heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add meat and onion and brown on all sides. Add salt, pepper, bay leaves, cinnamon (if using), add water, beef broth, vinegar and chile mixture.
• Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
• Remove beef from pot and shred. Add back into sauce and serve in bowls with choice of accompaniments including cilantro, diced onions, tortillas.

Keyword Beef Birria, Beef Recipe, Broth, Instant Pot, Mexican Food

For more info on the Instant Pot check out our Top 10 Instant Pot Tips and our Top 10 Instant Pot Recipes

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