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4.49 from 35 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Birria

Shredded chicken in a rich and flavorful chile pepper broth.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Instant Pot Duo Crisp Recipes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: birria de pollo, birria de pollo tacos, birria quesatacos, chicken birria, chicken birria tacos, instant pot birria, instant pot chicken birria
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 260kcal
Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 tablespoons 32g Olive Oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 4 Dried Guajillo Chiles*
  • 4 Dried Arbol Chiles*
  • 1 Dried Ancho Chile*
  • 1 small 200g Onion, diced
  • 6 cloves Garlic grated or minced
  • 2 tablespoons 30g Tomato Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
  • 4 Bay Leaves
  • 2 cups Kettle & Fire Chicken Bone Broth

Instructions

  • Coat the chicken in 1 Tbsp (16g) olive oil before seasoning with the salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Turn the Instant Pot's sauté function on high while you prep the chiles. To prep, remove the stems and any seeds. Once the pot is hot, add the chiles and toast until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Stir a few times during toasting. Set aside.
  • Add the seasoned chicken to the pot and cook for 2- 3 minutes per side to brown the chicken on both sides. Set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the diced onion. Cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes, before adding the garlic and tomato paste and cooking another 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, fully submerging the toasted chiles. Seal and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes and wait 5-10 minutes before venting.
  • Transfer the chicken to a bowl to shred. Remove and discard the bay leaves before transferring the chiles to a food processor with a few tablespoons of the broth. Blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes, before adding back to the pot. (If you have a lower powered food processor or blender, you may want to use a fine mesh strainer to catch any pieces of skin from the chiles.)
  • Turn the Instant Pot to "Keep Warm" and add the shredded chicken to the pot with the blended chiles and broth. (If you want a thinner consomé, you can add more broth or water.) See the post for instructions on making quesatacos and other ways to serve.

Notes

*You can use guajillo, ancho, or pasilla chiles in place of one another if you have trouble finding one or the other. Chile de arbol will be a bit spicier. You can try cascabel chiles in their place or even dried chili flakes or cayenne pepper to add spice in a pinch. Or for a milder chicken birria, you can add another guajillo chile or omit altogether.

Nutrition Info Notes

  • Nutrition facts are for chicken and broth only. Add tortillas and other accompaniments separately.
  • Each serving has 4 WW SmartPoints (blue).

Nutrition

Serving: 3/4 C (about 6.5 oz) | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 13g