Instant Pot Barbacoa Recipe

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.

5 from 15 votes

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Instant Pot Barbacoa

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Natural Pressure Release

20 mins

Total Time

2 hrs

 

Tender fall apart beef loaded with traditional mexican spices and finished with fresh cilantro and lime juice.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Barbacoa, Barbacoa Recipe, Instant Pot Barbacoa

Servings: 6

Calories: 376 kcal

Author: Melissa

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. For best results, let chuck roast sit a room temperature for at least 30 minutes before searing.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Barbacoa

Amount Per Serving

Calories 376 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 130mg43%

Sodium 1100mg48%

Potassium 706mg20%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 37g74%

Vitamin A 584IU12%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.