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This Instant Pot Shredded Beef is loaded with Mexican herbs, spices, and chiles. It falls apart, is super juicy, and tastes like it has been cooking all day but is ready in under 2 hours thanks to the pressure cooker. Great for tacos, bowls, or salads!
One of my go to dinners is a taco bowl. Don’t get me wrong, I love tacos. But at home I love to make a bowl loaded with rice, veggies, cheese, and my favorite jalapeño crema of course. What is your favorite way to eat a taco?
I typically mix up the protein that I serve on top. But lately I have been obsessed with making this Mexican shredded beef (kind of like barbacoa) in my Instant Pot.
It is so easy to make and super tender. It is also perfect for meal prepping on Sunday and eating for lunch throughout the week. Hope you enjoy!! xx
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Highlights
- Full of Mexican spices
- Tender & juicy
- Great for meal prep
- Easy to make
- Versatile
- Kid friendly
- Use it for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, bowls, & more
Ingredient Notes
- Chuck Roast: This is the best cut of meat to use for Instant Pot shredded beef is a chuck roast, round roast, or bottom roast. These cuts may also be labeled “stew meat” at the grocery store. Cut the roast into 3 equal pieces before cooking.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: These normally come in a 7 ounce can. Remove 3-4 the peppers and roughly chop. Discard or store the remaining peppers in the refrigerator. Set the sauce aside and add all of it when the recipe states.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
Helpful Equipment & Tools
- Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker 8 Quart: Large capacity pressure cooker with multiple modes
- OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Slotted Spoon: Great for scraping the pot and removing food from the cooking juice.
- Bear Claws Meat Shredder for BBQ: Great for those who barbecue or shred meat frequently.
Instructions
Overview
- Brown the beef.
- Add the aromatics and dried spices.
- Deglaze the pot and add the liquids.
- Pressure to cook on high.
- Shred the beef and enjoy!
Step by Step
Step 1: Select the “Sauté” mode on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the meat on each side.
Step 2: Add the onions, garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, paprika, pepper, and chili powder. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
TIP - Sear the meat long enough so that it can develop some color.
Step 3: Deglaze the pan with the beef stock, scraping any brown bits of the bottom of the pot.
Step 4: Add the vinegar, honey, worcestershire chipotle peppers, chilies, and lime juice.
Step 5: Select “Pressure Cook” and “High Pressure” and set the timer for 70 minutes. Quick release immediately after the timer goes off.
Step 6: Remove the beef and onions from the pot. Use a measuring cup or ladle to pour some of the drippings over the meat. Use two forks to shred the beef. Add more drippings as needed.
TIP - Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions.
TIP - All of the flavor is in the drippings so be sure to reserve some for serving.
How to Serve
- Use the beef as a taco filling.
- Make copycat chipotle rice bowls at home with this as the protein.
- Load nachos or quesadillas up with this Instant Pot shredded beef for the perfect game day appetizer.
- Keep things lighter or low carb and use this beef as the star of a taco salad.
- However you serve this shredded beef, be sure to try out this jalapeño crema on top.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I recommend pouring extra pan drippings over the meat before storing. This helps keep it moist. It reheats great, covered in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven at 250-300 degrees.
- Freezer: After the meat has completely cooled in the refrigerator, portion as much or as little as desired into airtight bags or containers. Store in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven covered at 325. Stir occasionally with all methods.
Expert Tips
- Use a pressure cooker. The pressure cooker is perfect for this kind of shredded beef because it is able to tenderize the meat much quicker than other cooking methods.
- Sear the beef. Browning the meat develops flavor. Do not skip this step! You want some brown bits to form in the bottom of the pan as well.
- Shred with two fork or bear claws. These are the easiest ways to shred the beef. It should fall apart easily.
- Serve with drippings. All of the flavor is in the cooking liquid so be sure to serve the meat it and also store the meat with extra drippings.
Recipe Notes
- The meat is not spicy. Despite the chipotles, green chiles, and dry spices, the beef is not meant to be very spicy. These just add flavor. See variations below for hot to make this recipe spicier.
- This Instant Pot shredded beef is great for meal prep. You can prepare all of the accompaniment like rice, salsa, lettuce, etc. ahead of time as well. Then during the week, you just need to warm it all up!
Variations
- Make it spicy. You can add cayenne pepper and more chipotle peppers to amp up the spice level. Depending on how hot you want it, add ½ - 1 teaspoon of cayenne.
FAQs
I recommend using chuck roast or rump roast.
Yes. It is able to make tough cuts of meat extremely tender quickly through the use of high pressure.
The only way to accomplish this is to use a pressure cooker. Traditionally cooking methods take hours to tenderize tough cuts of beef.
Of course. You can overcook anything. However, cuts of beef like chuck roast are much harder to overcook because they become more tender when cooked for longer periods of time.
Related Recipes
Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast, cut into 3 pieces*
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ cup beef stock
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons worcestershire
- 3-4 chipotle peppers, chopped, plus adobo sauce*
- 1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions:
- Review all recipe notes and instructions before beginning.
- Select the “Sauté” mode on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, brown the meat on each side.
- Add the onions, garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, paprika, pepper, and chili powder. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the beef stock, scraping any brown bits of the bottom of the pot.
- Add the vinegar, honey, worcestershire chipotle peppers, chilies, and lime juice.
- Select “Pressure Cook” and “High Pressure” and set the timer for 70 minutes. Quick release immediately after the timer goes off.
- Remove the beef and onions from the pot. Use a measuring cup or ladle to pour some of the drippings over the meat. Use two forks to shred the beef. Add more drippings as needed.
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