These tacos. Let me tell you. Game changer! These delicious Vegan Instant Pot Birria Tacos melt in your mouth. Imagine a Mexican version of grilled cheese and tomato soup. This is what it reminds me of. The smooth, smoky, thick consommé like sauce that you douse your tortillas in. Fry them up with soy chorizo, cilantro, onions and dairy free cheese. And then dip back into the sauce… Amazing! You will never go back to basic tacos ever again. The best part is you can use this delicious sauce for all kinds of other things. Noodles, nachos, eggs, or use it as a broth to add to your other soups to take to the next level.
I made this recipe by adapting a recipe I found off Eatfigsnotpigs.com. It was a great version, I just made a couple of changes like the fillings and using an Instant Pot for the sauce.
Birria tacos originated in Jalisco, Mexico. Made for celebrations and special occasions, these delicious tacos where traditionally made with mutton or goat meat.
Tips For Making The Vegan Instant Pot Birria Tacos
The Saucey Sauce
I have found that making my sauce for the tacos in the Instant Pot saves a lot of time. What would normally take around 1 hour to cook gets cut down to 25 minutes. If you don’t have an Instant Pot feel free to simmer the sauce over the stove top for about 1 hour.
First cut your peppers and take out the seeds. Fill a bowl with hot water and soak your peppers until they start to soften. Should take about 20 minutes.
Next you want to take a piece of aluminum foil and cover a small sheet pan. Add a quartered yellow onion, pulling the pieces apart and 4 peeled whole garlic cloves. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to coat them and roast them at 450 for 10-15 minutes or until they start to brown and blacken on the ends.
Once your peppers have softened and the onions and garlic have browned and them and all the additional seasonings, tomatoes, vinegar and 2 cups of stock to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Add to your Instant Pot with 2 more cups of stock and 2 Bay leaves and put on Manual for 25 minutes. Quick release when it’s finished. Remove the Bay leaves and set aside.
Taco Fixings and Preparation
If you are using the Trader Joes Soy Chorizo which a highly recommend you can cook according to the package. If you are using a different meat alternative I like using Beyond Beef. Cook it up like you would taco meat and your favorite taco seasoning. I’m a huge fan of using Goyas All Purpose Seasoning with these tacos.
Dice your yellow onions, chop your cilantro, slice your lime wedges.
When you are ready to start assembling your tacos, heat up a large flat griddle or pan. I like using my cast iron skillet. Add in your avocado oil to coat the pan.
Coat your tortillas in the sauce. Add it to your pan. Now add your meat mixture, cheese, onions and cilantro to one side of your tortilla. Pour a little more sauce on it and with a spatula flip over the other half creating a half moon. Press in down firmly and move it off to the side.
Keep doing this with the other tortillas. Once it is crispy on one side you can flip it over and let it brown on the other side.
Once all the tacos are cooked you can immediately serve them with lime wedges to garnish and the extra sauce. My favorite thing to do is dunk my cheesy tacos into the sauce and devour!
If you want to save these tacos for later they will store in the fridge for up to 2 days. I find warming them in the oven is the best way to reheat them. Wrap them in tin foil for later and when you want to reheat place the foils in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Vegan Instant Pot Birria Tacos
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 Dried Guajillo Chiles seeds removed.
- 1 Dried Pasilla Chile seeds removed.
- 2 Yellow Onions 1 quartered, 1 diced
- 4 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 4 Garlic Cloves Peeled
- 4 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 Tsp Salt and Pepper
- 3 Ground Cloves
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1 14 Oz Can diced tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp White Vinegar
- 2 Bay leaves
Tacos
- 1 Trader Joes Soy Chorizo you can also use Beyond Meat Ground Beef.
- 1 Oz Adobo Seasoning Optional. I would only use this if using beyond meat.
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese I used Go Veggie Vegan Cheese Shreds.
- 1 Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 Cup Cilantro Chopped
- 1 Lime Cut into Wedges
Instructions
- Start by cutting open the peppers and taking out the seeds. Place them in a bowl of hot water and let the soak for 20-30 minutes.
- Next preheat oven to 450.
- Peel and quarter onion. Peel apart all the layers.
- Peel garlic cloves. Place on aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the onions start to char.
- Once the onions and garlic are cooked add them to a blender with the peppers, vinegar, tomatoes, seasonings, 2 cups broth and oil.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add to an Instant Pot. Add in 2 cups remaining broth and bay leaves. Turn on Manual for 25 minutes. Quick Release when finished and remove bay leaves.
- Next fry up your meat and dice onions, chop cilantro and cut limes.
- To make the tacos start by heating a large skillet or frying pan.
- Add in a small amount of oil.
- Coat your tortilla fully in your tomato sauce on both sides.
- Lay in pan. Next spoon 2 spoonful's of meat on one side of the tortilla.
- Add onion, cilantro and shredded cheese. Pour on more sauce.
- With a spatula fold over tortilla and flatten it. Cook until it crisps. Flip and do the same to the other side. Remove and set aside.
- Repeat this step until all the tacos are made.
- To eat garnish with fresh squeezed lime juice. Dunk your delicious tacos in the zesty sauce and devour!