Instant Pot Barbacoa is moist, tender and flavorful beef chuck roast cooked quickly in the Instant Pot.
This delicious cooks up so quickly that it’s perfect for a busy weeknight. Even better use this Instant Pot barbacoa to make tacos on taco Tuesday!
What is Instant Pot Barbacoa?
Barbacoa is a way to cook meat that originated in the Caribbean. It typically means slow cooked meats. Typically beef, sheep, or goat meat is used to make traditional barbacoa.
The meat is widely known for its strong flavor, commonly used flavors are onions, cilantro or coriander.
I turned this popular Caribbean or Mexican dish and turned it into an Instant Pot recipe to help me save time but still have tender flavorful meat. Instant Pot barbacoa really packs a flavor punch while keeping your meat tender and juicy.
Do I have to use chuck roast for this recipe?
No, you don’t have to use chuck roast. You can use any cut of beef or pork that you have on hand. If you are using pork I would recommend using a butt roast. If you are making this dish with beef like I did, I strongly urge you to use chuck roast. Chuck roast has a little more fat in it than other cuts and that fat layer really keeps the meat moist and tender. Plus, a great marbled roast will really help with the flavor when cooking.
Is Instant Pot Barbacoa spicy?
I would not consider this Instant Pot Barbacoa to be spicy. It does have some heat to the recipe thanks to the chipotle peppers. If you prefer to not add the heat to the recipe, you can use a tablespoon of adobe seasoning to help achieve the needed flavor without the heat from the peppers.
This Instant Pot Barbacoa recipe also includes ancho chili powder. Ancho chilies are a mid to medium pepper so they do not bring a lot of heat to this dish. If you are afraid they will be too spicy you can use less of the seasoning.
Where do I purchase chipotles in adobo sauce?
Chipotles in adobo sauce are found on the Spanish aisle at your local grocery store. At my store they are found in cans right next to the diced green chilies. You will find them near the taco shells and salsa. Most of your medium to large size grocery stores should carry these peppers needed for your Instant Pot Barbacoa.
You may also enjoy these other recipes:
Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Instant Pot Barbacoa
Equipment
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked ancho chilli
- 1 Mexican flavor bouillon
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice 2 limes
- 3-4 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add olive oil to your Instant Pot.
- Brown the chuck roast on both sides, in your Instant Pot on saute’.
- In a blender add the chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper,
- cloves, beef broth, mexican flavor cube, and lime juice, blend until
- smooth.
- Cover your beef in the sauce, and add the bay leaves.
- Close the lid to the lock position.
- Turn the vent to ‘sealing, set it to manual setting.
- Set the timer for 55 minutes at High Pressure.
- When the cooking time is up, natural release for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro
Notes
- If you want to reduce the heat you can skip the peppers in adobo sauce and reduce ancho chili powder amount.
- I really recommend using a chuck roast, however you can use any type of roast you prefer.