This Low Calorie Healthy Birria Taco Recipe can be made in a Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or on the Stovetop!
Plus, these healthy birria tacos are just 130 calories each! Making them a healthy protein packed (low carb) dinner that’s perfect for taco Tuesday, or any night of the week.
Birria tacos recipes have become so popular that I just had to create a low calorie healthy version. And while I was at it, I wanted to make a birria taco Instant pot, crockpot and stovetop recipe that can be made in any equipment you have on hand.
The best (in my opinion) is the stovetop birria tacos recipe, but sometimes you just need a quick dinner (birria tacos instant pot) or a meal you come home to (crockpot birria tacos).
This birria taco recipe is just 130 calories, and can be made in an instant pot, slow cooker, or on the stovetop!
Healthy Birria Taco Recipe
What You’ll Find in this Article:
Ingredients in Low Calorie Birria Tacos
To make this birria tacos recipe easy, I’ve supplied you with links to all the ingredients you’ll need.
Some of the chillis can be hard to find in stores, and online shopping is best. Below (in the recipe card) you’ll find the best deals I could find, to make these beef birria recipes lower cost as well as low calorie.
Shopping List for the Low Calorie Birria Tacos:
Birria Meat Ingredients:
- Boneless chuck roast
- Dried guajillo chiles
- Dried ancho chiles
- Roma tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cinnamon stick
- Bay leaf
- Dried oregano
- Ground cumin
- Dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- Beef broth
Beef Birria Taco Ingredients:
- Corn tortillas
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- Lime wedges
How to Make Low Calorie Birria Tacos
The best birria taco recipe (in my opinion) is the stovetop method. But just incase you don’t have the time, I have supplied you with directions to make birria tacos in the slow cooker or instant pot too.
This is very important, make sure to keep the sauce (liquid) that’s leftover after cooking the beef birria meat! It’s the key to amazing birria tacos!
How to Make Low Calorie Birria Taco Recipes:
Stovetop Birria Meat Directions:
- Spray a large pot with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add in the beef and brown on all sides. Then remove to a plate.
- To the hot pot, add the chillies, tomatoes, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, then cover with beef broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Add the beef back to the pot, along with any juices form the plate.
- Simmer over low heat until meat is tender and shreds easily, about 3 hours.
- When the meat is done, move to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Reserve the birria taco sauce consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
Crockpot Birria Meat Directions:
- To a slow cooker, combine the beef, chillies, tomatoes, onion beef broth, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-5 hours.
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Then add to a large bowl.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Pour 1/4-1/2 cup birria consommé over the shredded beef and mix well.
- Reserve the remaining birria consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
Instant Pot Birria Meat Directions:
- Spray instant pot with olive oil and preheat on sauté setting.
- Add in the beef and brown on all sides. Then remove to a plate.
- To the instant pot, add the chillies, tomatoes, and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then cover with beef broth.
- Scrape the bottom of the instant pot well to avoid a “Burn” reading.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Add the beef back to the instant pot, along with any juices from the plate, and 1 cup of water.
- Cover and seal the instant pot, and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes.
- Move the beef to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Reserve the birria taco sauce consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
How to Make Birria Tacos:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the the birria consommé, then place the tortilla on the hot skillet.
- Top with shredded beef, cheese, and cilantro.
- Fold tortilla over and fry for about one minute on each side, until crispy.
- Remove taco to the hot baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat above steps with remaining tortillas.
- Serve hot with lime wedges and birria consommé for dipping.
Healthy Birria Taco Recipe
You can make birria tacos 3 ways, thanks to this helpful recipe card!
I think the stovetop is the most authentic birria tacos recipe, but depending on time you may want to use your instant pot or slow cooker.
You might also like these Low Calorie High Protein Tostadas.
More Low Calorie Taco Recipes:
Low Calorie Birria Tacos (130 CALORIES)
Ingredients
For the Birria Meat:
- 2 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 3 dried guajillo chiles seeds and stems removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles seeds and stems removed
- 2 roma tomatoes quartered
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
For Birria Tacos:
- 15 corn tortillas
- 1 onion diced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- ½ cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- 1 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
Birria Meat Stovetop Directions:
- Spray a large pot with olive oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add in the beef and brown on all sides. Then remove to a plate.
- To the hot pot, add the chillies, tomatoes, and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, then cover with beef broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Add the beef back to the pot, along with any juices form the plate.
- Simmer over low heat until meat is tender and shreds easily, about 3 hours.
- When the meat is done, move to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Reserve the birria consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
Birria Meat Crockpot Directions:
- To a slow cooker, combine the beef, chillies, tomatoes, onion beef broth, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-5 hours.
- Remove the meat to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Then add to a large bowl.
- Remove and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Pour 1/4-1/2 cup birria consommé over the shredded beef and mix well.
- Reserve the remaining birria consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
Birria Meat Instant Pot Directions:
- Spray instant pot with olive oil and preheat on sauté setting.
- Add in the beef and brown on all sides. Then remove to a plate.
- To the instant pot, add the chillies, tomatoes, and onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, then cover with beef broth.
- Scrape the bottom of the instant pot well to avoid a “Burn” reading.
- Add the garlic, cinnamon, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the and discard the cinnamon and bay leaf and use an immersion blender to blend the contents of the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, you can move to a blender and blend).
- Add the beef back to the instant pot, along with any juices from the plate, and 1 cup of water.
- Cover and seal the instant pot, and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then natural release for 15 minutes.
- Move the beef to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Reserve the birria consommé (the liquid in the pot) to make the tacos.
How to Make Birria Tacos:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Using tongs, dip a tortilla into the the burria consommé, then place the tortilla on the hot skillet.
- Top with shredded beef, cheese, and cilantro.
- Fold tortilla over and fry for about one minute on each side, until crispy.
- Remove taco to the hot baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you repeat above steps with remaining tortillas.
- Serve hot with lime wedges and birria consommé for dipping.
Nutrition
Nutrition and Calorie in Birria Tacos
The nutrition and calories in these birria tacos are based off 1 taco with about 1/4 cup of birria meat and about 1 tablespoon of cheese (onions and cilantro can be as much as you want, or none at all).
I also trimmed all of the fat off the beef before cooking, this helps save 100’s of calories and still makes an amazing beef birria meat.
Important Note: As a reminder, at Lose Weight By Eating it is my goal to make you healthier, all-natural versions of your favorite recipes… not all will be “diet worthy” depending on the diet you are on. But they will be healthier versions to help curb your cravings.
More Weight Loss Recipe:
Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks
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Article History:
- Originally written and published September 19, 2022 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on May 5, 2023 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on May 22, 2023 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on September 27, 2023 by Audrey Johns
