Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

This spicy Instant Pot barbacoa beef is perfect to use in a rice bowl, burritos, tacos and more. Full of flavor and spice and pressure cooking creates such tender beef though you can make it in the slow cooker too. Plus it’s low carb and high protein dinner.

You might also like this low carb Instant Pot balsamic beef recipe!

My family loves Mexican food and I think my son who’s in college eats Chipotle many times a week. I came across this older post and realized that I have to teach him how to make this Instant Pot barbacoa beef recipe!

This spicy shredded beef dish is super easy in the Instant Pot but you can also make it in slow cooker. You can use this dish for quesadillas, burritos, tacos or eat it in rice bowl. It’s a naturally low carb and high protein dinner so you can use keto tortillas or cauliflower rice for a low carb option.

What is barbacoa beef?

I think Barbacoa beef to be what I get at Chipotle to be honest. Looking it up it seems that it’s been adapted from different regions and now the mainstream term is a spicy and tender piece of meat often with onions and cilantro. Learn more about the origins of Barbacoa here.

For me I’m using the term to describe this spicy shredded beef which you can use in tacos or rice bowls, much like at Chipotle.

Recipe ingredients and substiutions.

 There are quite a few spices in this dish but the sauce ingredients are mostly simple. I used a beef chuck roast, fresh garlic cloves, beef broth, diced tomatoes, canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, bell peppers, onion, olive oil and spices. These spices were salt, black pepper, ground cumin, dried oregano, onion powder and chili powder.

• beef chuck roast – You need to use a fattier beef roast for this dish so you should use a chuck roast. If you don’t have one you can use a leaner cut but it might not has as much flavor.
• vegetables – Most people have diced tomatoes, onions and even bell peppers on hand and these are essential to the dish. The only odd ingredients is canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can find this in larger grocery stores in the International aisle. Walmart should have it and I’ve seen it at Dollar General sometimes. If you don’t have it you can possible use powdered chipotles spice but the peppers have both spice and smokey flavor which is delicious and the key component to this dish.
• broth and spices – You can use beef broth or beef stock. If you only have chicken stock or chicken broth those are fine too. I use whatever I have on hand. The spices are mostly common spices and since the seasoning is the key to this dish I would not substitute. Even the fresh garlic should not be substituted.

How to make Instant Pot barbacoa beef.

Please note that is this a bit of a spicy dish. If you don’t like spice you can cut down some of the chipotle peppers used but don’t eliminate them completely as they add so much flavor to the dish.

Step 1: Heat up the Instant Pot using the saute function on high heat. While that is heating up, mix the spices together in a little bowl. Cut the chuck roast into big chunks and rub the spices all over the pieces of meat.  

Step 2: Add the oil and then place the meat pieces in the hot pot. Brown the chunks on both sides. Browning will seal in the juices. Then take out the meat and set it aside on a plate or big bowl.

Step 3: Next saute the onions for a few minutes using the saute function again. Then pour in the broth and deglaze the pan as the onions and spices make stick a bit. Then add the rest of the ingredients but not the beef into the pot. 

Step 4: Lastly add the meat back in and secure the lid. Manually pressure cook for 50 minutes.  The meat will be tender at 40 minutes but not fall apart tender. If you like it to fall apart, cook it for 50 minutes in the pressure cooker. Let the pressure come down naturally before opening.

Step 5: When it’s done, take off the lid and use two big forks to shred the beef. Then let the meat soak up the sauce for a few minutes for serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down to view the printable recipe card.

Ways you can eat this Mexican shredded beef.

My family likes to eat this in different ways. My son likes to make a quesadilla with it and both he and my husband like it in burritos. I like to eat it over cauliflower rice or sometimes I top a big salad with it.

• Make a quesadilla with the meat and some shredded cheese.
• Use in burritos or tacos. Would also be great on nachos.
• Make a rice burrito bowl with white or brown rice and any of the following – black beans, corn, salsa, guacamole, avocado, chopped green onions, cilantro, sour cream, Mexican cheese, a squeeze of lime, etc.
• Eat over cauliflower rice or a bed of lettuce for a low carb meal. You can also just eat it as is with toppings and green vegetable or side salad.

How to make barbacoa beef it in the slow cooker.

You can make this spicy Barbacoa beef in the slow cooker instead of the pressure cooker. Just rub the spices on the chunks of meat, brown on both sides in a hot skillet with a little oil.  Then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low all day.

When done, shred the meat with 2 big forks and place back in the crockpot so that it absorbs the spicy sauce.

I hope you enjoy this super tasty beef as much as we did. It’s such a versatile meal and I love that it’s low in carbs and high in protein. Next time I make this I’m going to make a good soup with the leftover meat if I have some. I’ll let post it when I do.

Nutritional information for 1 serving: 344 calories / 20g fat / 13g carbs / 3.1g fiber / 32.3g protein = 9.9g net carbs