Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

I recently discovered this recipe on Taste and Tell and have a feeling it will become a favorite not only to have at home, but also to freeze and pack for our RV road trips. I'm slowly adding recipes to my Instant Pot file and this one is not only super easy and delicious, but the meat is incredibly tender and easy to shred with two forks. Very impressive! Tacos anyone?

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef
(Taste and Tell)

Ingredients

2 pound chuck roast
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 cup beef broth
2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 bay leaves

Cut the roast into 4-6 large chunks, removing any large pieces of fat.

Press Saute on the Instant Pot and add half of the roast chunks. Brown completely on each side. Remove to a plate and brown the second half of the meat. Remove from the Instant Pot.

With the Instant Pot still on Saute, add the onion and cook until it starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook an additional minute. Pour in the broth, chipotle chiles, lime juice, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, cloves and bay leaves. Stir to combine, then add the roast back into the Instant Pot.

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock. Select High Pressure and 60 minutes.

When the pot beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release. Once the pin has dropped, remove the lid and, using a set of tongs, remove the meat from the Instant Pot to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the beef. Once shredded, return to the Instant Pot and stir to coat the meat in the leftover juices.

The meat will be very wet once you stir it back into the cooking liquid. If you don’t want this, you can skip the last step and just serve it after you have shredded it. I like to use tongs to remove the beef from the liquid, allowing some of the excess broth to drip off. I love the extra flavor and moisture the liquid brings.

Serves six

My Notes:

In an effort to keep this somewhat mild, I skipped the chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. The seasonings were enough to flavor the meat. Delicious!

Shoulder roast is leaner, so there is less fat to trim and the juice isn't greasy.

Perfect for tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, bowls or machaca. This is going to be a great item to cook ahead of time and freeze for our road trips in the RV!

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