Easy Beef Barbacoa (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker)

Learn how to make the most melt-in-your-mouth tender, incredibly juicy seasoned beef. Whether you make it in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker, you will love this versatile recipe!

*1/13/2025: The post was updated to clean up the verbiage, plus add slow cooker instructions below.

The Best Chuck Roast Beef Barbacoa

Barbacoa has been around for many, many years. I’m pretty sure if you’ve ever eaten at a Mexican restaurant, you’ve either had it or seen it on the menu. It’s such an easy dish with an incredible depth of flavor.

Let me show you how easy it is to prepare simple ingredients, throw them in a pot, add some classic spices, and let it cook until you get THE MOST tender, fall-apart flavorful beef!

What I love about this recipe, maybe more than the flavor, is how versatile the meat is! From tacos to burritos, nachos to rice bowls, you are covered! This is one of my favorite meal prep meats .1 And don’t get me started on a beef barbacoa wood-fired pizza!

I shared my Chicken Barbacoa pressure cooker recipe, and you guys went nuts over it. I’m not sure which you loved more, the flavors or the fact that it only took 10 minutes. LOL, but you loved it, which matters to me.

Beef Chuck Roast Barbacoa Ingredients

This recipe uses pretty standard pantry and grocery ingredients.

• Chuck Roast
• Liquid – olive oil, stock, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar
• Veggies – garlic, chipotle peppers, green chiles
• Assorted Spices
• Sugar
• Tomato Paste

What is Barbacoa?

In a nutshell, it’s heavily seasoned meat made from various cuts of beef, goat, lamb, or chicken, depending on the region of Mexico you’re in.

It’s a Mexican barbecue made with spices, various peppers (though it’s not spicy), and liquid. Traditionally, it is cooked in a pit with coals or on a live fire. It’s so incredibly flavorful and comforting.

Making Beef Barbacoa in the Instant Pot

This recipe is so easy to make and one that you’ll put on repeat! I easily make it once a month!

1. Blend the liquids with the veggies and seasonings; set aside.
2. Sear the beef on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot, add some liquid, and scrape up the bottom bits. Add the beef back in, pour it into the blender liquid, and pressure cook for 65 minutes on high. Let it perform a natural release.
3. Carefully remove the lid, remove the meat, shred it, and return it to the liquid with the cilantro for 15 minutes.
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef and serve.

How to Serve Beef Barbacoa

Gosh, I’ve used this meat in so many different ways.

• Sandwiches
• Tacos, burritos, enchiladas
• Rice or veggie buddha bowls
• Pizza topping
• Nacho topping
• Salads

What Cut of Beef To Use for Barbacoa

Whether in the Instant Pot, the Slow Cooker, or a ground pit, you want leaner, tougher cuts of beef like chuck roast or beef cheeks. Less fat is key to cooking this dish.

These tougher cuts of meat contain a high amount of collagen as they cook. As they break down, the collagen forms gelatin, which ultimately tenderizes the meat.

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

There are days when you want to pop something in the slow cooker in the morning and let the smell of it cooking all day fill up your house. I get it! This is one AMAZING recipe for that!

1. To a heavy-bottomed pot, add the oil and sear the meat on all sides.
2. Transfer the meat and juices to the bottom of a slow cooker. To the pan you seared the meat in, add about 1/4 cup of water, turn the heat on high, and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the bits and liquid to the crockpot.
3. Next, add the bay leaves, green chilies, and the liquid from the blender.  Cover and cook on low for ~8-9 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker, shred and add it back to the cooker. Add the cilantro, stir, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes.  
4. Scoop the beef and serve, or use a slotted spoon to place it in a lidded container. *pop the beef under a broiler before serving to get some charred ends. Broil for 1-3 minutes.
5. The liquid can be discarded or, after straining the fat out, frozen for later use. It’s great as a liquid for dirty rice, pasta dishes, and quinoa.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to hit the market and pick up the ingredients to make this. It’s the Stanley Cup Finals (GO PENS!!!), and I want to make sure I have all of my food ready for the game!

Beef Barbacoa (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker) Recipe

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Learn how to make the most melt-in-your-mouth tender, incredibly juicy seasoned beef. Whether you make it in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker, you will love this versatile recipe!

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 65
• Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
• Yield: ~3 pounds of meat
• Category: Beef, Mexican
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: Beef, Mexican

Ingredients

• 4lbs chuck roast
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 chipotle peppers
• 1–2 teaspoon adobo sauce (more means it’s hotter)
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 cups beef stock stock (or water); divided
• 3–4 tablespoons chopped cilantro plus additional for garnish
• 1 4-ounce can, of chopped green chilies
• 3 bay leaves

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Instructions

1. In a blender, combine the vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, pepper, salt, lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, sugar, and 1 cup of stock. Blend to combine.
2. Add the oil to your Instant Pot and turn on the brown/sautee feature. Once the oil is hot, add the beef (if it doesn’t completely lie flat, cut it up into pieces and add the pieces in intervals). Sear all of the sides until it forms a nice brown crust. Remove from the pot and set aside.
3. Next, add the 1/4 cup of stock and scrape up the bottom bits. Return the meat to the pot, and add the bay leaves, green chilies, and the liquid from the blender. Lock the lid and set the timer for 65 minutes on high. When the timer is done, shut the pressure cooker off and let it perform a natural release.
4. Once the pressure is released (~10-15 minutes), using tongs, remove the beef pieces, placing them either into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or on a plate. If using the mixer, turn it on and mix just until the beef is shredded (leave some chunks). If doing it by hand, use two forks and shred the beef. Remember you want some bigger pieces.
5. With the liquid still in the pressure cooker, remove the bay leaves (discarding them) and place the shredded beef back into the liquid. Add the cilantro, stir, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
6. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the beef and serve or place it in a lidded container. *If you want, before serving you can pop the beef under a broiler to get some charred ends. Broil for 1-3 minutes.
7. The liquid can be discarded or, after straining the fat out, frozen for later use. It’s great as a liquid for dirty rice, pasta dishes, and quinoa.

Notes

Slow Cooker Instructions are in the post

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