Easy & Healthy Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Recipe (2024)

Home » Recipes » Cooking Method » Instant Pot » Easy Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Recipe

By: KristaPublished: Jan 11, 2019Updated: Sep 20, 2022

Jump to Recipe·

12 Comments

Rating★★★★★ 5 from 6 votes

Easy Instant Pot Chipotle Beef Barbacoa Recipe done in 1 1/2 hours! Made with chipotle peppers, cilantro, cumin, citrus juice and bone broth for hands down the BEST barbacoa you’ll ever eat!

Table of Contents

So, What is Beef Barbacoa?
How Do You Bake Beef Barbacoa?
What Type of Beef Cut Do You Use for Barbacoa?
What to Serve with Beef Barbacoa:
Get the Recipe

Healthy & Delicious Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Recipe

If you ask, I’ll deliver. Well, not physically deliver to your house. But definitely to your inbox! (wink wink)

Last week I asked a couple questions on my instagram stories to see what kind of things you were looking for this new year. One of the topics that came up was healthy instant pot recipes!

I definitely feel ya. I feel like when I go to the good old pinterest and type in instant pot recipes it’s mostly unhealthy things. Don’t get me wrong, I want that cheesy mac & cheese or mashed potatoes but my hips and butt do not. haha.

So here’s the first of many healthy instant pot recipes that will make your hips dance like Shakira! 🙂

Oh my gosh. I’m so funny today.

It’s ok that I laugh at myself right?

Alright. Moving on.

So, What is Beef Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is a way of cooking meat, usually meaning barbecued or slow cooked until tender and shredded. Beef Barbacoa is beef that is barbecued or slow cooked until is is pull apart tender.

How Do You Bake Beef Barbacoa?

There are a couple ways to make beef barbacoa. You can make it in the oven, on the grill, in the slow cooker or instant pot.

Season your beef with salt and pepper.
Make a chipotle sauce/marinade for the beef to slow cook in using onions, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chipotle peppers and citrus juice.
Turn Instant Pot onto Saute setting.
Sear the beef on both sides to lock in the juices and flavors.
Pour the chipotle sauce over the browned beef, cover with beef bone broth.
Turn the Saute setting off. Turn the Instant Pot on to Meat/Stew setting or Pressure Cooker setting.
Cover and set timer for 1 hour.
Once the meat is cooked. Use the natural release process.
Remove meat and shred. Serve with cilantro and onions.

What Type of Beef Cut Do You Use for Barbacoa?

Beef Brisket
Beef Chuck Roast
Beef Shoulder
Top or Bottom Roast

What to Serve with Beef Barbacoa:

Serve barbacoa on a lettuce cup with cilantro, onions, and avocado.
Pile the tender barbacoa over quinoa or rice.
Roast a sweet potato and top it with shredded barbacoa and pickled onions.
Toast up some tortillas and make the best barbacoa tacos you’ll ever eat!

Hands down this will be the BEST Beef Barbacoa you’ll ever have and it’s made in less than an hour and a half. That’s unheard of! Brisket itself needs to slow cook for like 6 hours to get tender.

Using this fool proof Instant Pot method you’ll have barbacoa on the table in no time. The best part is, it’s still extremely juicy, loaded with chipotle flavor from the sauce we made and pull apart fork tender!

I cannot wait for you guys to make this one! Because this Chipotle Beef Barbacoa Recipe is going to blow your mind. Guaranteed!

Bon Appetit friends and happy weekending!

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews

Description

Healthy Instant Pot Chipotle Beef Barbacoa Recipe done in 1 1/2 hours! Made with chipotle peppers, cilantro, cumin, citrus juice and bone broth for hands down the BEST barbacoa you’ll ever eat!

Ingredients

Scale

1 tablespoon grape seed oil
3.5 lb. beef brisket (or beef chuck roast will work)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 large chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
juice of 4 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup orang juice
1 bunch of cilantro
1 small red onion, peeled and cubed
1 whole head of garlic, each clove peeled
1 teaspoon ground clove
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 cup beef bone broth
4 bay leaves

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

To a blender add, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, orange juice, cilantro, red onion, garlic cloves, ground clove, cumin, and oregano. Blend until mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Turn your Instant Pot onto the Sauté setting and let it heat up.
Season both sides of brisket with salt and pepper. (you may have to cut brisket in half to cook in two stages)
Add grape seed oil to the Instant Pot.
Next, add brisket to the Instant Pot and sear it on both side. Approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
Once the meat is browned pour the chipotle mixture from the blender over the meat.
Then add beef bone broth and top with bay leaves.
Transfer the browned beef back to the Instant Pot. Seal the lid.
Switch the Instant Pot over to the Meat/Stew setting (or pressure cooker setting if yours does not have Meat/Stew) and set timer for 1 hour..
When it’s finished, use the the Natural Pressure Release method. Remove the lid once the pressure is completely released.
Remove meat from the instant pot and shred using two forks. (discard any fat)
Place shredded beef back into the instant pot. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Filed Under:

Beef
Easy Healthy Dinners
Gluten-Free
Instant Pot
Kid Friendly
Paleo
Sandwiches

Want More Healthy Instant Pot Recipes?

The Best Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken with Pesto

Low Carb Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana

Easy Instant Pot Korean Beef Bowl

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

FACEBOOK|TWITTER|PINTEREST|BLOGLOVIN|INSTAGRAM

Let's Connect:

Pecan Crusted Salmon

Sausage Potato Frittata

Skirt Steak Tacos

Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Review and rate this recipe!

12 comments on “Easy Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Recipe”

See Also
Vegan Chickpea Curry {Slow Cooker} - Easy Dinner Recipe
Marisa
Feb 15, 2019 at 6:00 AM

I don’t have an InstantPot. I will sear in a pan first. How long should I cook in slow cooker?
Love your recipes! Thank you!
Reply
1. Krista
  Apr 25, 2019 at 8:31 PM
  
  if in the slow cooker you’ll probably need to go 4-5 hours on low
  Reply
Natalia Garrett
Jan 29, 2019 at 11:51 AM

Preparing beef barbacoa was actually not easy for me at first and when I did, it wasn’t as tasty as I’d liked it to be. Your recipe makes absolute sense and I’m going to try it this weekend. What I particularly love about yours is that you poured the chipotle sauce over the browned beef. I don’t do that at all. I’ll try that out also. Thanks for sharing.
Reply
Sandra
Jan 15, 2019 at 12:31 PM

Looks like a new favorite meal for weeknights!
Reply
Angie
Jan 14, 2019 at 7:13 PM

Just added this to my meal plan for next week. Can’t wait to try it out!
Reply
Catalina
Jan 13, 2019 at 4:24 AM

I love that this dish is healthy and made in the Instant Pot! A must try recipe!
Reply
Melanie Bauer
Jan 12, 2019 at 2:37 AM

Looks absolutely amazing! I love all the flavors on it and it’s so delicious, this recipe is a winner!
Reply
Anna
Jan 12, 2019 at 12:04 AM

I can’t wait to make this! Barbacoa is our favorite!
Reply
Susan Buckethal
Jan 11, 2019 at 4:06 PM

I can’t wait to try this! Question, why would you use Grape seed Oil over Olive Oil?
Reply
1. Krista
  Apr 25, 2019 at 8:57 PM
  
  grape seed oil has a higher cooking temp so it doesn’t “smoke” as quickly, I actually have started only using olive oil for dressing or marinades.
  Reply
Jacque Hastert
Jan 11, 2019 at 12:17 PM

I need this in my life. It sounds like a great way addition to our taco tuesdays!
Reply
Sabrina
Jan 11, 2019 at 11:54 AM

We started to eat healthier with the new year so this is exactly what we’re looking for. So easy using the instant pot.
Reply