Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
Once you make this tender, delicious Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa at home, it'll become a family favorite. It's perfect for meal prep and freezer meals, too.
Servings: 10
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup beef broth, full flavored
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ sweet onion, minced
- 4 whole chipotle peppers, from a can, seeds removed, minced
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from same can as chipotle peppers
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- 3 bay leaves
For the Beef:
- 4 pound chuck roast, trimmed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Make Sauce (can be made up to 2 days ahead): In a bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Stir to incorporate well. If making ahead of time, keep chilled in airtight container until ready to use.
- Slice beef into 2" x 2" chunks. Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper evenly onto all sides of beef pieces. Set Instant Pot to sauté mode.
- Add olive oil; once oil is heated, add sear beef pieces in 2 batches to avoid overcrowding. Once all sides of beef pieces are nicely browned, place all the beef into the bowl of Instant Pot.
- Pour your prepared sauce evenly over the beef. Stir to combine. Cover tightly and set pressure cooker for 1 hour.
- Use Instant Release method to release pressure when beef is done. Gently shred the beef with forks or tongs, allowing shredded beef to soak up the juices afterwards.
- Serve beef barbacoa over rice, tortillas, salad, or tortilla chips.
Notes
- Sear the beef in batches to get a rich, browned crust. Overcrowding the pot will steam the meat instead of browning it.
- Make the sauce a day or two ahead to save time. The flavors deepen as it rests in the fridge.
- Adjust the spice level by adding or reducing the chipotle peppers. Two peppers give a mild kick, while four or more bring more heat.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer it on sauté mode for a few minutes after shredding the beef.
- For a lighter option, serve the barbacoa over cauliflower rice or a bed of greens.
- Freeze leftovers in meal-size portions for easy dinners later. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of broth.
- Use leftovers creatively – try them in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or breakfast hash with eggs.
- This recipe is part of our Make Ahead Recipes Collection.
- We love serving it in a bowl with favorites such as Cuban Rice and Beans Recipe and Chunky Salsa with Corn.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 1325mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 5mg