1 208 208 208c52 0 99. This post may contain instant pot vs crock pot links. SO flavorful and comforting, and it’s easy to make in Crock-Pot, Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
Crock-Pot, Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or Stovetop: This easy birria recipe is SO flavorful and can be made in the Crock-Pot, Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Serve as a simple stew or make birria tacos! Guys, have you tried making homemade birria yet? Stay tuned here on the blog for more on birria tacos to come later this week.
That said, if you’re new to birria, the absolute magic of this particular Mexican stew is the delicious mix of flavors layered into its amazing broth. Good birria is always made a mixture of savory, sweet, earthy, smoky and spicy seasonings that lend soooo much flavor to every single bite. It’s essential to use some dried chiles here to season the broth, but they are incredibly easy to work with. I’ve included options in the recipe below for how to make birria either in the Instant Pot, Crock-Pot or on the stovetop, so feel free to choose whichever cooking method you prefer.
Granted, all three of these methods still require a few hours to make from start to finish, so be sure to plan ahead. So if you have yet to give homemade birria a try, I say it’s time. So digging into a bit of history behind the recent birria boom around the world — exactly what is birria? Mexican meat stew that is said to have originated in the state of Jalisco, although variations can be found in many other parts of the country, including parts of Aguascalientes, Michoacán, Durango, Zacatecas, Colima, Tijuana, Oaxaca and beyond. From what I’ve read, birria was originally always made with either sheep or goat’s meat. I’ve mentioned, I do prefer to make mine with beef, and I include a few shortcut options like using beef broth as the base for the consommé and simpler indoor cooking methods vs an outdoor firepit — but it tastes remarkably similar to some of my favorite restaurant versions and is absolutely delicious. So I’m excited for you to give it a try!
Meat: In Jalisco, birria is traditionally made with goat or sheep meat. Dried chile peppers: Yes, dried chiles are essential for achieving good flavor in birria, but they are very easy to work with! Tomatoes: I like to use fresh roma tomatoes in my birria, but I’ve also included an option in the recipe notes to use canned tomatoes if that’s what you have on hand. Vinegar: Most birria recipes call for sweet apple cider vinegar, but you could alternately use rice vinegar if that’s what you have on hand. Seasonings: There are so many different ways to season birria, but for this recipe, I chose to go with a simple mix of ground cumin, dried oregano, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, bay leaves, sea salt and black pepper. That said, please feel free to experiment with this recipe and add in whatever seasonings you best prefer!
More ideas for seasonings are included in the notes below. Tortillas: When serving birria on its own as a stew, it’s traditional to serve it with warm corn tortillas on the side. I’m quite partial to my simple homemade corn tortillas recipe, but warmed-up or charred store-bought tortillas would also be great! But here is a quick preview of the process, plus a few important tips! All three methods will begin the same way, first by prepping the dried chiles. Next you will need to sauté the onion, garlic and tomato until softened in the same sauté pan, stockpot or Instant Pot.
Then transfer the veggies to the blender as well. Then to complete our marinade, we’ll add in beef stock, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, ginger, cinnamon and cloves to the blender and purée the mixture until it is completely smooth. As always, use caution when puréeing hot liquids since they will expand in the blender. I always tent the cap on the blender lid open slightly to let some of the hot steam release.
I always like to season and sear the meat briefly before slow cooking it, which you can do either in the same sauté pan, stockpot or in the Instant Pot. But if you’d like to save time, you’re welcome to skip this step. Crock-Pot: Cover and slow cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat is completely tender. Stockpot: Cover and cook over low heat on the stovetop for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meat is completely tender.
For safety reasons, be sure to stay nearby and keep an eye on the stockpot so that the meat doesn’t accidentally burn. Uncover and shred the beef into bite-sized pieces, if you’d like, and toss it with the broth. Or alternately, you can leave it in larger chunks. Then give it a taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed. So feel free to make tweaks and customize this recipe to taste!