Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

Make authentic Pot Birria Tacos at home in just 30 minutes. After making this recipe dozens of times, I’ve mastered the perfect balance of spices and cooking techniques to create a better-than-takeout experience. The trick I discovered is using a pressure cooker for incredibly tender meat. Keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Herb Butter Sautéed Mushrooms Recipe for Easy Dinner Sides and Creamy Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Ready in 25 Minutes.

What You'll Need for Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 lb pork shoulder
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• Optional: Corn tortillas
• Optional: Diced white onion
• Optional: Crumbled queso fresco
• Optional: Fresh cilantro
• Optional: Lime wedges
• Optional: Sliced avocado

How to Make Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

1. Prepare the meat: Cut the beef and pork into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
2. Toast the spices: In a dry skillet, toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind the spices using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. Blend the chiles: In a blender, combine guajillo and ancho chiles, garlic, onion, ground spices, cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and allspice. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed.
4. Cook the meat: Place the meat in the Instant Pot. Pour the chile mixture over the meat. Secure the lid and set the valve to 'Sealing'. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
5. Shred the meat: Remove the lid and shred the meat using two forks. Stir to combine with the broth.
6. Assemble the tacos: Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds on each side. Spoon the meat onto the tortillas and top with your favorite toppings.

Storing & Reheating Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make-ahead tip: You can make the meat and broth up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.

Freezing Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

Freeze the cooked meat and broth in separate containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicier broth, add more chiles or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Best substitution: If you can't find guajillo or ancho chiles, you can substitute with a mix of dried red chiles.
• Make-ahead: You can prepare the chile mixture up to 1 day ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
• Troubleshooting: If the broth is too thin, simmer it in a saucepan over medium heat until it reduces to your desired consistency.

Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner

⏱

Prep

15 mins

🍳

Cook

45 mins

⏳

Total

1 hour

🍽

Serves

8-10 servings

🥗

Diet

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast
• 1 lb pork shoulder
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

Seasonings

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice

Optional Toppings

• Corn tortillas
• Diced white onion
• Crumbled queso fresco
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Sliced avocado

Instructions

1. Prepare the meat: Cut the beef and pork into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
2. Toast the spices: In a dry skillet, toast cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Grind the spices using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. Blend the chiles: In a blender, combine guajillo and ancho chiles, garlic, onion, ground spices, cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and allspice. Blend until smooth, adding water as needed.
4. Cook the meat: Place the meat in the Instant Pot. Pour the chile mixture over the meat. Secure the lid and set the valve to 'Sealing'. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes.
5. Shred the meat: Remove the lid and shred the meat using two forks. Stir to combine with the broth.
6. Assemble the tacos: Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds on each side. Spoon the meat onto the tortillas and top with your favorite toppings.

Notes

• Chef tip: For a spicier broth, add more chiles or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
• Best substitution: If you can't find guajillo or ancho chiles, you can substitute with a mix of dried red chiles.
• Make-ahead: You can prepare the chile mixture up to 1 day ahead. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
• Troubleshooting: If the broth is too thin, simmer it in a saucepan over medium heat until it reduces to your desired consistency.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze the cooked meat and broth in separate containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Make ahead: You can make the meat and broth up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in the oven or microwave before serving.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 380
• Protein: 35g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbs: 15g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 2g
• Sodium: 800mg
• Cholesterol: 100mg
• Sat. Fat: 8g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Authentic Pot Birria Tacos Recipe for Easy Dinner and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!