Description
This Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef recipe is a flavorful and tender Mexican-inspired dish, perfect for tacos, burritos, or as a hearty main course. Using the Instant Pot speeds up the cooking process while infusing the beef with smoky chipotle, aromatic spices, and tangy citrus, resulting in melt-in-your-mouth meat with a rich, spicy sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Beef 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
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/4 cup lime juice (3-4 limes)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 ounce lager beer (1/2 bottle, or 3/4 cup beef broth)
- 1 tablespoon cumin (ground)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves (ground)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Sear the Beef: Heat the olive oil in your Instant Pot using the sauté setting. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes on each side, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding, until browned on all sides for maximum flavor.
- Prepare the Sauce: Add the chopped onion, garlic, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager beer, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture becomes a smooth sauce, blending all the flavors together evenly.
- Cook under Pressure: Pour the blended sauce over the seared beef cubes in the Instant Pot. Add the bay leaves and stir gently to ensure the beef is thoroughly coated. Secure the Instant Pot lid and set it to cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Once the cooking cycle completes, quickly release the pressure following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Shred and Serve: Remove and discard the bay leaves. Take the cooked beef out of the pot, shred it finely using two forks, then return the shredded beef to the sauce in the pot. Stir well to combine and allow it to sit for 10 minutes so the flavors meld together before serving.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, add more chipotle peppers or include some of the adobo sauce from the can.
- If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the number of chipotle peppers or omit the cloves.
- Using lager beer contributes depth to the sauce, but beef broth can be substituted if preferred.
- Shredded barbacoa is excellent for tacos, burritos, bowls, or even as a topping for nachos.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
