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If you love rich, slow-cooked flavors but don’t have all day, this recipe is going to be a game changer. With the Instant Pot, you get tender, shredded beef infused with smoky chipotle, bright lime, and warm spices – all without the long wait. Whether you’re piling it onto nachos smothered in a homemade nacho cheese sauce or sneaking bites straight from the pot, this beef is super tasty.
I’ve tested this recipe over and over to get the flavors just right. The secret? A well-marbled chuck roast, chipotle peppers in adobo, and just the right balance of acidity and spice. It is very similar to my Instant Pot Shredded Beef that I use to make Cheesy Beef Enchiladas.
Table of Contents
- The Key Ingredients That Make a Difference
- Why This Instant Pot Barbacoa is Worth Trying
- 1. Cut the Roast
- 2. Sear the Beef
- 3. Sauté the Aromatics
- 4. Pressure Cook Until Tender
- 5. Reduce the Sauce
- 6. Shred the Meat
- Learn From Me: Tips for the Best Results
- How to Use This Flavor-Packed Beef
- Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Recipe
The Key Ingredients That Make a Difference
After some trial and error, I’ve found that a few specific ingredients truly make this dish stand out:
- Chuck Roast – The perfect cut for this recipe. The marbling and bone give you melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – A little goes a long way! They add smoky heat that’s essential to the depth of flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar & Lime Juice – These ingredients balance the richness of the beef, keeping every bite flavorful and bright.
- Whole Cloves – You might not see this in every barbacoa recipe, but trust me—it adds an underlying warmth that makes a big difference.
Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card below. The recipe card also allows you to easily scale the recipe, and ingredient amounts will automatically adjust.
Why This Instant Pot Barbacoa is Worth Trying
Traditional barbacoa is slow-cooked over an open fire or in an underground oven, developing deep, smoky flavors. While that method is incredible, the Instant Pot gives you similar results in a fraction of the time without sacrificing flavor. Once you try this, you won’t go back.
This recipe is as simple as sear, sauté, pressure cook, shred, reduce, and enjoy. Always refer to the recipe card below, but here’s the general process:
1. Cut the Roast
Make it easy on yourself and cut the roast into large chunks.
2. Sear the Beef
Brown the chuck roast pieces in the Instant Pot to lock in flavor.
3. Sauté the Aromatics
Cook the onions and scrape up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
4. Pressure Cook Until Tender
Add the remaining ingredients along with the seared roast pieces to the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for at least an hour.
5. Reduce the Sauce
Once the beef is fork-tender, remove the chunks and set them aside. Simmer the cooking liquid to thicken the sauce.
6. Shred the Meat
Using a couple of forks, shred the meat and remove any large pieces of fat. Add it back to the reduced cooking liquid.
Learn From Me: Tips for the Best Results
Over time, I’ve learned a few things that really take this dish to the next level:
- Searing is worth the extra step – Browning the meat first adds a depth of flavor that you don’t want to skip.
- Adjust the spice level – Love heat? Add an extra chipotle pepper. Prefer it mild? Reduce the amount or omit the red pepper flakes.
- Let the meat rest in the sauce – After shredding, let the beef sit in the thickened sauce for at least 5 minutes. It absorbs even more flavor!
How to Use This Flavor-Packed Beef
This beef is incredibly versatile, so don’t stop at just tacos. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:
- Classic Street Tacos – Load it into corn tortillas with diced onions and fresh cilantro.
- Burrito Bowls – Serve it over cilantro lime rice with black beans, avocado, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
- Crispy Quesadillas – Stuff it between tortillas with plenty of melty cheese and griddle until golden.
- Breakfast Hash – Mix it with crispy breakfast potatoes and a fried egg for an unforgettable brunch.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
Barbacoa beef can be made ahead of time. If not being used within a couple of days, freeze the cooked shredded beef in it’s sauce in an airtight container for a future date.
To reheat, just thaw in the refrigerator and heat in a pot on on a baking sheet under the broiler.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or other high heat oil
- 2.5 pound beef chuck roast bone in recommended, size can range from 2-3 pounds
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup lime juice 2-3 limes needed
- 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano Mexican, if available
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves whole cloves recommended but ground will work
- 1/2 cup beef broth or substitute with water
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Sear the meat: Cut the 2.5 pound beef chuck roast into chunks that are no larger than 4 inches wide. Heat the Instant Pot on Sauté mode with the 1 tablespoon avocado oil. When the oil is extremely hot, place pieces of the roast in the pot allowing room in between each piece of meat (you may have to brown the meat in batches to avoid over crowding). Allow the meat to sear to a nice brown by cooking for about 5 minutes per side, flipping only once. Transfer browned meat to a separate plate and continue untiil all the meat is browned.
- Sauté onion: With the meat removed but the Instant Pot still set to saute mode, add the diced 1 small yellow onion. Stir a few times while scraping the bottom of the pot to release any meat that stuck to the bottom. Allow onions to brown slightly.
- Pressure cook: Add the remaining barbacoa ingredients to the Instant Pot, along with the browned pieces of roast and any juices that may have accumulated on the plate. Stir to combine. Close lid with pressure valve seated correctly. Set to high pressure for 60 minutes.2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried cumin, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves, 1/2 cup beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt
- Shred meat and reduce liquid: When the Barbacoa beef is done cooking, allow the pressure to naturally release. Then remove the meat from the pressure cooker and transfer it from a cutting board. Set the Instant Pot back to saute mode and allow the liquid to cook with the lid off so that the sauce reduces and thickens. This may take 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard any fat and bone. Add the shredded beef back to the pot with the sauce, stir, and turn the Instant Pot off.
Notes
- Chose the right cut of meat. I recommend finding a roast that has a fair amount of marbled fat as well as bone. I think a chuck roast is the perfect choice when making chipotle barbacoa because it cooks up so incredibly tender and is easy to shred.
- Good barbacoa requires excellent seasoning. Although there are a lot of ingredients, each one plays it’s roll in creating a very unique flavor. I don’t recommend any substitutions, but you can certainly increase or decrease the amount of chipotle pepper depending on how spicy you like it.
- Make ahead and freezing instructions – Barbacoa beef can be made ahead of time. If not being used within a couple of days, freeze the cooked shredded beef in it’s sauce in an airtight container for a future date. To reheat, just thaw in the refrigerator and heat in a pot on on a baking sheet under the broiler.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
