I’m so thrilled to share this incredibly easy & delicious barbacoa beef recipe with you today! Chances are you’ve probably enjoyed this tender and flavorful meat before, but have you ever wondered..
What is barbacoa?
Wonder no more! In short, barbacoa is a method of cooking meat that originated in either Barbados or Mexico hundreds of years ago. The English term “Barbecue” derives it’s roots from the Spanish word “Barbacoa”, but classic Barbacoa cooking has very little to do with tossing some meat on one of today’s modern propane grills.
On the contrary, classic barbacoa involved digging approximately a 3 foot fire pit in the earth, wrapping meat in leaves, and cooking it in or near a pot with water in it. The result was a flavor infused meat which was moist & tender.
The great news about the recipe that I’m sharing with you today is that the only digging you’ll be doing is with your fork! We’re replacing the Not-So-Instant Pit with an Instant Pot, and you’ll be savoring this meal with minimal time or effort required.
What type of meat is used for barbacoa?
Beef, pork, or lamb are the most common types of meats used in barbacoa cooking. Beef is my barbacoa meat of choice due to it’s rich flavor profile.
What cut of beef should I use?
Boneless beef chuck roast is absolutely fabulous for making barbacoa beef. It is the most tender & shreds easily. The tenderness of your shredded beef is dependent on the cut of meat you select.
Look for marbling (white lines of fat) in your meat. Visible marbling generally means a more tender meat & higher quality.
Where can I purchase the beef?
I’ve found that Certified Angus Beef ® brand is consistently the highest quality & most flavorful beef available. I purchase my Certified Angus Beef ® from my local Macey’s grocery store. I’ve found that Certified Angus Beef ® brand is consistently the highest quality & most flavorful beef available. You can find it in your area using this locator tool.
How To Make Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Burrito Bowls (step-by-step)
1. Gather your ingredients. You’ll need a chuck roast steak (2-4 lbs.), avocado oil, beef broth, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, oregano, cumin, ground cloves, and bay leaves.
2. Remove your chuck roast from the packaging and dry with a paper towel.
3. Carefully season the roast with a light dusting of salt and black pepper. It’s important not to oversalt the meat during this step.
4. After you’ve seasoned one side of the meat, flip and season the other side.
5. Press the Sauté button in the lower left hand corner of your Instant Pot.
6. Wait until the indicator light shows “Hot”.
7. Add the avocado oil to the hot pot; making sure the entire surface is coated.
8. Carefully place the roast steak in the Instant Pot.
9. Brown for 8 minutes on each side. Do not disturb until ready to flip (I promise you it isn’t burning, just trust the process!).
10. After the roast has browned on each side, remove and set aside.
11. Pour in the beef broth and the lime juice.
12. With a wooden spoon, deglaze the bottom of the pot completely.
13. Add the garlic.
14. Add the chipotle peppers in adobo, oregano, cumin, ground cloves, and bay leaves.
15. Add roast back to the Instant Pot. It will not be submerged completely in the liquid, only partially.
16. Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the steam release handle is moved to the “sealing” position.
17. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes for a 2 lb roast (50 minutes for a 3 lb roast & 55 minutes for a 4 lb roast) + allow time for a Full Natural Release (which will take anywhere from 25-30 minutes).
18. Open the lid carefully (once the pressure has released naturally and the float valve has dropped), then transfer the roast to a cutting board.
Shred beef & discard fatty pieces.
What else should I include in my barbacoa beef burrito bowl?
The sky is the limit! Virtually any ingredient that would be good in a typical burrito would also work well with this recipe! Here’s what I used on my bowls, which were absolutely delicious!
- Rice
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Pico de gallo
- Pinto Beans
- Romaine Lettuce
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Lime Juice
Here are some additional ingredient ideas:
- Peppers
- Onion
- Black Beans
- Cotija Cheese
Important Tips for Making Instant Pot Barbacoa Burrito Bowls:
- You will want to be sure to choose the right cut of meat: boneless beef chuck roast. It is the most tender & shreds easily. The tenderness of your shredded beef is dependent on the cut of meat you select.
- The cross-rib roast is a cut off the shoulder. It’s best used in stews.
- The chuck tender roast is also best used in stews.
- Look for marbling (white lines of fat) in your meat. Visible marbling generally means a more tender meat & higher quality.
- Depending on how many people you are feeding will determine the size of roast you want to buy. It will also change the cooking time slightly. For a 2 lb. roast you’ll only need 45 minutes, for a 3 lb. roast you’ll want to bump the cooking time up to 50 minutes and for a 4 lb. roast you’ll want to cook for 55 minutes.
- The longer you cook your roast the more tender & easier it will be to shred. It will also be easier to remove & discard the fatty pieces that are less than desirable to chew.
- Don’t skip the step of drying off your meat with a paper towel. Not only does this help the seasoning to stick, it will also help braise the meat for a beautiful brown coloring.
- I love using avocado oil for the high smoke point. When prepping the pot on the saute setting you don’t have to worry that your oil will burn!
- Have patience and let your roast brown & braise for the full 8 minutes on each side without disturbing. You may think it’s burning but I assure you it’s not.
- Deglazing the pan is important because it gets all those yummy bits that are crusted to the bottom of the pan and incorporates them in your broth for extra flavor which will infuse into your meat while it’s cooking.
- Storing the shredded beef separate from the broth would be the method I would recommend for refrigeration. That way you can control how much gravy is used over each portion.
- Leftovers can be stored for up to a week in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the shredded roast on the stovetop add desired portion to a stockpot with 2-3 tbsp. water & cover with lid. Cook on med-high until steaming and heated throughout.
Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Burrito Bowls
These Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Burrito Bowls are easy to shred and easy to love with their savory goodness! Speaking of easy, you can cook the barbacoa beef with the press of a button thanks to the magic of Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast I recommend Certified Angus Beef® brand
- 1 tbsp course salt
- 1 tbsp course pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- .5 C beef broth
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 4 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- .25 tsp ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
Toppings & Additions
- cilantro lime rice
- shredded romaine lettuce
- pinto beans
- corn
- shredded cheddar cheese
- pico de gallo
- sour cream
- guacamole
- cilantro
Instructions
-
Gather your ingredients. You’ll need a chuck roast steak (2-4 lbs.), avocado oil, beef broth, lime juice, chipotle peppers in adobo, garlic, oregano, cumin, ground cloves, and bay leaves.
-
Remove your chuck roast from the packaging and dry with a paper towel.
-
Carefully season the roast with a light dusting of salt and black pepper. It’s important not to oversalt the meat during this step.
-
After you’ve seasoned one side of the meat, flip and season the other side.
-
Press the Sauté button in the lower left hand corner of your Instant Pot.
-
Wait until the indicator light shows “Hot”.
-
Add the avocado oil to the hot pot; making sure the entire surface is coated.
-
Carefully place the roast steak in the Instant Pot.
-
Brown for 8 minutes on each side. Do not disturb until ready to flip (I promise you it isn’t burning, just trust the process!).
-
After the roast has browned on each side, remove and set aside.
-
Pour in the beef broth and the lime juice.
-
With a wooden spoon, deglaze the bottom of the pot completely.
-
Add the garlic.
-
Add the chipotle peppers in adobo, oregano, cumin, ground cloves, and bay leaves.
-
Add roast back to the Instant Pot. It will not be submerged completely in the liquid, only partially.
-
Secure the Instant Pot lid and make sure the steam release handle is moved to the “sealing” position.
-
Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes for a 2 lb roast (50 minutes for a 3 lb roast & 55 minutes for a 4 lb roast) + allow time for a Full Natural Release (which will take anywhere from 25-30 minutes).
-
Open the lid carefully (once the pressure has released naturally and the float valve has dropped), then transfer the roast to a cutting board.
-
Shred beef & discard fatty pieces.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
What else should I include in my barbacoa beef burrito bowl?
The sky is the limit! Virtually any ingredient that would be good in a typical burrito would also work well with this recipe! Here’s what I used on my bowls, which were absolutely delicious!
- Rice
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cilantro
- Corn
- Pico de gallo
- Pinto Beans
- Romaine Lettuce
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Lime Juice
Here are some additional ingredient ideas:
- Peppers
- Onion
- Black Beans
- Cotija Cheese
Looks absolutely amazing thank you
We always enjoy your articles its inspired a lot by reading your articles day by day. So please accept my thanks and congrats for success of your latest series.
I can’t wait to try this in our instant pot, so delicious!
Haley
I am loving these Instant Pot recipes! I can’t wait to try this one this week!!