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–+ servings
Glistening birria taco.

Birria Tacos

Beef tacos accompanied by a beef stew for dipping.
4 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Steeping time for chilies 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Dinner, holiday, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8 people
Calories 326 kcal

Equipment

  • small pot with lid
  • stove top
  • Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker)
  • blender
  • Frying pan

Ingredients
  

Stew

  • 3.5 lbs beef shank and chuck
  • 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
  • 1/2 onion
  • 1 t salt
  • 3,4 sprigs thyme
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 t oregano Mexican
  • 1 clove whole
  • 1/2 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 t beef bouillon paste
  • 1 cup water or enough to just cover meat

Chili paste

  • 4 guajillo chilies
  • 1 pasilla chili or ancho poblano
  • 2 cloves garlic large
  • 1/4 medium onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup water or enough to cover

Birria stew toppings

  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
  • 1/2 cup radishes chopped
  • 3 limes cut into wedges

Tortillas

  • 1 package corn tortillas taco size

Tortilla filling

  • 1 package Monterrey jack cheese shredded

Instructions
 

Chili paste

  • Remove stems and seeds from both guajillo and pasilla chilies.
  • Place chilies into a pot with two large cloves of garlic and the quarter chopped onion.
  • Cover with boiling water and bring to a boil on the stovetop.
  • Turn off heat, cover, and allow to steep for 20 minutes (or until the chilies are super soft.)
  • Pour chilies and liquid into a blender.
  • Liquify and then strain to remove the skins. Set aside.

Stew

  • Add three and a half pounds of beef, half an onion, and four cloves of garlic to your Instant Pot.
  • Add a teaspoon of salt, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a few bay leaves, and one whole clove.
  • Now add a teaspoon of Mexican oregano; a smidgen of cinnamon; and all of the chili paste.
  • Add half a teaspoon of beef bouillon stock paste (or equivalent powdered beef bouillon.)
  • Add water until all beef is covered.
  • Set the valve on the Instant Pot to "sealing" and "pressure cooker," setting it to "high pressure."
  • Cook for one hour.
  • When it has finished cooking, taste and add salt if desired.
  • With a fork, shred the beef, so it is consistent throughout.

Tacos

  • Add some of the beef fat from the top of the stew to a frying pan.
  • Place corn tortilla in beef fat.
  • Add beef, Monterrey Jack cheese, cilantro, and chopped onions, then fold tortilla over.
  • Give folded tortilla a little press. Flip to brown both sides.
    Glistening birria taco.
  • Repeat steps to make more tacos.
  • Serve with lime wedges, radishes, cilantro, onion and a side of stew for dipping.

Notes

You can substitute mutton (goat) or lamb for the beef to make the stew. 
I found my chilies here (Amazon affiliate links):
Guajillo chilies:  https://amzn.to/3nWJPDF
Pasilla chilies: https://amzn.to/31sF5MP
I used the Instant Pot Duo (Amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3nPCJB7
To find links to the tools and books I use in the kitchen visit my Emmymade Amazon shop: https://www.amazon.com/shop/emmymadeinjapan

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 34gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 506mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 639IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 231mgIron: 4mg
Keyword beef, birria, Mexican, stew, tacos
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