Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef

September 13, 2018 By Whip & Wander 31 Comments

This page may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

This may disappear before it ever reaches your table

This Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef includes an aromatic mix of smoky and spicy chipotle peppers, garlic, lime, cumin, oregano, and cloves pressure-cooked with seared chunks of beef chuck roast until fall-apart tender. Whether you use it to fill a tasty pile of tacos or to top a burrito bowl, I feel confident a few bites will be disappearing straight from the pressure cooker pot before it ever makes its way out to your plate – for quality control purposes, of course!

How to serve this Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef

In tacos! Pick your favorite tortilla and load those babies up with all the toppings. I love adding tomatoes, jalapenos (fresh or pickled), pickled red onions, cilantro, Cotija cheese, and this Spicy Cabbage Slaw
Add to a big flour tortilla burrito with cilantro lime rice and cheese
Use this in enchiladas with your favorite tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese
Enjoy it in bowl form with a base of cilantro-lime rice, cauliflower rice, and/or Spicy Cabbage Slaw and guacamole – way better than the fast-casual ones!
Top a tray of sheet pan nachos with all the fixings
On top of a salad, my preferred greens for this are iceberg or romaine because they’re nice and crunchy!
Add a measure to this Kitchen Sink Frittata in place of the suggested sausage — Add a little salsa and sour cream to the top!
Serve with a side of roasted potatoes and a fried egg for breakfast
Swap out the chicken in these Quesadillas with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
Top a bowl of classic mac and cheese or swap out the sausage in this Cauliflower Mac and Cheese for Barbacoa

Which pressure cooker do I use?

I use the term “pressure cooker” rather than “Instant Pot” very intentionally because I want it to be flexible for those who may use other brands. I personally use an Instant Pot Ultra 6qt, but this Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef can easily be made in other electric pressure cookers as well.

The reason I mention this is because there are often variations to the cooking time in the different machines. With my prior Cuisinart machine, I found that my dishes cooked much more intensely, so I likely would have slightly lowered the amount of time that I cooked this beef recipe in that machine. For the Instant Pot model I have, I find that the Barbacoa Beef cooks perfectly in about 75-minutes on high pressure, with 15-minutes of natural pressure release.

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

A cutting board
A chef’s knife
A 6qt or larger electric pressure cooker
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
A small mixing bowl
A citrus zester
A citrus juicer
A wooden spatula
2 forks (for shredding the meat)

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

Looking for more dinner inspiration?

Love this Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef recipe? Here are some additional pressure cooker recipes that you might enjoy!

Check out all of my pressure cooker recipes here.

A note for special diets

This Pressure Cooker Barbacoa Beef recipe can be made friendly for gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and low-carb diets. If you have dietary restrictions, you’ll want to pay close attention to the brand of chipotle chilies in adobe that you use as many contain additives such as wheat or other grain.