Make Instant Pot beef birria con consome brimming with tender shredded beef, flavorful broth, and aromatic spices. Like Instant Pot pozole rojo, the dish pairs perfectly with warm corn tortillas, diced onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. If you like shredded beef recipes, try Venezuelan carne mechada next!
What is Birria Con Consome?
Are you looking for a hearty meal that’s perfect for any occasion? Beef birria con consomé is a traditional Mexican dish. The hearty stew features seasoned meat, like beef, lamb, or goat, that’s been slow or pressure-cooked with spices, peppers, and herbs until fall-apart tender.
The consomé, or broth, is an integral part of this dish. Like Filipino beef pares, you serve it alongside the meat for even more flavor. I prefer making birria in the Instant Pot (so I can get it to the table faster), but make this authentic birria recipe if you want to try a slow cooker version.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Oil: Sear chuck roast and saute aromatics in avocado or vegetable oil.
- Peppers: Dried chiles are a necessary part of the birria flavor. Toast dried arbol, guajillo, and ancho chiles, rehydrate them and blend them into a sauce for the beef to cook in.
- Aromatics: Sauté onions and fresh garlic to flavor the shredded beef and broth.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Incorporate apple cider vinegar for a touch of acidity.
- Spices: Enhance the birria flavor with a tasty combination of black peppercorns, Mexican oregano, coriander seed, ground cumin, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Beef: Prepare birria with beef, lamb, or goat meat. I use chuck roast for this recipe. Chuck is naturally tough, so it benefits from being slow or pressure-cooked. Purchase chuck roast with a good amount of marbling.
- Aromatics: Enhance the dish with bay leaves and a cinnamon stick.
- Better Than Bouillon: I use beef Better Than Bouillon and HOT water rather than beef stock or broth. It’s flavorful, easy, and something I always have in my pantry.
Additions and Substitutions
- Adjust the heat of the consomé by adding more or less peppers, depending on your preference. Increase the number of Arbol chiles you use, or add dried piquin or habanero peppers if you prefer spicy birria.
- Consider using dried chipotle peppers or canned chipotle in adobo for smoky heat.
How to Make Birria Con Consome
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm avocado oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the arbol, guajillo, and ancho chiles and saute until smoking, stirring them occasionally.
Then, add the onion and garlic, and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Transfer the ingredients to a blender and add 3-4 cups of HOT water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so the chiles rehydrate.
Step 3: Add apple cider vinegar, black peppercorns, Mexican oregano, coriander seeds, and ground cumin to the chilies.
Step 4: Process until smooth; set it aside.
Step 5: Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper.
Step 6: Add the chuck roast in a single layer and let it brown for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining beef, and set it aside.
Step 7: Return the beef to the pot and pour the reserved chili mixture over the top through a mesh strainer.
Use the remaining 1 cup of HOT water to encourage the chili mixture to strain.
Step 8: Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and Beef Better than Bouillon to the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Step 9: Remove the beef from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks.
Step 10: Spoon some of the shredded beef into a shallow bowl and ladle the consomé on top.
Serve the shredded beef birria with warm corn tortillas, onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and a side of consomé.
Expert Tips
- Select boneless beef chuck with a good amount of marbling for this recipe.
- Although it’s not necessary to remove every seed, I recommend removing the seeds from the dried chiles before using them. It’s an extra step, but I find the overall flavor of the sauce to be less bitter if I take the time to de-seed the chiles.
- Strain the blended chile mixture through a mesh sieve before adding it to the chuck and other ingredients.
- Sear the beef to lock in moisture and enhance the overall flavor of the birria con consome.
- Add beef shanks or bones to the consome to increase the overall flavor.
- Remove the tender beef from the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks.
If you enjoy this recipe, try one of these Mexican favorites!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the juicy, tender shredded beef in a shallow bowl with the cooking juices, also called consomé, alongside fresh corn tortillas or tostadas. Garnish the stew with diced onions, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa verde.
Thanks in large part to social media and taco trucks, birria de res has gained popularity. In addition to serving it as a stew, food enthusiasts use the flavor-rich beef birria as a filling for tacos and quesadillas or a topping for birria nachos or fries. Birria ramen is also a thing, so the possibilities are endless.
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze – If you don’t plan to consume the birria within a few days, freeze it for longer-term storage. Let it cool completely, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Birria con consome freezes for 2-3 months.
- Thaw – Defrost the beef in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat – Gently warm the beef and consomé on the stovetop in a saute pan or warm individual servings in the microwave.
- Repurpose – Repurpose the leftovers to make tacos, quesadillas, birria nachos, or enchiladas, or add shredded potatoes and home fries to make a hash.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does birria de res mean?
While birria de res, pronounced bee-rryah, loosely translates to “beef stew,” traditional Mexican birria embodies a rich culinary heritage with intricate flavor and cooking technique.
Birria de res refers to the beef version of birria. In this flavorful and spicy stew recipe, beef pressure cooks with chiles and warm spices, resulting in tender, succulent beef that is shredded and served with various toppings and corn tortillas.
So, while ‘beef stew‘ is a general translation, it doesn’t capture the flavor and cultural significance of birria de res.
What is birria de res made of?
Traditionally, home cooks prepare birria con consome with goat and sometimes lamb, chicken, or beef. However, birria de res refers to the beef version of the dish.
For this recipe, chuck roast simmers in a sauce comprised of chiles, spices, and aromatics that give birria its distinctive taste.
What part of meat is birria?
If using beef as I do in this recipe, chuck roast is the most common choice. Chuck is naturally tough, so it benefits from being slow or pressure-cooked. Select a roast with a good amount of marbling for even more flavor.
What is birria consomme made of?
The consomé in birria con consome is usually made from the drippings and cooking juice of the birria, which are seasoned and strained into the dish to create a rich and savory broth.
Serve it in a separate bowl or cup alongside the birria meat. You can either sip on the broth or use it to dip the birria meat or corn tortillas.
More Instant Pot Recipes:
Birria con Consome
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 12 dried arbol chiles, stemmed and deseeded
- 8 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and deseeded
- 3 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and deseeded
- 1 medium white onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 5 cups hot water, divided
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 pounds chuck roast, cut into 3-inch pieces
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, coarse ground, to taste
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon Beef Better Than Bouillon
- ½ large white onion, finely diced, for garnish
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Warm avocado oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add the arbol, guajillo, and ancho chiles and saute until smoking, stirring them occasionally. Then, add the onion and garlic, and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the ingredients to a blender and add 3-4 cups of HOT water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so the chiles rehydrate.
- Add apple cider vinegar, black peppercorns, Mexican oregano, coriander seeds, and ground cumin to the chilies and process until smooth; set it aside.
- Generously season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add the chuck roast in a single layer and let it brown for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining beef, and set it aside.
- Return the beef to the pot and pour the reserved chili mixture over the top through a mesh strainer. Use the remaining 1 cup of HOT water to encourage the chili mixture to strain.
- Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and Beef Better than Bouillon to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
- Remove the beef from the Instant Pot and shred it using two forks.
- Spoon some of the shredded beef into a shallow bowl and ladle the consomé on top. Serve the shredded beef birria with warm corn tortillas, onions, cilantro, lime wedges, and a side of consomé.
- Select boneless beef chuck with a good amount of marbling for this recipe.
- Although it’s not necessary to remove every seed, I recommend removing the seeds from the dried chiles before using them. It’s an extra step, but I find the overall flavor of the sauce to be less bitter if I take the time to de-seed the chiles.
- Strain the blended chile mixture through a mesh sieve before adding it to the chuck and other ingredients.
- Sear the beef to lock in moisture and enhance the overall flavor of the birria con consome.
- Add beef shanks or bones to the consome to increase the overall flavor.
- Remove the tender beef from the Instant Pot and shred it with two forks.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.