Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

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Learn how to make Mouth-Watering Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef (Mexican Barbacoa). Tender juicy shredded beef exploding with bold complex flavors, top with refreshing salsa wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Super easy to make for tasty tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, and more!

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What is Barbacoa Beef?

Barbacoa is a traditional style of Mexican cooking with many regional variations. 

It generally refers to slow-cooking meat (usually lamb, goat, beef, or pork) over an open fire for a long time until the meat becomes juicy, flavorful & falling-apart tender. Then, it’s traditionally served on warm corn tortillas with salsa.

Traditional barbacoa is most often found at market stalls served for breakfast, brunch, and dinner; at parties or other special occasions.

Barbacoa Beef is pulled beef that has soaked up all the bold & exciting savory-umami-spicy-tangy-salty flavors from the rich chipotle sauce and spices. yummy~

beef barbacoa taco at Mexican restaurant
Enjoyed some Barbacoa Beef Tacos in a local Mexican restaurant.

One of the things we miss the most is dining out! We love trying new restaurants, exploring new cuisines, and getting to know the restauranteurs & chefs. 

For now, let’s roll up our sleeves and explore new dishes & try out new recipes as we have some tasty fun experiments in our kitchens!

Come join us to make Barbacoa in Instant Pot!


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Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

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Tools for Instant Pot Barbacoa

Here are the ingredients for cooking Beef Barbacoa in Instant Pot:

instant pot barbacoa beef ingredients  #AmyJacky #recipe #beef

*Pro Tip: We got our chuck roast delivered from a local butcher. If possible, try to find one that’s full of fat and beautiful marbling for the best results. 🙂 

For the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, we chose this “LA Costena” brand (shown in the photo below).

*Pro Tip: 1 or 2 tablespoons of this sauce will add complexity and smokiness to the barbacoa beef recipe.

chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

*Note: We like to ground our whole spices, so we ground the cumin seeds, whole cloves, and dried oregano with our mortar and pestle

ground spices

*Note: However, using pre-ground spices will work with this Instant Pot Barbacoa.

Step 1

Brown Chuck Roast Steak


First, heat up Instant Pot Pressure Cooker using “Sauté More” function, and wait until it says “HOT”.

*Pro Tip: Make sure the Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a maillard reaction.

Pat dry the chuck roast steak, then season one side generously with salt and black pepper.

season steak

Then, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil in the inner pot, and ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot.

brown chuck roast in Instant Pot  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #beef #recipe

Carefully place the seasoned side of chuck steak in Instant Pot. Then, generously season the other side with salt and black pepper.

Brown one side for 5 minutes before flipping over, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes.

Finally, remove the browned chuck steak, then set aside.

Step 2

Saute Onion and Garlic


Now, add minced onions in Instant Pot, and saute for 3 minutes.

saute onions in Instant Pot  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe

Then, add minced garlic, 1½ tsp (3g) ground cumin, ¼ tsp (0.4g) ground cloves, 2 bay leaves, and 2 tsp (1.3g) dried oregano in Instant Pot, and saute for another minute. 

saute spices in Instant Pot  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe

Step 3

Deglaze Instant Pot


Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

deglaze Instant Pot

Step 4

Pressure Cook Barbacoa Beef


Add 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce (optional), 2 tbsp (30ml) apple cider vinegar, and 2 – 3 chipotles with 2 tbsp adobo sauces in Instant Pot, then give it a quick mix.

*Spicy Tip: Adjust how many chipotles to use based on how spicy you want your barbacoa beef.

*Pro Tip: Use the wooden spoon to chop and smash the chipotles a bit (see below photo).

chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Then, place chuck roast into the cooking liquid.

barbacoa beef in Instant Pot  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe #beef

With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.

  • Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes, then 15 minutes Natural Release

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker High Pressure at 45 minutes  #AmyJacky #InstantPot

After 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position.

Remove the lid carefully.

Step 5

Season & Thicken Barbacoa Sauce


pressure cooker barbacoa  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe #beef

Place chuck roast steak in a large mixing bowl and shred the beef with 2 forks.

shred beef

While you’re shredding the beef, bring the barbacoa sauce mixture to a simmer with the “Saute More” function.

*Pro Tip: Allow the yummy sauce to reduce while you’re shredding the beef. 

*Pro Tip: If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender. This will also add some extra body to the sauce.

blend barbacoa sauce  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe

Then, add the shredded beef in Instant Pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt (roughly 1 – 2 pinches of salt).

instant pot barbacoa sauce  #AmyJacky #InstantPot #recipe

Step 6

Garnish & Serve Barbacoa Beef


Finally, place the piping hot Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa on the warmed corn tortillas with a spoonful of salsa (Pico De Gallo).

And finish it with a squeeze of fresh lime.

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This Barbacoa Beef is super versatile. You can serve it as tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, or serve it with rice, and more!

Enjoy this Flavor-bombing Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef!

4.98 from 39 votes

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

Author: Amy + Jacky
Super easy to make Mouth-Watering Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef (Mexican Barbacoa). Tender juicy shredded beef exploding with bold complex flavors, top with refreshing salsa wrapped in warm corn tortillas. Great for tasty tacos, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, and more!
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Servings 4 - 6
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

Marinade

Optional:

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Instructions 

  • Brown Chuck Roast Steak: Heat up Instant Pot using "Sauté More" function, then wait until it says "HOT".
    Pat dry the chuck roast steak, then season one side generously with salt and black pepper. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil in the inner pot, and ensure to coat the oil over the whole bottom of the pot.
    Place the seasoned side of chuck steak in Instant Pot. Generously season the other side with salt and black pepper. Brown one side for 5 minutes, then flip beef to brown the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove the browned chuck steak, and set aside.
  • Saute Onion and Garlic: Add minced onions in Instant Pot, and saute for 3 minutes. Add in minced garlic, 1½ tsp (3g) ground cumin, ¼ tsp (0.4g) ground cloves, 2 bay leaves, and 2 tsp (1.3g) dried oregano, then saute for another minute.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour in 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock, then deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom. Give it a quick mix.
  • Pressure Cook Barbacoa Beef: Add 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce (optional), 2 tbsp (30ml) apple cider vinegar, and 2 - 3 chipotles with 2 tbsp adobo sauces in Instant Pot, then give it a quick mix.
    *Spicy Tip: Adjust the amount of chipotles based on your spicy preference.
    *Pro Tip: Use the wooden spoon to smash the chipotles a bit.
    Place chuck roast in the cooking liquid.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes, then 15 minutes Natural Release. Remove the lid carefully.
  • Season & Thicken Barbacoa Sauce: Place chuck roast steak in a large mixing bowl and shred the meat with 2 forks.
    *Pro Tip: While you're shredding the meat, bring the barbacoa sauce mixture to a simmer with the "Saute More" function. Allow the sauce to reduce while you are shredding the beef.
    *Pro Tip: You can blend the sauce with an immersion blender for a smoother sauce with some extra body.
    Add the shredded beef in Instant Pot. Taste and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt (roughly 1 - 2 pinches of salt).
  • Garnish & Serve: Place the Beef Barbacoa on warm corn tortillas with a spoonful of salsa. Finish it with a squeeze of lime. Enjoy~

Notes

Chuck Roast: As always, try to find a chuck roast steak that's full of fat and beautiful marbling for the best results.
*Rate Recipe: If you've tried the recipe, don't forget to Rate the Recipe in the Comments Section. Thank you!
Calories: 394kcal
Course: Main
Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican
Keyword: barbacoa beef, barbacoa recipe, instant pot barbacoa, instant pot barbacoa beef, instant pot beef barbacoa, mexican barbacoa, pressure cooker barbacoa

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 703mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 781IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 5mg

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