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This Instant Pot Barbacoa is one of those meals that feels like you worked all day, but in reality, the pressure cooker did the heavy lifting. Tender, shredded beef simmers in a bold, smoky sauce and comes out rich, juicy, and full of flavor in a fraction of the time. Perfect for tacos, rice bowls, burritos and more.
Looking for more flavorful Instant Pot Mexican-inspired recipes to enjoy? Don't miss my recipes for Instant Pot Carnitas, Instant Pot Steak Fajitas, and Instant Pot Spanish Rice.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Barbacoa
To replicate the rich, nuanced flavor of classic barbacoa meat without specialty ingredients OR an underground oven, these are the tips that matter.
- Cut the beef into chunks before pressure cooking. The smaller pieces cook faster, more evenly, and absorb more of that bold sauce. This translates into insane flavor in record time.
- Blend the barbacoa sauce. That allows the flavor to meld together and the sauce coat (and flavor) the beef.
- Natural pressure release is key for tender beef. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10-15 minutes after cooking. Quick-releasing too soon can make the meat tighten up instead of staying fall-apart tender.
- Finishing with lime juice is the difference between good and great. It sounds simple, but that squeeze of lime at the end brightens everything and balances the richness.
5-Star Reader Review
This is absolutely delicious! I had 1lb chuck roast left in freezer - there are only two of us. Made half the sauce. It was perfection. Fabulous flavor for tacos. Enough leftover to add to tonight's veggie rice bowl (husband will smile with addition.) Thanks for another great recipe Kristen. You are my go-to for all things Instant Pot. -Kris
Notes on Ingredients
- Chuck Roast: The marbling melts down during cooking, giving you tender, flavorful beef without extra effort.
- Cooking Liquid: A mix of beef broth and a pale beer (like Corona) adds depth. If beer isn't your thing, use all beef broth.
- Green Chiles: Select mild canned diced green chiles to control the overall heat.
- Onion + Garlic: For depth. Opt for a yellow or white onion over a red onion for the best results.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is my go-to to bring acidity and brightness to the sauce, but white vinegar will work in a pinch.
- Spices: Salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, cloves, and bay leaves.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: Smoky, slightly spicy, and key for that signature flavor. Freeze leftovers in an ice cube tray to prevent wasting the remainder of the can. Once frozen solid, pop into freezer-safe bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Each cube is about 1 tablespoon and can be used as desired.
- Lime: For finishing the dish.
How to Make Instant Pot Barbacoa
Whether you are just learning how to use your Instant Pot or are a seasoned pro, the following steps will walk you through how to achieve tender beef with an incredibly flavored barbacoa sauce.
Step One: Prepare Barbacoa Sauce
Add a bit of beef broth, chipotle peppers, green chiles, garlic, onion, and spices to a blender or a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend or process until smooth.
Step Two: Sear Beef
Heat a bit of oil using the sauté function. Once heated, add the beef and sear 2-3 minutes per side until browned and easily release from the inner pot. Work in batches if needed to allow the beef to caramelize, rather than steam.
Once browned, remove the beef from the inner pot and pace it on a plate.
Step Three: Delglaze the Inner Pot
Pour the beer (or beef broth) into the inner pot, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will help to prevent a burn notice from occurring.
Step Four: Layer Ingredients
Add the seared beef back to the inner pot, along with the dried bay leaves. Pour the blended barbacoa sauce on top of the beef.
Step Five: Pressure Cook with Natural Pressure Release
Using the manual or pressure cook button, set to cook on High Pressure for 60 minutes. After the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
Step Six: Shred Beef
Once the beef has been pressure cooked, open the lid, remove the bay leaf, and shred the beef with two forks. It should fall apart with ease.
Once shredded, stir in the juice of a lime and serve as desired.
Serving Suggestions
Whether served as the filling for tacos, used to make burrito bowls, or as the filling for enchiladas, Instant Pot Barbacoa is a starting point for a delicious meal (and is a crowd-favorite on a Cinco de Mayo menu). Below are a few of my favorite ways to serve it.
- Make a Burrito Bowl: Serve the beef over Instant Pot cilantro lime rice for a copycat Chipotle meal at home.
- Make Tacos: Drain off the cooking liquid and use the shredded meat to top tortillas or serve in hard taco shells. Top with shredded cabbage or diced avocado if desired.
- Make Enchiladas: Replace the shredded chicken with this shredded Beef Barbacoa for the filling for delicious enchiladas.
Recipe Modifications
- Using a 3-quart Instant Pot? Cut the ingredients in half, but leave the cooking time the same.
- Keep it Gluten-Free: Replace the beer with beef broth.
- Short on time? Skip searing and add 5 extra minutes to cook time. Still delicious, just slightly less depth.
- Frozen Chuck Roast? Skip searing, and cook for 90 minutes on high pressure. If you you are working with a whole chuck roast, cook for 60 minutes per pound.
More Favorite Instant Pot Beef Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
Video
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 4 ounces chopped green chiles
- 1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano, Mexican oregano if you have it
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
For the Barbacoa
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- ½ tablespoon oil
- ½ cup light lager beer, or additional beef broth
- 2 dried bay leaves
- prepared barbacoa sauce
- 1 medium lime
Instructions
- Add ¾ cup low-sodium beef broth, 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, green chiles, onion, garlic, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves to a blender or food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend or process until the onion and garlic are fully broken down.
- Turn the Instant Pot sauté, add ½ tablespoon oil, and let heat for 2-3 minutes. While the oil is heating, cut the chuck roast into 3-4 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned beef and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Once the meat is browned, turn the Instant Pot OFF and remove the beef to a plate.
- Add ½ cup light lager beer (or additional beef broth) to the inner pot, and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. Add the meat back into the inner pot and pour the blended sauce over the meat. Add in 2 dried bay leaves.
- Place the lid on the inner pot and be sure the vent knob is sealed. Using the manual or pressure cook button, set to cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.
- Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes.
- Open the instant pot and remove the bay leaves. Shred the beef using 2 forks right in the inner pot, or remove and shred in a large bowl if that is easier for you.
- Stir the lime juice into the beef and serve as desired. Note on Serving: If using the beef as a filling for tacos, I recommend draining the shredded meat over a fine mesh strainer so that your tacos don't get soggy. If serving over rice or in burrito bowls, use the sauce to flavor the rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you use the beef stock instead of the beer, use 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of the full teaspoon. Otherwise you may find it too salty! I love this. Perfect filling for tacos! So if it's not true "barbacoa" that's fine with me. We can call it barbacoa spiced rump roast and not go there.
This is absolutely delicious! I had 1# chuck roast left in freezer - there are only two of us. Made half the sauce. It was perfection. Fabulous flavor for tacos. Enough leftover to add to tonight's veggie rice bowl (husband will smile with addition.) Thanks for another great recipe Kristen. You are my go-to for all things Instant Pot. FYI, shared this recipe with two friends new to IP.
I am so glad you enjoyed Kris and thanks for passing along the recipe!
Although I’m sure this is tasty, this is NOT barbacoa by any stretch of the imagination. Real barbacoa is beef cheek meat. It is made by wrapping a whole beef head in burlap and the ton foil, and then placed in a deep pit in the ground on a grill (lowered in to the pit with rope) over low burning coals, and then covered with a large piece of sheet metal. Sand or dirt is then placed over the cover and then burning coals are placed on top of the sand/dirt. The meat slow cooks over the coals (usually over night). When done, the beef head is brought back up and the extremely tender meat is shredded, with the cheek meat usually separated, as it is the most desired. The brains, tongue, and eyes (yes, the eyes) are also consumed, although I’ve never been brave enough to eat the eyes. As we had a working ranch when I was young, this was a delicacy my father would make when we would slaughter a steer for our personal consumption. How I miss those days of my father making a “cabeza” for Sunday breakfast. Although you can easily find barbacoa in Southwest Texas, true pit barbacoa is hard to come by these days. If you’re ever in the area, do yourself a favor and try the real thing. I know it may put some people off, but believe me, it is delicious!
Love how easy this recipe is.
The soft yet flavorful meat that comes out of the pot when it's done is just heavenly!
I agree, the meat is so tender!
Hello, I intend to make this stew but I am not calling it Barbacoa. Barbacoa is beef or etc cheek meat it where the cook seasons a cow or bulls head and cooks it till the meat falls off. Now, I am going to cook this beef dish but I not going to call it Barbacoa cause I don't want my co workers talking about me in Spanish.
Whatever you call it, I hope you enjoy it!
Interested in trying this but cannot do chipotle... can it be left out?
Hi Debbie! The chipotle adds a lot of flavor, but my guess is that it would still be delicious omitting them!