Beef Barbacoa - Instant Pot Recipe

Being able to make braised beef in an hour is true luxury. Eating homemade beef barbacoa on a weeknight is even more so.

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Barbacoa Tacos with Cheese, Avocado & Cilantro

Using a pressure cooker means you can have this on the table in under an hour, which means you'll have more time to spend enjoying your delicious meal and less time in the kitchen. Plus a good chunk of that time is wait time, or if your like me bonus time to prepare whatever it is that is going with the meat.

This is one of those recipes that you can make a large batch of. Leftovers freeze well and are very versatile.

The filling can be used in tacos, enchiladas, grain bowls, burritos, nachos, totchos, or eaten by the spoonful. Chef's choice but I love enjoying this beef barbacoa in a simple street taco which includes a corn tortilla, meat and cilantro. Simple but bold, just the way it should be.

Beef Barbacoa - Instant Pot Recipe

Yield: about 6 cups shredded meat.

Serving size varies based on what you're making.

Uses: Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Nachos, Enchiladas, Pozole and much more!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Start to Finish: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2.25 lbs Beef Chuck, cubed

• 3 TBSP Avocado Oil

• 1 7 oz can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce

• 1 TBSP each, Cumin, Coriander & Fennel Seed Powder

• 1 tsp New Mexico Chili Powder

• 4 TBSP Kosher Salt

• 3 TBSP Red Wine to deglaze

• Zest and Juice of 1/2 and Orange

• 2 cups Broth, I’m using chicken

• 1/2 Yellow Onion, large diced

• 1 head Garlic, peeled

• 2 Bay Leafs

Directions:

1. Mix beef with salt, spices, avocado oil, and a spoonful of adobo sauce. Massage everything into the beef until beef is completely coated.

Seasoned Raw Beef

2. In the instant pot on the sauté setting add a splash of oil and brown the beef in batches. This will take around 25 minutes to sear all the beef in 3 or 4 batches. Avoid overcrowding the pan to get the best sear. In between each batch remove the browned beef and deglaze the pan with a splash of red wine to remove the fond (the dark crispy bits that stick to the pan). Reserve the fond and cooking juices to add back to the pot later.

Searing Beef in the Instant Pot

Seared Beef

3. Now that all the beef has been seared, add the onion, garlic, orange zest, bay leaf and broth to the instant pot along with the beef and cooking liquid. Pressure cook on high for 35 minutes then release steam.

Seared Beef with Garlic and Onion

Beef Barbacoa Ready to Pressure Cook

4. Strain on off the liquid into a bowl and remove the onion, chipotle and garlic solids. Reserve liquid and solids for later.

5. Using your tongs shred the beef and squeeze in the juice of the half an orange you zested earlier.

Beef Barbacoa with Sauce

6. In a small blender purée the garlic, chipotle and onion solids with 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Then add to the blended sauce to the beef and mix. (Reserve the remaining cooking liquid for another use, maybe pozole or your next braise).

Beef Pozole

Shaved Vegetables for Pozole or Tacos

7. Enjoy beef barbacoa in tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos or whatever else you dream up!

Taco Meal Prep

So why wait? Give this beef Barbacoa recipe a try and discover just how easy it is to make healthy, delicious meals that the whole family will love.

Watch me make this recipe step by step on Instagram!

Wondering that to do with the extra cooking liquid? Save it for your next braise or add some of the beef and a can of cooked hominy to the liquid for a spicy bowl of pozole!

Beef Barbacoa Recipe