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!
I can never say no to a good taco, especially when this Beef Barbacoa is involved! Some other great taco fillings are this Pork Carnitas or this Chipotle Shredded Beef.
I could eat Mexican food 3 nights a week and not get sick of it. I really do think that tacos are my love language.
So give me a tender, spice-filled beef that is easy enough to make on a weeknight, and I’m sold!
This does take longer than 30 minutes, but by using the Instant Pot, you get a tender meat in 2 hours instead of 10. And most of that time is totally hands off.
I also love that it really can be used for so many different things. Although I’ll almost always choose tacos!
What is Beef Barbacoa?
Typically, barbacoa is beef that has been slow cooked with chipotle in adobo and other spices. While the beef is usually slow cooked until it is super tender, in this version, we cut out some of that time and effort by using the Instant Pot. That way you get long cooked results in only a portion of the time!
The ingredients will vary region to region. This instant pot beef barbacoa may not be authentic barbacoa, but it is an easy way for the home cook to make it for dinner!
Ingredients
Here is what I put in my version!
Chuck Roast: Chuck roast is my favorite to use for this recipe. It has a good amount of marbling, which gives you tender beef once it is finished cooking. You could also use beef spare ribs, but I always go for the chuck roast.
Oil: You’ll use this to brown your beef. I use vegetable, but olive oil or another oil of your choice should work.
Onion & Garlic: These are for flavor – don’t skip them!
Cumin & Oregano: There aren’t a lot of seasonings in this recipe, but these both give the meat good flavor.
Broth: I use beef broth. You could also use stock, but I don’t think that’s necessary for this recipe. You don’t want to skip this, though, because the Instant Pot needs the liquid to be able to come to pressure correctly.
Chipotle Chiles: You can buy Chipotle Peppers in Adobo at most grocery stores these days. They come in a small tin. They are smoked jalapeno peppers covered in a rich adobo sauce. I like to remove the seeds because it can get too hot for my kids, but if you like the heat, you can keep the seeds in. You can add more chiles for more heat, as well.
Lime Juice: This is to brighten everything up!
Apple Cider Vinegar: This is to bring a little bit of acidity into the meat. It only takes a little bit – if you don’t like the vinegar, you could totally leave this out, as well.
Salt & Pepper: You always want to make sure it is seasoned well.
Cloves & Bay Leaves: These are for even more flavor! You only need a tiny amount of cloves to make an impact.
How to Make Beef Barbacoa
This barbacoa recipe is super simple!
- Start by browning the beef in chunks. This will give the final dish more flavor and texture.
- Cook the onion and garlic until they are soft, then add in the rest of your ingredients. Add the beef back into the Instant Pot.
- Lock the lid, then cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Allow the pot to naturally release.
- Once cooked, remove the beef from the Instant Pot with tongs, then shred the meat with two forks. Return the shredded beef to the Instant Pot to allow it to soak up some of that liquid in the pot.
Now it’s ready to be served! Here are some ways I like to use it:
- In tacos with some red onion, cilantro and lime juice.
- Use it in burritos.
- It makes a great filling for enchiladas.
- Make a burrito bowl with the beef, rice, cheese, and veggies.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
Chicken Chimichanga Recipe
Beef Enchilada Casserole
White Chicken Enchiladas
Smothered Chicken Burritos
Tres Leches Cake
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Barbacoa Beef – Instant Pot
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
- Cut the roast into 4-6 large chunks, removing any large pieces of fat.
- 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.
- 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.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock. Select high pressure and 60 minutes.
- 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.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, bowls, or whatever your heart desires!
Ann Baker says
Only my second time using my new Instant Pot and this was AHHHHHMAZING! Better than the Barbacoa I’ve done in my slow cooker, actually (and I’m a huge alow cooker fan). Great flavors and melt in your mouth tender. The whole family loved!
Kimby Benavides says
Barbaco is cow tongue… Not just any beef meat… I usually leavinsantin the oven for over 6 hours .. And about to try it in the instantpot…
Alejandro says
I´m planning on making barbacoa on the IP soon, but want to share the perfect garnish for it: Finely chopped cilantro and red onions, lime juice, some finely sliced cabbage and radish and a hot red salsa made with chile de árbol, garlic, some green tomatoes and onions.
Deborah says
That sounds absolutely perfect!
Nancy says
I came across your recipe while looking for barbacoa to make in the instant pot, and selected it because the ingredients weren’t too extensive…all I can say is WOW it did not disappoint. The meat was SO tender I could barely pick it up with my fork. It paired so nicely with some cilantro lime rice and corn salsa…and satisfied my chipotle craving for the week. This will now be a staple in my recipe rotation. I don’t typically leave recipe reviews but I felt I had to because it was just THAT good. I followed the recipe exactly and would not change a thing aside from doubling or tripling it next time, so I have more leftover…
Rodney Crouse says
This recipe was super easy in my Instant Pot and was absolutely delightful!
Yusuf says
Can you use the same recipe but with lamb roast instead?
Anna La Mexicana says
Barbacoa is just steamed beef and the only ingredients are beef, salt, and bay leaf. If you’re going to educate, please state where barbacoa is made this way and or how you’re upping the recipe, but the original recipe is plain.
Sean John P says
I love this recipe, thanks for the great share.
Vicky S says
If I’m only making one pound of meat in the instant pot, do I need to change the cooking time? I made barbacoa with chuck roast with a different recipe and the meat was dry somehow! Trying to avoid that this time…
Samantha M. says
My husband is from Mexico and he said the best barbacoa he’s ever had was from there. Now he is saying this recipe is now the best he’s ever had! It’s very easy to make and delicious!
Jules says
My first time cooking it and it has a lot of flavor. My husband like Mexican food so I’m always looking for easy and fast recipes and this is one of them. Thank you for sharing
Erica says
This recipe was delicious and easy! My roast ended up being around 1.5 lbs so I set my timer for 50 minutes (instead of 60) and did a 15-minutes release (instead of natural). The meat was so tender! It was like I had left it in the slow cooker all day. Will be my go-to barbacoa recipe for sure!
Karl says
My buddy Marcus sent me this recipe. I made it once for the fiancee and we both loved it! Making again to share with the family tonight for GOT and Mother’s Day, and I’m sure it will be a hit. I like to add some of the adobo sauce (and a couple more peppers) but other than that it needs no changes. Best barbacoa ever! Thank you for sharing!
Nicole says
Best thing I have ever made in my Instant Pot! My husband and I loved this. It was perfect amount of spice and flavor. (Although it was too spicy for my kiddo but she’s picky anyway!) Thank you for sharing!
Nick says
This is a great recipe! I made it exactly as described and it turned out perfect. To top it off, I made a homemade pico de gallo and diced avocado. Mmmmmm!
Deborah says
The pico and avocado are a perfect addition – so glad you liked the recipe!
Nick says
I have a chuck roast that’s 3.5 lbs. Would this change anything in the recipe?
Deborah says
I would probably increase the rest of the ingredients by 50%. And the cook time will depend on how thick the roast is. Usually a bigger chuck roast is just longer instead of thicker, so the cook time should stay the same. But if it is thicker than most, you might need to add on a bit more cook time.
Jaxx California says
Of the dozen or so IP recipies ive made in the past 2 months this is by far my entire familes favorite. So amazing. The flavors are incredible for only an hour cook. Already passed this one on to all my IP frienda.
I used 2.5 pound chuck that i trimmed all the big fat off and it came out amazing. No time adjustments. Also, i added about a tablespoon of the adobo paste from the can to the cooking liquid.
Thank you!
Deborah says
I’m so happy you have loved it!!!