If beef Barbacoa is your jam, you have to try this Instant Pot Barbacoa recipe for beef tacos. This is a delicious Chipotle Barbacoa inspired recipe.
Serve on corn or flour tortillas, piled high with all your favorite toppings. Shredded beef tacos in the Instant Pot are so simple.

Table of contents
Why Make Beef Barbacoa in Instant Pot..
- Simple Ingredients
- Tender Meat
- Juicy
- Full of Flavor
- Versatile in Ingredients Used
- Hands Off Cooking
Ingredients Needed
- beef chuck roast
- chipotles in adobo sauce
- beef broth
- minced garlic
- cumin
- smoked ancho chili
- Mexican flavor bouillon
- 1oregano
- salt
- pepper
- ground cloves
- limes for lime juice
- bay leaves
How to Make
This is an easy beef recipe to make. The first thing you'll want to do is cut the beef roast up into smaller pieces. 4-5 pieces is fine.
Next, you'll sear the beef on saute mode in your pressure cooker. While the beef sears, you can mix the barbacoa sauce in a food processor.
Press cancel to stop the sauteing and then add in a little bit of water to deglaze the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Pour the bbq sauce over the beef and then set to pressure cook.
When the cooking time finishes, you can shred up the beef. If you'd like to reheat it later, it's easy to reheat in the oven or even the microwave.
Tips And Tricks
- You can use larger cuts of beef like a roast, or even thicker steak. It is all about what you have on sale or what is on sale.
- Chipolte Adobo peppers will really ramp up the heat. If you want mild flavor just use the sauce, for spicier add in a few of the peppers. Either way, the flavor of this Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa recipe is amazing.
- With any large cut of meat, you want to naturally release pressure when cooking. This helps ensure the meat is going to be tender.
- Adjust the spices and herbs to fit your personal preference.

What To Serve with Barbacoa Beef
- Coleslaw - You can do a classic coleslaw or even a Mexican coleslaw. It will ramp up the flavor on your tacos.
- Rice - Instead of tacos, do a taco rice bowl. Cilantro lime rice under, and pile on the meat and toppings.
- Mexican Rice- Do a rice and beans side dish next to your tacos. I love Mexican rice with some beans.
- Refried beans - If you love refried beans, do that and then sprinkle a little cheese and salt on top for added flavor.
Storage Of Leftovers
This beef stores well leftover. You will find that you can take any leftover meat and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. I always add a bit of the juice with the meat, to help prevent the meat from drying out.
Then reheat in the microwave or the stove. If you heat in a skillet on the stove do a low and slow method, and add a little water if you find the meat is drying out.
Recipe FAQs
A classic Mexican way to cook beef, lamb, or goat. Chiles, spices, that are simmered low and slow. The pressure cooker speeds up the process, but still provides incredible flavor.
Go right ahead and add all the ingredients into the crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low. This will give you a very similar flavor, it just takes longer. But this is a great method for making before you head out for the day.
Tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, taco bowls, burritos, burrito bowls, etc. You can use this meat for any of your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes.
Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa - Taco Meat and More

Delicious Beef Barbacoa meat served up for delicious tacos or a burrito bowl. Enjoy this flavorful dinner recipe.
Ingredients
Supplies used to make the best Beef Barbacoa
- Instant Pot DUO
- Blender
- Inner Cooking Pot
- Tempered Glass Lid
- Wooden Spoon
- Spoon Rest
- Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
Ingredients for the easiest Beef Barbacoa recipe
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked ancho chili
- 1 Mexican flavor bouillon
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
- 3-4 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add olive oil to your Instant Pot.
- Brown the chuck roast on both sides, in your Instant Pot on saute.
- In a blender add the chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, beef broth, Mexican flavor cube, and lime juice, blend until smooth.
- Cover your beef in the sauce, and add the bay leaves.
- Close the lid to the lock position.
- Turn the vent to sealing, set it to manual setting.
- Set the timer for 55 minutes at High Pressure.
- When the cooking time is up, natural release for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
FAQs:
- Can my dog eat Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa? It is not recommended to give this recipe to your dog. Although your dog's diet is based on meat, the spicy and strong ingredients that the recipe contains aren't the best for his organism. Flavors like garlic and onion are highly toxic to the dog's stomach.
- Can my cat eat Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa? Given that cats are carnivores, this recipe sounds harmless, but it is not. Ingredients like garlic and onion are highly dangerous for your cat. As well as the rest of the spicy ingredients. Therefore, it would be better to avoid sharing this dish with your cat.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 555Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 189mgSodium 771mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 57g