Beef Barbacoa (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker) Recipe
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!
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.