Barbacoa Beef is made in the Instant Pot to produce super tender and flavorful shredded beef. Packed full of smoky chipotle peppers, tons of flavorful spices, and zesty fresh-squeezed lime juice. Enjoy it in tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos, quesadillas, salads, and more!
I think we could all use a little fiesta in our lives right about now! Cinco de Mayo falls on Taco Tuesday this year. Coincidence? I think not… Barbacoa is the best Cinco de Mayo/Taco Tuesday meal. My husband and his 2 friends have April birthdays very close together. Because of quarantine, we couldn’t celebrate together physically this year. However, we did an online celebration. We put the kids to bed, grabbed a cocktail, and met up on Zoom. We played a game with a facilitator. It was so much fun! It actually felt like we were all together celebrating the guys’ birthdays even though we were all at our own homes. My husband’s favorite food is tacos so barbacoa beef tacos were the best choice for his birthday meal.
What is Barbacoa?
Barbacoa is referred to as a way of preparing meat, usually consisting of sheep, goat, or beef. The meat is traditionally wrapped in agave leaves with spices, herbs, and chilis. It is cooked for hours over an open fire or underground oven which produces very tender flavorful meat.
The method of barbacoa over time became “barbecue.” Usually served with salsas or moles (the first barbecue sauces). Moles are made with chilis, and spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and chocolate. I chose to include these flavors in the barbacoa for more rich and authentic flavors. Due to the long cooking times and set up it is a specialty meat and only served for special occasions and weekends in Mexico. Thankfully, we have the technology (Instant Pot) that can speed up the process. While still getting that super tender and flavorful meat that can be enjoyed anytime. Alternatively, it can be prepared in a crockpot on low.
What Type of Meat Can I use for Barbacoa Beef?
- Chuck roast
- Beef Brisket
- Other roast cuts of beef with fat marbling will also work.
Ingredients
Adjust the heat level by adding or removing the chipotle chili peppers.
How to Cook Barbacoa Beef
This recipe is an Instant Pot recipe, but if you don’t have an Instant Pot you can cook it in a slow cooker on low for about 8 hours. Make sure to still brown the meat beforehand. I love my Instant Pot and highly recommend getting one if you don’t have one!
- Blend chilis and spices. In a food processor or blender, combine chipotle chilis, adobo sauce, garlic, lime juice, cacao powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, cloves, and cinnamon. Pulse until completely combined and chilis are broken down.
- Brown the meat. Cut the meat into 2-inch chunks and remove any large pieces of fat. Sprinkle all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
- On the Instant Pot, press the “Saute” button. Once hot, add oil then meat. (Use caution as the oil may splatter).
- Brown the meat on all sides (3-4 minutes per side).
- Press the “Cancel” button to stop cooking.
- Cook. Pour broth, the chili and spices mixture, and green chilis over the meat then top with the bay leaves.
- Close and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is switched to “Sealing.” Press the “Pressure Cook” button then adjust the cooking time to 60 minutes using the -/+ buttons.
- Once the meat is done cooking, switch the valve from “Sealing” to “Venting” to release the pressure (careful of liquid splatter from the valve).
- Shred the beef. Once depressurized, take the lid off and shred the beef. Beef should fall apart and shred very easily. Toss beef back into the juices to soak up the flavor. I like to squeeze fresh lime juice over the meat before serving!
How to Serve Barbacoa Beef
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Salads
- Quesadillas
- Nachos
- Burrito bowls
- Breakfast burritos
Storage
Barbacoa beef makes great leftovers! We enjoy them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Store in an airtight container with the juices in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Freeze in an airtight container or Ziploc bag with the juices for up to 3 months.
Products
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More Instant Pot Recipes
- Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Peppers
- Creamy Chipotle Chicken Soup (Instant Pot)
Barbacoa Beef (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- food processor or blender
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3½-4 chipotle chilis canned
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce sauce from the chipotle chilis can
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 pounds chuck roast cut into 2 inch chunks
- salt and pepper to cover all sides of the meat
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can diced green chilis
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, combine chipotle chilis, adobo sauce, lime juice, garlic, cacao powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, cloves, and cinnamon. Pulse until completely combined and chilis are broken down.
- Cut meat into 2-inch chunks and remove any large pieces of fat. Sprinkle all sides of the meat with salt and pepper.
- On the Instant Pot, press the "Saute" button. Once hot, add oil then meat. (*Use caution as the oil may splatter).Brown the meat on all sides (3-4 minutes per side). Press the "Cancel" button to stop cooking once the meat is browned.
- Pour broth, the chili and spices mixture, and green chilis, over the meat, then top the bay leaves. Close and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is switched to "Sealing." Press the "Pressure Cook" button then adjust the cooking time to 60 minutes using the -/+ buttons.
- Once the meat is done cooking, switch the valve from "Sealing" to "Venting" to release the pressure (careful of liquid splatter from the valve).
- Once depressurized, take the lid off and shred the beef. Beef should fall apart and shred very easily. Squeeze lime juice over meat and serve as desired!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container with the juices in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Store in the freezer in an airtight container with the juices for up to 3 months.
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