Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa

This Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa is a regular favorite around here. I also love that you can meal prep and freeze the shredded beef ahead of time.

I think I could live on any kind of Mexican-inspired taco bowl every single day of the week (really, this isn’t an exaggeration). In fact, I’ve been known to make big batches of all the different taco components to do just that. It’s kind of like meal prepping, but with the intent to eat the same thing over and over again!

There’s just something so satisfying about bowl food. And when you combine that with Mexican flavors, well… that’s pretty much all I need.

Traditionally, dishes like this Beef Barbacoa would be something I would only make on weekends because they take a long time to cook. But with the Instant Pot , things are a whole lot quicker, and you could even pull this off on a weeknight.

Even so, I still prefer this as a meal-prep recipe, where you make big batches to freeze for easy weeknight meals. It’s also the perfect party food because it makes quite a lot.

How to make this Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa

The sauce for this Beef Barbacoa couldn’t be any easier, since it’s all blended.

Once the onion and garlic have been liquefied, the seasonings are added.

Then brown the meat cubes and pour the sauce over them.

From there, the Instant Pot does all the work, and you come back to perfectly tender, shreddable meat. You can also do this in the slow cooker, but it does take a full 8 hours. This can be convenient, depending on your work schedule, to let it cook all day.

But I prefer to make this quickly in the Instant Pot as part of my meal prep. Then I just freeze it in portions for weeknight meals.

This Beef Barbacoa is perfect for my Beef Barbocao Burrito Bowls . They’re a workweek favorite in our house because you can meal prep so far in advance.

And the final touches are really all about the toppings. This dish is similar to my Chicken Tinga in that so many things go so well with it. Pictured here is cauliflower rice, Pico de Gallo , Guacamole , and of course, the beef.

But you can also pile this Beef Barbacoa into taco shells , lettuce wraps, or over roasted sweet potatoes . We’ve even made taco bowls with steamed rice, which is really awesome too.

Then, instead of the fresh salsa, you could sub in my Fire Roasted Blender Salsa , Mango Salsa , or Caramelized Pineapple Salsa . Really, the sky is the limit, and anything taco-related is probably going to be a good bet with this Beef Barbacoa!

INGREDIENTS1x2x3x

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small white onion - roughly chopped, 2 cups
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp sea salt - or to taste, see notes
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast - cut into 2″ cubes
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano - (for the end of the cooking time)

To Serve:

• 6 cups frozen riced cauliflower - thawed
• 1-2 ripe avocados - sliced/diced, or 1 batch Homemade Guacamole
• 2-3 cups Pico de Gallo - or my Easy Fire Roasted Blender Salsa
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 lime - cut into wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add the chicken stock, garlic cloves, onion, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice to the blender . Blend until smooth, then add the chipotle, oregano, cumin, cloves, sea salt, and pepper. Blend just to combine, then set the sauce aside.
• Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot , brown the meat in the avocado oil in several batches. I prefer to brown the meat on the stove top ,which is messier, but much faster than the Instant Pot .
• When all the meat is browned, add it back to the Instant Pot , and pour the sauce over it. Add the bay leaves, and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode, then pressure cook for 1 hour.
• After the cooking time is done, use the quick-release function. When the Instant Pot is safe to open, use a slotted spoon to remove the beef for shredding. I put mine straight into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred it. But you can also use 2 forks to pull apart the meat into shreds.
• While you’re shredding the meat, turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon dried oregano and reduce the sauce for 6-8 minutes.
• Then turn off the Instant Pot , remove the bay leaves, and add the shredded meat back into the reduced sauce. Taste to adjust for salt, and serve with your choice of toppings.
• If you’re serving this with the cauliflower rice, spread it evenly over a parchment-lined baking pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and roast for 10 minutes at 425ºF.
• To make this in a slow cooker, brown the meat on the stovetop and transfer it to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the meat, and add the bay leaves. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Then reduce the sauce a bit on the stove, and proceed as directed above to shred and season the beef.

NOTES

nutrition facts

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 small white onion roughly chopped, 2 cups
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp sea salt or to taste, see notes
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2" cubes
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano (for the end of the cooking time)

To Serve:

• 6 cups frozen riced cauliflower thawed
• 1-2 ripe avocados sliced/diced, or 1 batch Homemade Guacamole
• 2-3 cups Pico de Gallo or my Easy Fire Roasted Blender Salsa
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

• Add the chicken stock, garlic cloves, onion, apple cider vinegar, and lime juice to the blender. Blend until smooth, then add the chipotle, oregano, cumin, cloves, sea salt, and pepper. Blend just to combine, then set the sauce aside.
• Using the sauté function on the Instant Pot, brown the meat in the avocado oil in several batches. I prefer to brown the meat on the stove top ,which is messier, but much faster than the Instant Pot.
• When all the meat is browned, add it back to the Instant Pot, and pour the sauce over it. Add the bay leaves, and set the Instant Pot to sealing mode, then pressure cook for 1 hour.
• After the cooking time is done, use the quick-release function. When the Instant Pot is safe to open, use a slotted spoon to remove the beef for shredding. I put mine straight into the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred it. But you can also use 2 forks to pull apart the meat into shreds.
• While you’re shredding the meat, turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon dried oregano and reduce the sauce for 6-8 minutes.
• Then turn off the Instant Pot, remove the bay leaves, and add the shredded meat back into the reduced sauce. Taste to adjust for salt, and serve with your choice of toppings.
• If you’re serving this with the cauliflower rice, spread it evenly over a parchment-lined baking pan. Sprinkle with sea salt and roast for 10 minutes at 425ºF.
• To make this in a slow cooker, brown the meat on the stovetop and transfer it to the slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the meat, and add the bay leaves. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Then reduce the sauce a bit on the stove, and proceed as directed above to shred and season the beef.

Notes

Nutrition

The recipe Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa appeared first on Get Inspired Everyday! on February 4, 2019

https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/instant-pot-beef-barbacoa-bowls-whole30/