Authentic Birria

Authentic Birria made faster in a pressure cooker delivers rich, tender beef in a bold chile-spice sauce—perfect for tacos or stew in under 90 minutes.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Course Soup

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8 servings

Calories 640 kcal

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

4 to 5 pounds Chuck roast cut into large 4-inch chunks
½ tablespoon Kosher salt
½ tablespoon Black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon Olive oil
12 Guajillo chiles rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
5 Ancho chiles rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
5 Árbol chiles rinsed and stemmed
2 Roma tomatoes
½ Medium yellow onion
1 4-inch Mexican cinnamon stick
3 Bay leaves
½ teaspoon Whole black peppercorns
2 cups Beef broth
¼ cup Distilled white vinegar
5 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon Ground cloves
as needed Water

Instructions

Season chuck roast pieces with salt and pepper. Sear in hot olive oil until browned on all sides.
Toast guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles for about 1–2 minutes, then soak in hot water for 20 minutes.
Char Roma tomatoes and onion in a dry skillet for 5–7 minutes.
Blend softened chiles with tomatoes, onion, cinnamon stick, beef broth, vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves until smooth.
Strain sauce into pot with meat, add bay leaves, peppercorns, water, and stir together.
Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Let natural release for 15 minutes then quick release remaining pressure.
Remove meat, shred with forks, return to sauce. Simmer on low for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a milder spice, reduce or omit árbol chiles. Serve with warm tortillas, diced onions, and fresh cilantro.