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Home » Recipes » Mexican

Pork Birria Tacos

Published: May 10, 2021 · Modified: Mar 20, 2024 by Maxine Dubois · This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

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These Pork Birria Tacos dish has pork butt, vegetable umami, onion, garlic, mozzarella and corn tortillas.

These Pork Birria Tacos dish has pork butt, vegetable umami, onion, garlic, mozzarella and corn tortillas.

Birria Tacos were traditionally made with lamb meat but have rapidly become more popular in the US and has developed a new twist. The “new Birria Tacos” are now made with all kinds of meat. They are cooked using the pork fat and served with the stew that the meat was cooked in. These tacos are so tasty and I used vegetable umami by Yondu which gave the dish a flavorful savory kick, although you can totally use chicken bouillon instead.

This recipe was an inspiration from my Instant Pot Birria Tacos. Another great recipe to try it my Carne Asada Street Taco Recipe.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top tip
  • Pork Birria Tacos
  • Food safety

Ingredients

These Pork Birria Tacos dish has pork butt, vegetable umami, onion, garlic, mozzarella and corn tortillas.
  • Pork Shoulder
  • Red Onion
  • Garlic
  • Cumin
  • Yondu or bouillon cube
  • Onion Powder
  • Mexican Oregano
  • Whole Cloves
  • Bay leaves
  • Mozzarella
  • Corn Tortillas
  • Cilantro

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Heat a cup of water and stir in the vegetable umami or chicken bouillon until dissolved and well combined. Set aside.

Cook the meat. Place the pork, onion, garlic, cumin, onion powder, oregano, crushed cloves, water/bouillon or umami mixture, and bay leaves in your pressure cooker, stir, cover, and pressure cook on high for 1 hour and let it naturally release. Alternatively, you can cook in a slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

Separate the meat and the liquid. Open your pressure cooker/slow cooker and with a spoon, take out the fatty liquid that is on the surface of the stew and place about ½ cup into a bowl. Reserve the fatty liquid to cook the tacos. With tongs, take out the meat and place on a plate or shallow bowl and shred. Place the rest of the liquid in small separate bowls.

Make the tacos. Spray a medium pan on medium heat with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop some fatty liquid with a spoon and place about 1-2 tablespoons in the pan. Place the tortilla on the pan and cook on both sides, making sure the liquid gets on both sides. The tortillas will turn soggy. The longer you cook the more crispy they become. Place the meat and cheese on the tortilla and fold to form a taco. Flip the taco to the other side until the taco becomes crispy, about 3 more minutes.

Serve. Serve the tacos with a bowl of the stew and garnish with cilantro.

Hint: Make sure to pressure cook the full time and let it naturally release.

These Pork Birria Tacos dish has pork butt, vegetable umami, onion, garlic, mozzarella and corn tortillas.

Substitutions

Pork: You can use any tough pork cut meat, like pork shoulder or pork butt. These shred very well.

Onion: I used red onion for this recipe, although you can use yellow or white. The red onion is the more traditional onion to use though. 

Garlic: For best quality results, use fresh garlic. You can always use garlic from the jar although it is less fresh that way.

Cilantro: Some people have a love/hate relationship with cilantro. I love adding cilantro into the filling of the zucchini as it gives it such a nice kick. You could always use chopped green onion or scallions if you prefer.

Cheese: You will need a cheese that melts easily, like mozzarella cheese. In Mexico, the traditional cheese used for melting (like quesadillas) is Oaxaca cheese. This type of cheese can be more difficult to find, so mozzarella cheese can do the trick.

Tortillas: You can buy store-bought tortillas or try making my Vegan 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.

Variations

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

  • Spicy - add chopped jalapeno or chili powder.
  • Deluxe - add guacamole and use corn or flour tortilla.
  • Kid friendly - add crushed tortilla chips.

Check out this MEXICAN PICADILLO on my site as well.

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.

I love using my Instant Pot to cook tough meats like this.

Storage

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

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

Top tip

Use an I love using my Instant Pot to cook tough meats. You can also use a dutch oven.

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Pork Birria Tacos


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Maxine Dubois
  • Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
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Description

These Pork Birria Tacos are made with pork butt, vegetable umami, onion, garlic, mozzarella and corn tortillas.


Ingredients

Scale

Pressure Cooker:

  • 3-4 pounds pork shoulder or butt, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup water plus 1 chicken bouillon or 1.5 teaspoons vegetable umami (I used Yondu)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 4 whole cloves, crushed
  • 2 bay leaves

Tacos:

  • 1 (8 oz) bag of shredded mozzarella or pepper jack cheese
  • 8-10 corn tortillas
  • Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat a cup of water and stir in the vegetable umami or chicken bouillon until dissolved and well combined. Set aside.
  2. Cook the meat. Place the pork, onion, garlic, cumin, onion powder, oregano, crushed cloves, water/bouillon or umami mixture, and bay leaves in your pressure cooker, stir, cover, and pressure cook on high for 1 hour and let it naturally release. Alternatively, you can cook in a slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
  3. Separate the meat and the liquid. Open your pressure cooker/slow cooker and with a spoon, take out the fatty liquid that is on the surface of the stew and place about ½ cup into a bowl. This fatty liquid is needed to cook the tacos. With tongs, take out the meat and place on a plate or shallow bowl and shred. Place the rest of the liquid in small separate bowls.
  4. Make the tacos. Spray a medium pan on medium heat with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop some fatty liquid with a spoon and place about 1-2 tablespoons in the pan. Place the tortilla on the pan and cook on both sides, making sure the liquid gets on both sides. This will make the tortillas become soggy but don’t worry, the longer you cook the more crispy they become. On one side of the tortilla, place the meat and cheese and then fold the tortilla over to form a taco. Flip the taco to the other side and keep flipping until the taco becomes crispy.
  5. Serve. Serve the tacos with a bowl of the stew and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

  • You will need a slow cooker or a pressure cooker for this recipe. 
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 2 Hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Pressure Cooker
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 133.4
  • Sugar: 0.6 g
  • Sodium: 217.1 mg
  • Fat: 3.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0.9 g
  • Fiber: 0.1 g
  • Protein: 22.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 63.8 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @cilantro.parsley on Instagram and hashtag it #cilantroparsley

https://jupiter.shop/embed/creator/cilantroparsley/s/h

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.

More Mexican

  • Poblano cauliflower tacos recipe: Roasted cauliflower florets infused with smoky poblano peppers, wrapped in warm tortillas and topped with vibrant salsa and creamy avocado, offering a flavorful and satisfying vegetarian taco option.
    Cauliflower Tacos Recipe
  • Embark on a journey of sweetness with our Bigotes Pan Dulce recipe: fluffy bread adorned with a crunchy, caramelized topping, reminiscent of Mexican bakeries' charm.
    Pan Dulce Recipe (Bigotes)
  • Savor the fusion of flavors with our Birria Empanadas: golden, flaky pastry envelopes filled with tender, savory birria meat, melding traditional Mexican spices with the comfort of handheld indulgence.
    Birria Empanadas Recipe
  • Embrace the flavors of Mexico with our Al Pastor Recipe: tender marinated pork, stacked on a vertical spit, thinly sliced, and served with pineapple, onions, and cilantro.
    Al Pastor Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Kristina Sencion

    September 17, 2021 at 2:54 am

    Absolutely amazing! Can’t wait to make this next taco Tuesday.

    Reply
    • Maxine Dubois

      September 17, 2021 at 3:19 pm

      Thanks so much Kristina, I am glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Maxine!

I am a Mexican American recipe creator & food blogger dedicated to cultivating the cooking experience. I love Latin recipes and inspiring you to cook them by incorporating videos to simplify and share my recipes.  My favorite cuisines are Mexican and Italian, which is why I came up with the name Cilantro Parsley!

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