Instant Pot Beef Birria Stew
A flavorful and bold beef birria stew made quickly in an Instant Pot, delivering tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef with smoky, spicy, and rich flavors perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into chunks
- 4 dried guajillo chilies
- 2 dried ancho chilies
- 1–2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 medium white onion, quartered
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Toast the dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant but not burnt.
- Remove stems and seeds from the chilies and soak them in hot water for 20 minutes to soften.
- Pat beef chunks dry with paper towels. Heat vegetable oil in the Instant Pot on sauté mode and brown the beef in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Drain chilies and add to a blender with chipotle peppers, garlic, onion, cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and 1 cup of beef broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth if needed.
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté mode and cook the chili sauce for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add browned beef chunks back to the pot, pour in remaining 3 cups beef broth, and add bay leaves. Stir gently to combine.
- Seal the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on high for 50 minutes. Allow natural pressure release for 15 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
- Open lid carefully, remove bay leaves, stir stew, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: For thicker stew, simmer on sauté mode for 5-10 minutes until desired consistency.
- Serve hot with warm tortillas, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and diced onions.
Notes
Toast and soak the dried chilies properly to unlock smoky flavors. Brown the beef in batches to add depth. Use natural pressure release to keep beef tender. Adjust chipotle peppers to control heat. For thicker stew, simmer after pressure cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approxima
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 40
Keywords: beef birria, Instant Pot, birria stew, Mexican stew, pressure cooker recipe, spicy beef stew, quick birria, weeknight dinner