Instant Pot Barbacoa Recipe – tender fall apart beef loaded with traditional mexican spices and finished with fresh cilantro and lime juice. If you like Chipotle Barbacoa, you are going to love this recipe!

Instant Pot Barbacoa
This Instant Pot version of my Slow Cooker Barbacoa recipe is just as flavorful and tender as the original and is done in a fraction of the time. A good quality chuck roast, seared on both sides and seasoned with a blend of traditional mexican spices. Once the barbacoa is finished cooking, top with fresh lime juice and cilantro to enhance and brighten the flavors. The acid from the lime juice and the freshness of the cilantro cuts through the richness of the meat and is absolutely delicious together.

How to Make Instant Pot Barbacoa
- Start with a good quality chuck roast. For best results, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before searing to take the chill off the beef.
- In a 6 QT Instant Pot, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on Sauté mode. Sear chuck roast on both sides.
- Remove seared roast and rub all over with seasoning mixture.
- Deglaze Instant Pot with 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth.
- Add seasoned and seared chuck roast back to Instant Pot and set to High Pressure for 1:30 hours (90 minutes on older Instant Pot models)
- Let Instant Pot Natural Pressure Release, this will ensure that the meat is tender.
- Use two forks to shred meat and top with fresh lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro.

Recipe Tips
- I’ve noticed that my newer 6QT Instant Pot does a better job at searing than my original model from a few years ago. If you aren’t impressed with the searing on your Instant Pot, you can also sear this in a large skillet on the stove-top. Then transfer to Instant Pot.
- The Instant Pot does a great job of tenderizing the meat, but it doesn’t melt the fat away as well as a low and slow method. If you have a roast with excess fat, try trimming some of it off before searing, or choose a chuck roast that has more even marbling of fat throughout. Alternatively, you can just remove any excess fat after cooking, but before serving.
- Great as a main dish, on tacos, tostadas or burritos.


Tender fall apart beef loaded with traditional mexican spices and finished with fresh cilantro and lime juice.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2.5 pound chuck roast
- 1 cup beef broth low sodium
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 lime
- cilantro chopped for garnish
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For best results, let chuck roast sit a room temperature for at least 30 minutes before searing.
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Set Instant Pot to Sauté function and make sure you hit adjust until the more light is lit. That indicates it is heating at the highest setting. Heat vegtable oil until hot, then sear chuck roast on both sides.
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While chuck roast is searing, combine salt, pepper, and seasonings in a small bowl. Remove roast from Instant Pot and season chuck roast all over.
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Deglaze Instant Pot with beef broth, then return roast to Instant Pot and set to cook at High Pressure for 1:30 hours (display will read 90 minutes for older model Instant Pots). Once Instant Pot has finished cooking, let barbacoa Natural Pressure Release. Once the pin drops, remove lid and shred barbacoa. Squeeze juice from fresh lime over meat and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
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We had this for dinner today and it was a huge hit! Another Instant Pot winner dinner!
Tender, juicy, & so flavorful! This is great for so many dishes!
My husband and two teenage boys went crazy over this! Such an awesome way to make barbacoa in the Instant Pot.
This recipe is ahhhhmazing! Even better day 2 if it lasts that long!
This looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try this one.
This was incredible, tender and juicy, this made for the best taco night 🤤
My husband and I LOVE this recipe! So versatile and simply delicious!!
I’ve made this for my husband’s Salvadoran family and everyone loves it. My husband say it’s just like what his aunt makes and is very reminiscent for him. I’ve made it for other friends and family, and shared the recipe with others and I’ve never heard anyone say they don’t love it! I make it for you almost every month!
This is one of the best instant pot recipes I have ever made. Highly recommend to any and everyone!
So juicy & tender it just falls apart! Love all the flavor! This is absolutely incredible! All my tacos need to be barbacoa now! YUM!!!
Wow, the texture is just perfect! My husband went crazy for this!
We just had this for lunch! It was so flavorful and I loved how easy it is! Will make again.
I will never make another taco filling! This is so tender and delicious.
We use this recipe for so many different meals! We love it for tacos or burritos & I love it in salads!! Super easy & yummy!
So amazing! I love barbacoa and wanted to know if there is a slow cooker version as well for this recipe?