Instant Pot Barbacoa is a savory dish of tender and juicy meat bursting with smoky and spicy flavors. For this particular recipe, I set out to make a 'Better than Chipotle' Copycat Barbacoa recipe. It's all prepped in under 10 minutes and cooked for an hour in the Instant Pot!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
When you try this Instant Pot Chipotle Copycat Barbacoa recipe, you'll wonder why you haven't been making this every month for your entire Instant Pot cooking life. It's spicy, full of flavor, easy to make, and super versatile. Not to mention healthy!
If you want homemade Mexican seasonings, check out this amazing Carnitas seasoning blend!
Ingredients
Meat: For my Barbacoa Recipe, I used Chuck Roast. It's an inexpensive cut of beef that can be made incredibly tender when properly cooked.
Liquids: Chicken Stock, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice are the only liquids needed.
Seaonings and Spices: Beef Better than Bouillon, Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce, Garlic, Mexican Oregano, Cayenne Powder, Cumin, Koshert Salt, Black Pepper, Ground cloves, and Epazote are going to create all of the fantastic flavors for this Instant Pot Barbecoa.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cube the chuck roast into roughly 1-inch cubes.
Step 2: Turn the Instant Pot on to Sauté, high, for 15 minutes. Add a bit of Avocado oil to the bottom of the Pot.
Step 3: Add the cubed chuck roast to the preheated Instant Pot to sear the outsides. See notes below.
Step 4: Add all ingredients except the Chuck Roast to a blender or food processor. Blend until a thick sauce has formed.
Step 5: Turn the Instant Pot off and pour the mixture from the blender over the cubed beef. Give it all a good stir to ensure everything is evenly coated.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to Pressure cook, high, for 60 minutes.
Step 6: Once the Barbacoa is done cooking, manually release the pressure.
Remove the lid and carefully begin to shred the beef. Leave the shredded beef in its sauce, cover, and keep warm on high until ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer to make this recipe as a slow cooker barbacoa. Follow the directions and cook the roast on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- Feel free to skip the searing step. It's not essential to the overall dish, but I believe it adds a bit to the flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- Tacos: Barbacoa is a popular filling for tacos. Fill a tortilla with the shredded meat, and top it off with some fresh cilantro, chopped onion, and a squeeze of lime. If you want to take your taco game up, use a flour tortilla, fill it with cheese, then Barbacoa, fold it in half, and fry the taco on a hot griddle or cast iron skillet. This provides similar results to a Birria taco.
- Burritos: Another great way to serve Barbacoa is in a burrito. Fill a large tortilla with the meat, beans, rice, cheese, and other toppings you like. Roll it up, and enjoy! Another trick is to steam the tortilla first. I like to boil about an inch or two of water in a large pot. Place a cooling rack over the Pot, lay the tortillas on the cooling rack, and then cover with a lid. Allow them to steam for about 2-3 minutes on each side. This will make the tortillas more pliable so that you can fit more stuff in there!
- Quesadillas: Barbacoa makes a great filling for quesadillas.
- Enchiladas: Barbacoa is also a great filling for enchiladas. Fill a tortilla with the shredded meat, roll it up, and place it in a baking dish.
- Nachos: Barbacoa is a perfect topping for nachos. Layer tortilla chips with the meat and all your favorite toppings.
- Rice Bowls: Finally, and easily one of my favorites, Barbacoa makes an excellent topping for rice bowls. Add the meat to a bowl of cilantro lime rice, and go to town on your favorite toppings.
Best Sides to serve with Barbacoa
- Cilantro Lime Rice: A classic Mexican side, rice is a great choice to serve with Barbacoa. It's simple to make and provides an excellent base for the meat. If you want a Chipotle copycat, try this cilantro lime rice recipe.
- Charro Beans: Another classic Mexican side, Charro beans have a ton of flavor and pair perfectly with meats such as brisket and Barbacoa. You can also go an easier route and have classic refried beans.
- Guacamole: Made from mashed avocado, lime juice, and salt, guacamole is a delicious and healthy side to serve with Barbacoa. It adds a fresh and creamy flavor to the meal.
- Pico de Gallo: Pico is a great way to add heat and freshness to just about any Mexican or Mexican-inspired meal, and this recipe won't disappoint.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a great way to add brightness and flavor to the meal.
- Lime Wedges: Lime wedges are a great way to add acidity and freshness to the meal. Squeeze them over the meat, rice, or beans for extra flavor.
- Grilled Vegetables: Grilled vegetables, such as peppers, onions, and zucchini, are a great way to add color and nutrition to the meal.
- Elote en Vaso: A creamy corn and cheese mixture seasoned with chili powder makes a great side or topping with Barbacoa Tacos or even in a bowl.
Recipe FAQs
Barbacoa is made of tough cuts of beef that traditionally require long hours of braising and roasting to get a fine, shreddable beef. Luckily, with today's pressure cookers, we can do this in a fraction of the time.
The Barbacoa at Chiptole is made of shoulder meat due to the high marbling, which ensures a juicy and flavorful beef. They start by cooking the beef sous vide, then braising slowly in a spice blend and finally shredding and serving.
Barbacoa is said to be a way of cooking meat by steaming it underground for long periods of time to reach a desired tenderness, making it easy to shred. Traditionally, this meat was lamb or goat. Today, it is typically beef and sometimes pork and can be made by braising, cooking it sous vide, in a slow cooker, or in a pressure cooker. The most common similarities in all barbacoa are the spices used and the chipotle and adobo flavors.
Beef Barbacoa is a Mexican dish of beef with a sauce-like mix cooked until very tender and shreddable, then served in many different dishes such as tacos, burritos, bowls, etc.
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📖 Recipe
Barbacoa
Ingredients
- 3 lb Chuck Roast - cubed
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 tsp. Beef Better than Bouillon
- 3 Chipotle Chiles in Adobo Sauce
- 1 tbsp. Adobo Sauce from the Chiles
- 2 tbsp. Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tbsp. Mexican Oregano - dried
- 1 tbsp. Cayenne Pepper - ground
- 2 tsp. Cumin
- 2 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- ½ tsp. Ground Cloves
- 1 tbsp. Epazote - dried
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the chuck roast to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until a thick sauce has formed. Set aside.
- Turn the Instant Pot on to Sauté on high for 15 minutes and add some avocado oil.
- While the oil is heating, cube the Chuck Roast into about 1-inch pieces.
- Begin adding the cubed roast to the Instant Pot searing each side. Once the meat is seared on the outside, turn the Instant Pot off.
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the cubed beef and give it a good stir to cover it entirely.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and set it to pressure cook, high, for 60 minutes.
- Once the cooking is done, manually release the pressure and carefully shred the beef using forks or shredders.
- Place the lid back on the Instant Pot, set it to keep warm on high, and serve when ready.
Video
Notes
- If you prefer to make this recipe as a slow cooker barbacoa. Follow the directions and cook the roast on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
- If you are pressed for time feel free to skip the searing step. It's not essential to the overall dish, but I do believe it adds a bit to the flavor.
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