Description
This Instant Pot Barbacoa recipe features tender, flavorful shredded beef cooked in a smoky chipotle pepper sauce with aromatic spices and tangy lime. Using the pressure cooker allows for a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture in just about an hour, making it perfect for street taco fillings or hearty meals served over rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chipotle Sauce
- 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce (optional for extra spice)
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. molasses or brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
Beef and Cooking
- 3-4 lb. chuck roast, fat trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 2 Tbsp. oil (divided)
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup beef broth
Instructions
- Sear the Beef: Add 1 tablespoon oil to a 6-quart Instant Pot set to the sauté function. Season the beef chunks with ¾ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper, then sear on all sides for 4-5 minutes until browned. If needed, do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Sauté Onions & Deglaze: Remove the beef and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot. Add finely chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until tender. Pour in ¼ cup beef broth to deglaze, scraping the bottom to release browned bits for flavor.
- Prepare Chipotle Sauce: Combine chipotle chiles, adobo sauce (optional), ½ cup beef broth, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, molasses, garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper in a high-speed blender. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Add Sauce & Ingredients to Pot: Pour the blended chipotle sauce and canned diced green chiles into the pot. Stir well to combine. Return the seared beef to the pot, submerging it in the sauce. Top with bay leaves.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the Instant Pot lid with the pressure release valve set to sealed. Set to manual high pressure and cook for 60 minutes. When done, perform a quick pressure release immediately.
- Shred the Beef: Remove bay leaves. Use two forks to shred the beef thoroughly, stirring to coat it evenly in the sauce.
- Reduce Sauce (Optional): For thicker sauce, set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, allowing excess liquid to evaporate.
- Serve: Serve the barbacoa hot, in toasted tortillas or over rice. Garnish with sliced red onion, avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco as desired. Enjoy your flavorful meal!
Notes
- Adjust the amount of adobo sauce to control the spice level.
- Searing the beef well adds depth of flavor to the barbacoa.
- Molasses can be substituted with brown sugar for similar sweetness.
- Leftover barbacoa stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezes up to 3 months.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best tangy brightness.
- For a thicker sauce, reduce by sautéing after shredding the meat.
