Birria Tacos Recipe: Using a Crockpot or Instant Pot

These Quesabirria Tacos recipe comes from my parent's home in Jalisco, Mexico which is served with the stew the beef was previously cooked in. They are traditionally eaten at weddings and baptisms in Mexico, and are gaining popularity in the United States.

These Birria Tacos are SO flavorful and adding the melted cheese at the end makes the dish. This dish actually was mistakenly made when someone dropped the taco into the stew and cooked it anyway. The recipe blew up after that and the rest is history!

You can buy store-bought tortillas or try making my Flour Tortillas. If you have a gas stovetop, I like to place the tortillas directly on the burner and warm them there so give them a nice char. My go to tacos have always been Carnitas and Pork Birria Tacos.

Jump to:

• What Are Birra Tacos?
• Why you will love this recipe
• Birria Tacos Recipe Ingredients
• How to make Birria Tacos
• Birra Tacos vs. Quesatacos
• Best way to warm a tortilla
• Substitutions
• Birria Tacos Recipe Variations
• Equipment
• How to Store Your New Birria Tacos
• Birria Tacos Recipe Tips
• Top tip
• Birria Tacos Recipe
• Food safety

What Are Birra Tacos?

In Jalisco, Birria Tacos are a traditional dish but they are originally made with lamb meat. Now, Birria Tacos have become such a popular dish and are all the rage in the United States. Birria Tacos are traditionally made with Ancho Chiles, Guajillo Chiles or Chiles de Arbol. I know for some of you it is difficult to get your hands on them, so I made my version of Birria Tacos that doesn't include these dried chilies.

Why you will love this recipe

Versatile: You can use pork, beef or chicken to make this recipe.

Full of flavor: These tacos are cooked with the same stew that the meat is cooked in, which gives them so much flavor.

Hearty: The meat, cheese, and beef stew combination makes this dish hearty and filling.

Kid Friendly: I grew up eating these tacos since my parents are from Jalisco. They are delicious.

Great for any Weather: I have enjoyed these tacos in the summer and winter months.

Serves a crowd: You can make a big batch of meat in your instant pot and crock pot. Birria can be eaten as is or served as a taco.

Birria Tacos Recipe Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Chuck Roast - Any tough meat will work.
• Tomato sauce - You can use canned tomato sauce .
• Yellow onion - You can use red or white onion too.
• Chicken or beef broth
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Onion powder
• Mexican oregano - You can use regular oregano too.
• Cloves - I love crushing whole cloves with my molcajete, but you can use ground cloves.
• Bay leaves
• Mozzarella - If you happen to have Oaxaca cheese in you super market, use this instead.
• Corn Torillas
• Cilantro

See recipe card for quantities for this Birria Tacos Recipe.

How to make Birria Tacos

Birra Tacos vs. Quesatacos

Birria is actually served as the meat itself. In Mexico, tacos were never a dish, more-so tortillas were always served on the dish of every dish as a way to accompany it. It wasn't until the 1900s that tacos became a thing itself. The main difference between how to make birria tacos and a quesabirria taco is that a quesataco has cheese and the birria taco doesn't.

Best way to warm a tortilla

• Over a Gas Stove Flame – I love to use this method because it gives the tortilla a light char and it warms up quickly. Toast the tortilla directly over a low flame on a gas stove. Use tongs to rotate the tortilla, about every 20 seconds. Keep close watch as you toast the tortilla.
• On a Cast Iron- Heat a large cast iron over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in a single layer and toast 20 seconds on each side until warm on each side.

Substitutions

Chuck Roast: Chuck Roast is perfect for this recipe, although you can use tri-tip roast, top round roast or bottom round roast.

Tomato: Feel free to use tomato sauce, or if you happen to only have diced tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes, you can blend beforehand.

Onion: I used yellow onion because it is all I had on hand, but feel free to use red or white onion.

Broth: Feel free to use chicken or beef broth for this.

Spices: The spices are super important to add to the stew. If you do not happen to have Mexican oregano, you can use regular oregano instead.

Cheese: Oaxaca cheese is the most traditional easy to melt cheese, although mozzarella or pepper jack work just as well.

Tortillas: Corn tortillas are way more traditional to use for birria tacos than flour tortillas.

Birria Tacos Recipe Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add hot sauce, like Valentina, onto the taco when it is done cooking.
• Deluxe - serve with guacamole on the side, or some salsa.
• Kid friendly - add extra cheese to make sure your kid will love it!

Check out these Carne Asada Tacos if you love this one!

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

How to Store Your New Birria Tacos

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

The meat can be frozen up to three months.

Birria Tacos Recipe Tips

How to sear your birria tacos. Make sure to add the beef stew on the hot pan before adding the tortilla. The tortilla will initially become soggy but as it keeps cooking on a medium high heat, it will become crispy.

What kind of meat can I use for birria? Birria was traditionally made with goat meat. Now, you can make it with beef, lamb, chicken or mutton.

How do I make my Birria Tacos Spicier? If you can get your hands on dried chilies like chiles anchos, pasilla or guajillo, you can add them into your pressure cooker.

What size Crockpot or Instant pot do I use to make Birria Tacos? I would use an Instant Pot or Crockpot larger than 6 quart or larger.

How to assemble the birria taco recipe? Once the meat is cooked through, you will need to save about a cup or two of the meat stew. You will use this stew to cook the taco. Add the meat and cheese into the taco and sear on both sides. Dip the taco into the stew and enjoy.

Top tip

Make sure to raise the heat after adding the cheese into the taco.

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.