Instant Pot Birria Tacos (Disneyland Copycat)

These birria tacos are packed full of flavor! They are filled with beef and Mexican flavorings that are so delicious that you will definitely need to come to this meal hungry because you will for sure be asking for seconds!

Make this the main course for any Taco Tuesday! After all, everyone needs some delicious Mexican food on hand that you can whip up at any time! Add in my favorite amazing street tacos, this Rotel dip, and these nachos, and make it a meal to remember!

A platter with cooked birria tacos and a small bowl of sauce to dip them in. The plate it garnished with cilantro and lime slices.

What are Disneyland Copycat Birria Tacos?

These tacos are a work of art! Every single minute that you spend making them will be worth it. I first had birria tacos from a restaurant in California Adventure (Disneyland) called Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill. They became viral, and I just had to try making them on my own. Because we can’t just go to Disneyland whenever we want, right? Traditionally made as a delicious and savory Mexican stew, this flavored meats has been around for a long time! But then, the meat was taken and put into taco shells (genius!). Now, we have a dinner that you will want every single night.

It turns out that making these at home is even better! How often do you find a copycat recipe that is better than the original? The beef in these tacos is seasoned with a flavorful sauce, cinnamon and then bay leaves. And the sauce is really where it’s at. You make this with an array of delicious Mexican seasonings, peppers, and onions blended together. And to make things extra delicious, you use the sauce to flavor your tortillas and to dip your taco in once it’s finished. These tacos are SO good. You don’t want to miss out!

Ingredients in Birria Tacos

This ingredients list has a few unique items on it. So print off the recipe card, bring it to the store and gather them all up. You will find out quickly that these tacos are worth every single step! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Consume/Sauce

Chile Peppers: Dried Guajillo Chile Peppers and Dried Ancho Chile Peppers. (They should be deseeded with the stems removed before cooking with them).
Additional Vegetables: White onion, roma tomatoes, garlic cloves.
Spices and Seasonings: Cracked black pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, Mexican oregano (dried), smoked paprika, kosher salt.
Liquids: Apple cider vinegar, beef broth

Beef

Boneless Chuck Roast: This will cook into a delicious and tender cut of meat, perfect for tacos!
Kosher Salt & Pepper: These will season your beef.
Olive Oil: This helps the seasoning to stick to the beef.!
Seasoning: Bay leaf and cinnamon sticks sound interesting together but they flavor this beef like nothing that you have ever tasted before!

Birria Tacos

Yellow Corn Tortillas: You can use store-bought or you can also try making these homemade corn tortillas if you want instead!
Toppings: Oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella), cilantro, limes, diced onion (for garnish)

6 pictures showing how to cook the vegetbales and chilies and blend them into a sauce.

Let’s Make Some Birria Tacos!

Follow these step-by-step instructions, and you will have the best tacos that you’ve ever had! Don’t forget to save the extra sauce to dip your taco in!

Consomme/Sauce

Prepare Chile Peppers: Cut the stems off of the dried chilies. Deseed and discard the seeds by shaking the seeds out of the pods.
Cook Chilies: In a medium skillet, add the chiles, and cook for 1 minute on each side. Toast until fragrant and lightly toasted.
Soak: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and remove from the heat. Submerge the chiles into the water and then soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the sauce.
Cook Vegetables: To the same skillet, add the oil and onion and tomato. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until charred and softened. Then, add the garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant for 2 more minutes.
Add to Blender: Transfer roasted vegetables to a blender. Strain the soaked chilies, and add them to the blender as well.
Blend: Add the pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, apple cider vinegar, and beef broth to the blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Beef

Prepare Meat: To prepare the meat, season the chunks with salt and pepper. Turn the instant pot to sauté and add the oil. Then, sear the beef until golden brown on all sides. Press cancel to turn the instant pot off. Pour the chile sauce over the beef and stir to combine.
Add Seasonings: Add the cinnamon stick and bay leaves to the pot.
Seal and Cook: Close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 to 15 minutes.
Shred: When you open the lid, remove and disgard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Remove the beef and shred it with the help of two forks. Taste the shredded beef and consomme. Then add additonal salt if needed.
Save Sauce: Pour about 1 cup of the consomme/sauce into a serving bowl for later to dip your birria tacos in.

Quesabirria Tacos

Heat Pan: Heat a cast iron or nonstick pan to medium high heat. Spray generously with non-stick cooking spray. Using your hands, carefully to dip both sides of a tortilla into the fat in your shallow dish.
Add Sauce: Pour the rest of the consomme/sauce into a shallow dish. The fat settles towards the top of the sauce, and this is what you dip the tortillas in to fry them.
Assemble: Carefully fold the cheese side over the meat side creating a taco. Press down with the spatula to seal the taco. Continue to cook and crisp the outside of the taco. You can flip it a couple of times until it gets crispy and the cheese is melted.
Transfer and Repeat: Transfer the cooked tacos to a serving platter and then repeat until all the tacos are assembled.
Serve: Serve immediately with your desired toppings and the reserved consume/sauce for dipping!

6 pictures showing how to cook the birria taco meat in the instant pot, cook the tortillas and add the filling.

Corn Tortillas

These birria tacos use corn tortillas, which can be tricky because they sometimes break before you can fill them up! To prevent that, you need to warm them up. This will make them more pliable. To warm them up, wrap a few of them in a damp paper towel and then microwave them for about 20 seconds!

A close up of a platter of birria tacos and sauce.

Are Birria Tacos Gluten Free?

When you are getting your ingredients just make sure to use gluten-free beef broth as well as corn tortillas and this birria tacos recipe will be gluten-free!

How to Store Leftover Birria Tacos

These birria tacos make fantastic leftovers. Just make sure to store them correctly so that they can last as long as possible!

In the Refrigerator: Once your tacos have cooled then place them in an airtight container in a single layer. You can layer on top of each other as long as you put a piece of parchment paper inbetween. They will last for 4-5 days in the fridge.
To Reheat: Reheat your tacos in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until they are heated through.

A close up of a birria taco being dipped into sauce.