A delicious and easy dump and start Instant Pot recipe for beef barbacoa tacos that can feed a crowd. Barbacoa beef is a perfect for taquitos, burritos, and enchiladas as well!

Dump and Start Instant Pot Meal

This is a really simple recipe to make using your Instant Pot and it is ready incredibly faster than using the slow cooker method. I saute the beef before adding everything to the pot because it gives the beef a nicer texture and added flavor.

You can just add everything into the pot if you want to, I just prefer to brown my beef first. I always blend my ingredients in my food processor when making this meal because the sauce is smooth and not chunky.

It can be made by adding diced ingredients but it will change the consistency of the finished meal.

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos served with pico de gallo, fresh sliced limes, and cilantro.

What’s in Beef Barbacoa?

For the full list of ingredients and the ingredient amounts, check the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

Chuck Roast or eye of round – more traditionally beef barbacoa is made with either beef cheeks or goat meat but these cuts of beef are a good substitution.
Oil
Garlic cloves
Lime juice
Cumin
Cloves
Chicken broth, low sodium
Apple cider
Onion
Chipotles in abodo sauce
Oregano
Bay leaves

Toppings for barbacoa beef

Cilantro
Pico de gallo – freshly made or store-bought
Freshly sliced limes
Guacamole

How to Make Beef Barbacoa in the Instant Pot

Prepare the sauce- In a food processor, blend together the garlic, lime juice, cumin, cloves, chicken broth, apple cider, chipotles, and oregano until smooth.

Prepare the eye of round or chuck roast- Trim the fat from the beef and cut it into 6 chunks of meat.

Saute- Add oil to the Instant Pot and set it to SAUTE.

Saute all sides of the beef until browned.

Scrape the bottom of the inner liner so remove anything sticking. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the inner liner it will result in a burn notice.

Layer the ingredients– Top the beef with chopped onions.

Pour in the blended mixture and lay 3 bay leaves on top of the beef.

Pressure cook- Close the lid and set it to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK for 65 minutes.

Allow a Natural Release for 15 minutes.

Discard bay leaves.

Remove the pressure cooked beef from the Instant Pot and shred.

Add back into the pot, stir the beef into the juices and serve with a slotted spoon.

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos served with pico de gallo, freshly sliced limes, and cilantro.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

Serving the Beef Barbacoa Tacos

Serving freshly made pico de gallo, guacamole, freshly sliced limes, and cilantro really completes this meal! You can also serve this meal over rice, as a beef bowl, or even use barbacoa in lettuce wraps.

This recipe makes enough for at least 8 servings so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd! Setting up a bar with choices of toppings is sure to be a hit and everyone will find something they would like as a topping.

How to Make Barbacoa Spicy

I use about 5 tbsp of the chipotles in abodo sauce when I make barbacoa beef. If you want it on the milder side, reduce the chipotles to 2 tbsp instead.

If you want a lot of heat in this recipe, add more than the 5 tbsp of chipotles that I add… it will be spicy!

Yield: 8 servings

Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos

Name: Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 lb eye of round beef, or chuck roast; 2 tsp oil; 4 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp lime juice; 3 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp cloves; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup apple cider; 1 small onion, coarsely chopped; 3-5 tbsp chipotles in abodo sauce; 3 tsp oregano; 3 bay leaves; cilantro; pico de gallo; freshly sliced limes; tortilla shells; guacamole

Delicious and flavorful beef barbacoa tacos made in the Instant Pot.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Natural Release 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

3 lb eye of round beef, or chuck roast
2 tsp oil
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp lime juice
3 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
3-5 tbsp chipotles in abodo sauce
3 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves
cilantro
pico de gallo
freshly sliced limes
tortilla shells
guacamole

Instructions

In a food processor, blend together the garlic, lime juice, cumin, cloves, chicken broth, apple cider, chiptoles, and oregano until smooth.
Trim fat from the beef and cut into 6 chunks of meat.
Add oil to the Instant Pot and set it to SAUTE.
Saute all sides of the beef until browned.
Scrape bottom of the inner liner so remove anything sticking (will prevent burn notice).
Top the beef with chopped onions.
Pour in the blended mixture and lay 3 bay leaves on top of the beef.
Close the lid and set to MANUAL for 65 minutes.
Allow a Natural Release for 15 minutes.
Discard bay leaves.
Remove beef from the Instant Pot and shred.
Add back into the pot, stir the beef into the juices and serve with a slotted spoon.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

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