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4.9 from 123 votes

Barbacoa Beef - Instant Pot

Spice up dinner in a fraction of the time with this Beef Barbacoa in the Instant Pot! Chipotle and cumin make this perfect for tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 280 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 2 pound chuck roast
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce minced (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 bay leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the roast into 4-6 large chunks, removing any large pieces of fat.
  2. Press saute on the Instant Pot and add the vegetable oil. Once it is hot, add half of the roast chunks.  Brown completely on each side. Remove to a plate and brown the second half of the meat. Remove from the Instant Pot.
  3. With the Instant Pot still on saute, add the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook an additional minute.  Pour in the broth, chipotle chiles, lime juice, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, cloves and bay leaves. Stir to combine, then add the roast back into the Instant Pot.
  4. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock. Select high pressure and 60 minutes.
  5. When the pot beeps, allow the pressure to manually release.  Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid and, using a set of tongs, remove the meat from the instant pot to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the beef.  Once shredded, return to the Instant Pot and stir to coat the meat in the leftover juices.
  6. Serve in tacos, burritos, bowls, or whatever your heart desires!

Notes

  • The meat will be very wet once you stir it back into the cooking liquid. If you don’t want this, you can skip the last step and just serve it after you have shredded it. I like to use tongs to remove the beef in the liquid to let any extra drip off, but I love the extra flavor and moisture the liquid brings.
  • adapted from Closet Cooking
  • SUBSTITUTIONS: For the beef, you want to avoid any cut that is too lean. The chuck roast is perfect, or beef short ribs would work as well.
  • FREEZE: The finished meat freezes very well! I like to cool it completely and then freeze it in gallon or quart sized freezer bags. Lay in the freezer flat to freeze, then the bags can easily be stacked. Unthaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • STORE: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/8 of recipe Calories 280kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 0g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 907mg (38%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 280

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/8 of recipe
Calories 280kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Trans Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 907mg 38%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.