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!
Ryan says
So good! Thanks for sharing!
Susan says
can this be done in the crockpot for how long high or low
anything different with steps?
Deborah says
Hi Susan – I haven’t tried making this in the crockpot, but I would think it would work. I like to cook a chuck roast in the crockpot on low for 7-8 hours. The rest of the instructions should be the same.
Jenn says
I’ve made this recipe many times for my family and for company. It’s always well-received. The adults like it in rice bowls and the kids like to use it to make burritos.
Theresa says
This was SO delicious! My husband said he would be happy if he could eat this every night forever. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan McCready says
This is so flavorful and a great thing to make for a crowd. I have made it several times now and it gets better every time. Served last weekend with cilantro lime rice, homemade pico de gallo and guacamole, and queso. Rave reviews and a new family favorite.
Brandie says
Sooo good!!! Just the right amount of spice and I can always appreciate a dinner that’s easy to make! Thanks for sharing…. Adding it the the regular menu.
Brandie k says
My sister in law made these for dinner the other night and they were delicious! I had to ask for the recipe per my husbands request. They are in my instant pot as we speak. My house smells amazing. Nothing better than an easy instant pot recipe that tastes like it took all day.
Kim says
I can honestly say I will be making this recipe for the rest of my life! It’s easy enough to make to enjoy as a casual meal, but is so DELICIOUS you’ll want to serve it to company. It’s that special. I wrote the recipe down on a recipe card because I am terrified someday I won’t be able to find it online. THANK YOU ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rufus says
I feel in love with barbacoa in Mexico, so when I got my InstantPot, I decided to try your recipe, I was very disappointed by the results. Using canned chipotle chiles and apple cider vinegar resulted in vinegar-flavoured meat. When you leave out the arbol and guajillo chiles, which are essential in most traditional barbacoa recipes, the results were bland to say the least. Reminded me of what I dislike most about store-bought salsas outside of Mexico – they taste mostly of vinegar. Why do we feel the need to dumb-down or change classic Mexican recipes? It’s a lot easier to get the required ingredients than in the past. I would suggest making this dish without it, and lowering the cooking time, which also resulted I believe in quite a bland flavour (and is more than twice as long as similar meat IP recipes I’ve tried for similar amounts of meat) .I also doubled the recommended amount of chipotle chiles and could barely detect any spice, another great disappointment.
Katie K says
This is one of my go-to favorite recipes!! I have shared it with many friends and family members who have all loved it just as much as me. It has so much flavor and is very easy. Staple in our household! I do only add 1-2 chipotle chiles since some members of my family are not spicy fans, but besides that I keep everything else the same.
Becca says
This recipe is a keeper for life! I followed the recipe for the shredded beef exactly and it turned out so full of flavor and the perfect amount of spice. I used 3 adobo Chile peppers but we could of used up to 4 like the recipe said in order to make it a little spicier, but really depends on how spicy of a mood I’m in. I made a Mexican cole slaw and topped with a few bites of avocado and cotija cheese in corn tortillas. My son and I really loved this recipe and I am excited to make it for others! Thank you!!
Elle Shell says
Hi everyone. I cooked Barbacoa for the first time and I used my IP. Followed directions. I added a little liquid smoke and a little brown sugar. Yummers! Also the only cut of meat I had available was a pork sirloin roast, so i used that. I think if i had shortened the time the pork maybe, maaybee have been a little juicier. Next time I’m going to use the cut of meat you have in your recipe. And maybe a scouch more apple cider vinegar. But all in all it was terrific. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Victoria Cook says
I made this recipe last night for a gathering with friends. It was a HUGE hit. So flavorful! This will be a staple rotation in my Mexican cuisine. I added 4 or 5 of the peppers so it had a bit more zing, but even the kids ate it. Thanks for the terrific recipe!
Maria Santiago says
This recipe is ahhhhmazing!!!! Just tried it tonight and my whole family devoured the whole thing! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It’s definitely a keeper!
Julie S says
FABULOUS!!!
Sarah A says
This was so easy and tasty. Thanks for the great recipe!