Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Recipe
A flavorful Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef recipe featuring tender, slow-cooked chuck roast infused with a smoky, spicy chipotle-adobo sauce, perfect for tacos, burritos, and more. This easy pressure cooker method ensures juicy, shreddable beef in just over an hour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Seasoning
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast (cut into 2” cubes)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
Sauce and Flavorings
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice (3–4 limes)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 ounce lager beer (1/2 bottle) or 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Sear the beef: Heat olive oil in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Sear the beef in batches for 1-2 minutes per side until browned on all sides to develop flavor.
- Prepare the sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine chopped onion, garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager beer (or beef broth), ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cloves, and brown sugar. Blend until smooth and well combined.
- Pressure cook the beef: Pour the blended sauce over the seared beef in the Instant Pot. Add bay leaves and stir to coat the beef evenly. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. When done, perform a quick pressure release according to your Instant Pot’s instructions.
- Shred and combine: Remove and discard bay leaves. Take out the beef and shred finely using two forks. Return shredded beef to the sauce in the pot, stir well to combine, and let it sit for 10 minutes to meld flavors before serving.
Notes
- For extra heat, add more chipotle peppers or include some adobo sauce from the can.
- To reduce spiciness, use fewer chipotle peppers or omit the ground cloves.
- Lager beer adds depth, but you can substitute with beef broth if preferred.
- Shredded barbacoa is great for tacos, burritos, bowls, or as nacho topping.
- Leftovers keep well in refrigerator up to 4 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Keywords: Barbacoa, Instant Pot, Beef, Mexican, Chipotle, Pressure Cooker, Shredded Beef, Taco Meat
Find it online: https://busyrecipe.com/instant-pot-barbacoa-beef-recipe/