Cinco de mayo is next week...NEXT week! When did it get to be almost May?! In any case, I have a delicious recipe ready for you. The hubby says "it's shreddalicious and you can crush it in some tacos"...🤣🤣🤣 you gotta love him. Plus he does speak the truth! Tender, juicy instant pot beef barbacoa perfect for tacos, nachos, burritos, you name it. Cooks up in the instant pot in just 1 hour.
How to get Perfectly Tender, Delicious Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa
First off, guajillo chiles. They're a necessity when it comes to barbacoa. Grab the dried version in the Hispanic aisle at the store and rehydrate them for about 30 minutes before using. Also, add some chipotle in adobo sauce for heat, and ancho chili powder for extra yums.
Secondly, sear those sides! Before letting the instant pot do it's thing, sear all the sides of each chunk of beef for extra flavor in your end result.
Finally, shred the cooked barbacoa on a sheet pan and broil it for a couple minutes to get a nice, crispy edge.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
Tacos. No brainer right? For some inspiration, swap it with the carnitas in this carnitas tacos recipe. Another *well obviously* idea? Nachos! Top these sheet pan nachos with a hearty helping for a not so vegetarian option. Also, throw the leftovers in an easy enchilada casserole. The possibilities are endless!
Scroll down for the juicy, tender instant pot beef barbacoa recipe!
Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Description
Tender, juicy beef barbacoa perfect for tacos, nachos, burritos, you name it. Cooks up in the instant pot in just 1 hour!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ white onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 guajillo chiles, rehydrated* and diced
- 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Turn a 6 quart instant pot on sauté and use the adjust button to turn it on high. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Pat beef chunks dry with a paper towel. Season all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding if necessary, add beef chunks to the instant pot. Sear all sides of each piece of beef until browned and no longer sticking to the surface of the instant pot (about 10 minutes total). Remove to a plate.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of the beef broth and and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar into the instant pot, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Adjust the sauté setting to medium.
- Add remaining olive oil to the instant pot. Stir in onion, guajillo chiles, and garlic, and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add all remaining ingredients, except the beef, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Turn instant pot off.
- Add beef chunks back to the instant pot. Make sure they are covered in as much liquid as possible.
- Using the manual setting, turn the instant pot on high for 60 minutes. Secure lid and turn vent to sealing. When the beef is done cooking, quick releasing the valve.*
- Place beef on a large baking sheet. Shred using two forks and spread into a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Broil for 3-4 minutes minutes, until beef edges are browned and crispy. Serve in taco form, on top of nachos, in a burrito, up to you!
Notes
To rehydrate guajillo chiles, place them in an oven safe bowl and pour boiling water over them until they're just barely covered. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove from bowl and pat dry with a paper towel. Now they're good to go!
Make sure to follow all directions from your instant pot! Double check ways to depressurize it: quick release and natural release. Avoid putting your face over the instant pot when removing the lid or turning the steam vent from seal to vent.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
Susan N. says
The whole family raved about this! I didn’t have a couple of the ingredients and it was STILL awesome! I currently don’t have a way to broil so I just sautéed the beef in a skillet with some of the juices when it was done to get some nice crispy bits. I made this for Mother’s Day dinner and it was so good we’re having it again, a week and a half later, despite the cost of meat right now. Thank you for the excellent recipe!
P.S. I rarely take the time to leave reviews but this was just SO GOOD!