Name: Instant Pot Barbacoa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon lard ((or olive oil)); 3 pounds chuck roast, cut into 2 inch chunks; 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce; 2 guajillo chiles, deseeded and stems removed; 2 ancho chilis, deseeded and stems removed; juice from one lime; 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce from the chipotles; 1 onion, diced; 2 bay leaves; 2 dried stems with leaves of Epazote ((or cilantro)); 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 head of garlic, sliced in half across the middle of all the cloves; 12 ounces beer (or beef broth) ((Mexican beer is preferred))

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This Instant Pot Barbacoa is tender and juicy beef cooked in a delicious medley of chilis and spices. Perfect in so many different dishes such as tacos, bowls and burritos!

FLAVORFUL SHREDDED BEEF

The Instant Pot has become one of my favorite appliances. It really speeds up some recipes that would otherwise take hours to make without sacrificing flavor. This Instant Pot Barbacoa is one of those. You can serve this in so many different ways such as tacos, burritos, tostadas, burrito bowls and more. It is a very versatile seasoned meat recipe that our family absolutely loves. So if you want to change up your normal taco meat routine, you have to try this Instant Pot Barbacoa!

Close up of Instant Pot Barbacoa on plate.

TIPS AND TRICKS ON MAKING INSTANT POT BARBACOA:

Barbacoa just means “Barbecue” in Spanish.
Some of these ingredients can be harder to find unless you have a Mexican grocery store around you. So be sure to check in the specialty aisles of your grocery store where other Latin foods are located. I’ve listed substitutes where possible. Keep in mind though, the more substitutions you make, the less this will taste like how it was meant to taste.
Epazote is an herb that can be hard to find in most states that aren’t near the border of Mexico so you can substitute with cilantro.
If you can’t find guajillo chiles, just use all ancho chiles which is easier to find in most places.
I like to use a Mexican beer for this recipe to keep it as authentic as possible, but any regular beer will work as well. Beef broth can be substituted for the beer.
You can remove the meat from the pot to shred or you can leave it in the pot as well, we add some of the juices to the meat after shredding, but leaving it in the pot will soak up more juices.
You can trim your roast before cooking or just remove the fat pieces after cooking as well.
This cooks best when your roast is cut into smaller chunks rather than put in as a whole.
For a truly authentic Mexican barbacoa, be sure to check out this Barbacoa De Res recipe from Los Recetas de Laura

Platter of Instant Pot Barbacoa on platter with lime and cilantro.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

lard or olive oil
chuck roast
chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
guajillo chiles
ancho chilis
lime juice
apple cider vinegar
Mexican oregano
cinnamon
bay leaves
epazote (or cilantro)
onion
garlic
beer or beef broth

Ingredients needed: lard, olive oil, chuck roast, chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, adobo sauce, Guajillo chiles, ancho chilis, Juice of 1 lime, apple cider vinegar, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, bay leaves, Epazote onion, garlic and beer.

HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT BARBACOA:

Turn the instant pot to saute and melt the lard or heat the oil. Add the chuck roast chunks.

diced beef chunks placed in instant pot.

Remove the seeds and stems from the guajillo chilis and the ancho chilis. Add the chipotles, guajillo chilis, and ancho chilis to a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice, along with the vinegar and adobo sauce. Mix until it is well blended. This may take a couple of minutes. Pour the blended chili sauce over the meat. Then add the diced onion, bay leaves, epazote, oregano and cinnamon to the pot. Stir well.

Chili sauce, diced onion, bay leaves, epazote, oregano and cinnamon added over meat.

Add the garlic (cut side down) over the meat. Pour the beer or broth over the meat.

Garlic and beer added to the instant pot.

Close and seal the instant pot and set to the meat setting for 60 minutes.

When the timer goes off, let it slow release for 10 minutes then do a fast release.

Finished barbacoa in instant pot after being cooked.

Remove the meat, discard the fatty pieces and shred on a plate with two forks. Spoon a few spoonfuls of the broth over the meat to keep it moist.

Overhead of Instant Pot Barbacoa on platter with cilantro and lime.

Serve in tacos, over rice, on tostadas or however you choose. I love to drizzle some Chimichurri Sauce on mine!

Barbacoa in taco shell with radishes and onions.

HOW TO STORE:

You can store any other meat that won’t be frozen in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Heat in microwave or skillet until heated through before serving.
This can also be frozen. Freeze the leftover barbacoa in a freezer ziploc bag with the air removed or in an airtight container for up to 3-4 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.