Taiwanese-Inspired Birria Tacos (Instant Pot or Stove!)

These Taiwanese-inspired birria tacos are rich, savory, spicy, and packed with fall-apart tender beef. This is a fusion between classic Birria Tacos and Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup, and it’s so, so delicious! Crispy, cheesy tortillas are filled with cilantro, onion, and fragrant Taiwanese red-braised beef short ribs that melt in your mouth. I’m sharing BOTH the stove top and Instant Pot method, because you HAVE to try these tacos!

Taiwanese Birria Tacos

• Taiwanese-Mexican Fusion Braised Beef Birria Tacos
• Taiwanese Birria Taco Ingredients
  • Seared Short Ribs
  • Braising Sauce
  • Assembling Your Tacos
• How To Make Taiwanese Birria Tacos
• Easy Condiments To Pair with Your Birria Tacos

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Taiwanese-Mexican Fusion Braised Beef Birria Tacos

Taiwanese-Inspired Birria Taco is a fusion of Birria Tacos from Mexico and Taiwanese Red Braised Beef! We’re making these crispy, cheesy tacos using the classic birria taco technique: tortillas dipped in broth, fried with melted cheese, and served with a side of broth. But, the beef inside is Taiwanese Braised Short Ribs, which is less spicy compared to birria, and uses aromatics, doubanjiang, and tomatoes for flavor. It’s still super deeply flavorful, and melt in your mouth! I have two different methods: stove top or Instant pot, so you can save time while cooking these yummy tacos!

Taiwanese Birria Taco Ingredients

Seared Short Ribs

We are making Taiwanese Braised Beef with beef short ribs as the filling for this birria taco. Other cuts you can use for this recipes are beef shank, beef brisket, and beef chuck roast. All of these are muscular cuts of beef with tons of collagen, fat, and muscle. To prepare the beef for braising, I season and sear the beef short rib chunks to give it some deep flavors. Then, I slow braise it or put it in the Instant Pot. After braising, the beef softens and falls apart, but also absorbs all the seasoning.

Braising Sauce

For that familiar Taiwanese flavor, we’re making a braising sauce typically used for “red braising” 紅燒 in Taiwanese cooking. The base of tomatoes, garlic, onions, and red chili sauteed in doubanjiang, simmered in broth, and then blended and strained. This way, you get a spiced, but bright and rich sauce base to add to the beef braise. You can definitely make big batches of this sauce ahead of time to freezer for later whenever you want to braise more beef.

Assembling Your Tacos

The final part is to assemble the birria tacos. Just like classic birria, we’re saving some fat and broth from braising the beef to dip the tortillas. The broth is infused with doubanjiang, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and red braise sauce we made earlier, giving it a savory, umami-packed flavor. As the tortilla absorbs the flavor and pan-fries, we top it with shredded cheese so it gets crispy and cheesy. Finish with the beef, onions, and cilantro, fold it in half, and it’s ready to serve!

How To Make Taiwanese Birria Tacos

Brown the Beef

1. Season the beef short ribs generously with salt and black pepper.
2. In a large pot or Instant Pot on Sauté mode, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside.

Make the Sauce

1. In the same pot, add the onion, tomato, garlic, and dried red chilies. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
2. Add the doubanjiang and mix well, letting it cook for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Pour in 2 cups of water or beef stock and let everything simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce for a smoother broth.

Stovetop Method

1. Add the browned beef back into the pot. Pour in the strained sauce, then add soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, bay leaves, and 2-3 cups of water or beef stock.
2. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, cover and cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
3. Check every 30 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid. Add more water or beef stock as needed.
4. Once the beef is tender, remove it from the broth and shred with two forks or your hands.

Instant Pot Method

1. Add the browned beef back into the Instant Pot. Pour in the strained sauce, then add soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water or beef stock.
2. Mix well, close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10-15 minutes before opening.
3. Once the beef is tender, remove it from the broth and shred with two forks or your hands.

Assemble the Tacos

1. Skim some of the oil from the top of the broth and mix it with a little of the broth in a shallow bowl.
2. Dip each tortilla into the broth and oil mixture, then place it onto a hot pan over medium heat.
3. Add shredded cheese, shredded beef, chopped cilantro, green onion, and diced white onion.
4. Fold the taco in half and pan-fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy, golden, and the cheese is melted.
5. Serve with extra broth on the side for dipping, plus lime wedges if desired. Enjoy hot and crispy!

Easy Condiments To Pair with Your Birria Tacos

Taiwanese-Inspired Birria Tacos

By Tiffy Cooks

5 from 1 vote

These Taiwanese-inspired birria tacos are rich, savory, spicy, and packed with fall-apart tender beef. This is a fusion between classic Birria Tacos and Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup, and it’s so, so delicious! Crispy, cheesy tortillas are filled with cilantro, onion, and fragrant Taiwanese red-braised beef short ribs that melt in your mouth. I’m sharing BOTH the stove top and Instant Pot method, because you HAVE to try these tacos!

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Cook Time:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion, Mexican, Taiwanese

Keyword: Instant Pot

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 575kcal

Ingredients

Beef Short Ribs

• 3 lb beef short ribs cut into large chunks
• Salt and black pepper to season
• 1-2 tbsp oil

Braising Sauce

• 1 onion roughly chopped
• 5 tomatoes roughly chopped
• 8 cloves garlic
• 5-8 dried red chilies seeds removed for less spice
• 2 tbsp doubanjiang spicy fermented bean paste
• 2 cups water or beef stock for blending
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine optional
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 cups water or beef stock for braising

Tacos

• Corn tortillas
• Shredded cheese such as mozzarella, Oaxaca, or Monterey Jack
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped green onion
• Diced white onion
• Lime wedges optional

Instructions

Brown Beef

• Season the beef short ribs generously with salt and black pepper.
  
• In a large pot or Instant Pot on Sauté mode, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
  

Make Sauce

• In the same pot, add the onion, tomato, garlic, and dried red chilies. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
  
• Add the doubanjiang and mix well, letting it cook for another 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in 2 cups of water or beef stock and let everything simmer for 10 minutes.
  
• Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce for a smoother broth.
  

Stovetop Method

• Add the browned beef back into the pot. Pour in the strained sauce, then add soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, bay leaves, and 2-3 cups of water or beef stock.
• Mix well and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, cover and cook on low heat for 2.5-3 hours, or until the beef is tender and easily shreds.
• Check every 30 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid. Add more water or beef stock as needed.
• Once the beef is tender, remove it from the broth and shred with two forks or your hands.
  

Instant Pot Method

• Add the browned beef back into the Instant Pot. Pour in the strained sauce, then add soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar, bay leaves, and 2 cups of water or beef stock.
• Mix well, close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 45 minutes. Let it naturally release for 10-15 minutes before opening.
• Once the beef is tender, remove it from the broth and shred with two forks or your hands.
  

Assemble the Tacos

• Skim some of the oil from the top of the broth and mix it with a little of the broth in a shallow bowl.
• Dip each tortilla into the broth and oil mixture, then place it onto a hot pan over medium heat.
• Add shredded cheese, shredded beef, chopped cilantro, green onion, and diced white onion.
  
• Fold the taco in half and pan-fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until crispy, golden, and the cheese is melted.
  
• Serve with extra broth on the side for dipping, plus lime wedges if desired. Enjoy hot and crispy!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 575kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 53gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 1135mgPotassium: 1527mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 1820IUVitamin C: 106mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 7mg