Birria Tacos (Pressure Cooker, With Consommé)

Picture a corn tortilla that has been dragged through the red, spiced fat floating on a pot of beef broth, then crisped on a hot griddle until the edges crackle. Inside: tender shredded beef and a layer of melted, stretchy cheese. Next to it sits a cup of that same broth, the consommé, for dipping each bite. That is what these birria tacos deliver, and the whole process comes down to one pot of chile-braised beef doing three jobs at once.

The beef shank cooks in a sauce of dried guajillo and ancho chiles, tomatoes, garlic and warm spices like cinnamon and clove. A pressure cooker turns a tough, bony cut into fall-apart meat in about 45 minutes. The cooking liquid becomes the consommé, the fat that rises to the top colors and crisps the tortillas, and the meat fills the tacos.

Ingredients

For the beef

• 4 lb (1.8 kg) bone-in beef shank, cut into large pieces – the bone and connective tissue give the broth body. Chuck roast or short ribs also work (see below).
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, for searing.
• Salt, to season the meat and the broth.

For the chile sauce

• 4 large dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed – the main source of the deep red color and mild, fruity heat.
• 2 dried ancho chiles (or pasilla), stems and seeds removed – add a darker, slightly sweet, raisin-like note.
• 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered.
• 1/2 white onion, cut into chunks.
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled.
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it) and 1/2 tsp dried thyme.
• 2 small pieces of cinnamon stick (about 1 inch / 2.5 cm each) and 3 whole cloves – the warm spice that sets birria apart from other red chile stews.
• 1 tsp black pepper.
• 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar – brightens the rich sauce.
• 6 cups (1.4 L) water, divided (2 cups to simmer the sauce, 3 cups to blend, 1 cup in the pot).
• 1 bay leaf.

For the tacos

• 24 corn tortillas (6-inch / 15 cm) – corn holds up to the dip in fat far better than flour.
• 1 lb (450 g) low-moisture mozzarella, shredded – or Oaxaca cheese, the traditional melting cheese.
• 1 small white onion, finely diced, and 1 bunch cilantro, chopped.
• 2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges.

How to Make It

1. Sear the beef – medium-high, 10 to 15 minutes

Pat the beef dry and season it generously with salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear the pieces in batches, without crowding, until browned on all sides. Move them to the pressure cooker pot. Each piece should have a deep brown crust, not a gray surface.

2. Cook the sauce base – medium, 8 to 10 minutes

In the same skillet, cook the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, cumin, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cloves and pepper for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the chiles turn pliable. Add 2 cups of the water and the vinegar, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. The chiles should be soft enough to tear easily, and the kitchen should smell of toasted spice. If the chiles start to blacken, lower the heat; burnt chiles taste bitter.

3. Blend and strain – 5 minutes

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then pour it into the blender with 3 more cups of water. Blend until completely smooth. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer over the beef, pressing on the solids with a spoon. The sauce should be smooth and brick red, with only bits of skin and seeds left in the strainer.

4. Pressure cook – high pressure, 45 minutes

Add the last cup of water, the bay leaf and a good pinch of salt. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes before opening. The beef is ready when it falls off the bone and shreds with no effort. If it still resists, lock the lid again and cook for 10 more minutes.

5. Shred the meat and season the consommé – 10 minutes

Lift the beef out onto a board, discard the bones and shred the meat with two forks. Taste the broth and adjust the salt. Return about half of the shredded meat to the pot so it soaks up flavor and keep the rest moist with a ladle of broth. A layer of orange-red fat should be floating on the surface of the broth; you will need it for the tortillas.

6. Dip, fill and crisp the tacos – medium, 3 to 4 minutes each batch

Heat the griddle over medium heat. Dip a tortilla in the fat on top of the consommé, letting the excess drip back, and lay it on the griddle. Top half of it with cheese and some shredded beef, fold it over and cook, flipping once, until both sides are crisp and the cheese has melted. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. The tortilla should be deep red and crisp at the edges, and the cheese should stretch when you pull a taco apart.

7. Serve – right away

Ladle the hot consommé into small cups and top with diced onion and cilantro. Serve the tacos with the consommé and lime wedges for squeezing. Serve the tacos straight off the griddle; they soften as they cool.

What Makes Birria Different From Other Braised Beef

Birria comes from the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, where it was traditionally made with goat and cooked slowly in a pit or a sealed pot. Beef versions, often called birria de res, spread across Mexico and later the United States, and the crispy cheese-filled tacos served with consommé became one of the most popular ways to eat it.

Three things give it its character. The first is the mix of dried chiles: guajillo for color and a bright, mild heat, ancho or pasilla for depth. The second is the spice blend. Cinnamon, clove, thyme and oregano are all used in small amounts, but together they give the broth a warm, almost sweet aroma that plain chile stews do not have. The third is the vinegar, which cuts through the richness of the beef and the fat.

The cut matters as much as the sauce. Beef shank is lean muscle wrapped in connective tissue around a marrow bone. Under long, moist heat, that tissue breaks down into gelatin, which makes the meat tender and gives the consommé a silky, full body. A pressure cooker speeds this up because the higher pressure raises the boiling point, so the meat cooks at a higher temperature than in a regular pot.

Choosing the Beef

Shank is the cut used here, but birria is forgiving. Any cut with plenty of collagen and some fat will shred well.

• Beef shank (bone-in): the most gelatin and the richest consommé, with leaner meat.
• Chuck roast: easy to find, well marbled and very tender after braising. Use about 3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless.
• Bone-in short ribs: the fattiest option, with the most flavorful fat for dipping.
• A mix: many cooks combine chuck with a few pieces of shank or oxtail to get both tender meat and a gelatin-rich broth.

No Pressure Cooker? Stovetop and Slow Cooker Methods

Stovetop: Use a large Dutch oven. After adding the strained sauce, water, bay leaf and salt, bring it to a boil, then cover and keep it at a gentle simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if the level drops below the meat. Start checking at 3 hours; the beef is done when it shreds easily.

Slow cooker: Sear the beef and prepare the sauce as written, then put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. A slow cooker loses very little liquid, so you can reduce the water in the pot by about 1 cup if you want a more concentrated consommé.

Whichever method you choose, the steps after cooking stay the same: shred, skim some fat for the tortillas and crisp the tacos on the griddle.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Birria is a good make-ahead dish because the flavor deepens overnight. Cook the beef a day early and refrigerate it in its broth. Once chilled, the fat hardens into an orange layer on top; scoop some of it off and melt it to dip the tortillas, then reheat the meat and broth together on the stove.

According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, cooked beef should be refrigerated within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers so it cools quickly, and eaten within 3 to 4 days, reheated to 165°F (74°C). Cooked beef dishes can also be frozen; for the best quality, use them within 2 to 3 months. Store the meat and consommé together so the beef stays moist, and assemble the tacos fresh, as crisped tacos turn soft in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is birria spicy?

Not very. Guajillo and ancho chiles are mild and bring more flavor than heat. For spicier birria, add 2 to 4 dried chiles de árbol to the sauce.

Why is my consommé bitter?

Usually because the dried chiles burned. They only need a few minutes to soften; if they turn black, start the sauce again with fresh chiles. Leaving the seeds in can also add some bitterness, which is why they are removed.

Can I use flour tortillas?

You can, but they absorb the fat differently and do not get as crisp. Corn tortillas hold their shape and give the classic flavor.

What cheese works best?

Oaxaca cheese is the traditional choice. Low-moisture mozzarella melts and stretches in the same way and is easier to find. Monterey Jack is another good melting cheese.

What else can I make with the leftover meat?

Shredded birria works in quesadillas, burritos, nachos or a bowl of rice. The leftover consommé can be thinned with a little water and served as a soup or used to cook ramen noodles.

If you love Mexican-inspired dinners, try the cheese-stuffed beef gorditas, the cheesy ranch chicken taquitos or a bowl of Mexican street corn soup. For another slow-cooked beef dish, there is the crockpot beef stew, and you can browse all the dinner recipes.

Birria Tacos

Crispy corn tortillas dipped in chile-spiced fat, filled with tender braised beef shank and melted cheese, served with a cup of rich consommé for dipping.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Assembly 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 670

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the beef

• 4 lb bone-in beef shank about 1.8 kg, cut into large pieces
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• salt to taste

For the chile sauce

• 4 large dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chiles or pasilla, stems and seeds removed
• 4 Roma tomatoes quartered
• 1/2 white onion cut into chunks
• 4 garlic cloves peeled
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano Mexican oregano if available
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 small pieces cinnamon stick about 1 inch each
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 6 cups water divided: 2 + 3 + 1
• 1 bay leaf

For the tacos

• 24 corn tortillas 6-inch
• 1 lb low-moisture mozzarella shredded, or Oaxaca cheese
• 1 small white onion finely diced
• 1 bunch cilantro chopped
• 2-3 limes cut into wedges

Method

 

1. Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt. Sear in the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, in batches, until browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to the pressure cooker.
2. In the same skillet, cook the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, cumin, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cloves and pepper over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften and the chiles are pliable. Do not let the chiles burn.
3. Add 2 cups of the water and the vinegar, scrape the bottom of the pan and simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Cool slightly, then blend with 3 more cups of water until smooth. Strain over the beef, pressing on the solids.
5. Add the last cup of water, the bay leaf and salt. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes. The beef should fall off the bone.
6. Remove the beef, discard the bones and shred the meat. Adjust the salt in the consommé. Return half the meat to the pot and keep the rest moist with a ladle of broth.
7. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Dip each tortilla in the red fat on top of the consommé, place on the griddle, top half with cheese and beef, fold and cook, flipping once, until crisp and the cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Serve hot with cups of consommé topped with diced onion and cilantro, and lime wedges.

Notes

Storage: refrigerate the meat and consommé together within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheated to 165°F (74°C). Freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Crisp the tacos fresh.

Make ahead: cook the beef a day early; the chilled fat on top is perfect for dipping the tortillas.

No pressure cooker: simmer covered in a Dutch oven on low for 3 to 4 hours, or cook in a slow cooker on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Substitutions: about 3 lb boneless chuck roast or bone-in short ribs instead of shank; Oaxaca or Monterey Jack instead of mozzarella; add 2 to 4 chiles de árbol for more heat.

Nutrition is an estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a laboratory analysis.