Making Instant Pot Shredded Beef is easy and budget-friendly! Use shredded beef for tacos, burritos, or on a bed of rice or grains. It’s perfect for feeding a large family or group of friends.
Shredded beef is a type of meat that has been slow-cooked until its tender enough for shredding. You can season it any way you enjoy, though it’s popular in Mexican cooking for shredded beef tacos and burritos, and other dishes.
One of the benefits of cooking shredded beef in the Instant Pot is that it cooks quickly and easily. All the benefits of slow cooking in less than half of the time. And everything cooks in one pot.
All you’ll need to do when making shredded beef is add chuck roast to your pressure cooker along with seasonings. Give it a quick sear in saute mode, then add a touch of beef broth and pressure cook until fork tender.
Serve the juicy shredded beef as tacos or serve over a bed of Instant Pot Brown Rice and Black Beans for a full hearty meal. Serve the beef on mini hamburger buns to make shredded beef sliders.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You’ll get slow-cooked Mexican shredded beef in just 2 hours or less!
- This versatile protein can be served with any Mexican dish.
- This instant pot shredded beef recipe uses chuck roast making it budget-friendly.
- The beef is naturally gluten free, low carb and suitable for whole30 and paleo diets.
Ingredients You Need
- Beef Chuck Roast – This cut of meat is great for shredded beef as it is perfect for slow cooking or pressure cooking. You will need 2 to 3 pounds.
- Dried Seasonings – A mix of dried chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin give this shredded beef a bold smoky, and spicy flavor.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You can substitute with avocado oil, if desired.
- Onion & Garlic – Adds a bold fresh garlic and onion flavor to the beef that pairs well with the rest of the seasonings. If you do not have garlic, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for the 4 cloves of garlic.
- Jalapeños – Gives this beef a hint of natural spiciness. You can remove the seeds if you prefer less spiciness.
- Beef Broth – Used to help tenderize the meat while pressure cooking and also adds even more rich beef flavor.
- Lime Juice – Brightens up the beef by adding a fresh pop of acidity and citrus flavor.
- Other ingredients for serving: Tortillas, cojitas cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, lime wedges, fresh cilantro. Or serve with any of your favorite taco toppings.
In addition to the ingredients, you will also need an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. A 6 quart or larger Instant Pot works best.
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Beef
- Combine the seasonings: In a small bowl, add the chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir until fully combined.
- Prepare the chuck roast: Sprinkle the roast evenly with the seasoning and rub it into the meat. Cut the chunk roast in half or chunks, if needed to fit in the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Sear the chuck roast: Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let the oil get very hot, then add the seasoned beef. Sear on each side for 2 minutes or until it begins to brown, then remove from the pot and let it rest separately.
- Saute the vegetables: Add the remaining oil, then stir in the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables become soft. Press CANCEL on the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook the beef: Add the broth and deglaze the pot. Return the beef to the pot, scattering some of the onions and jalapeños on top. Make sure the lid is in the sealing position, then cook on MANUAL HIGH pressure for 50 minutes. When the cooking time is up, allow a 10-minute Natural Release, then open the pressure valve to quickly release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and transfer the beef to a cutting board.
- Shred and serve: Let the beef rest on the cutting board for a few minutes, then shred the beef with two forks. Add the shredded beef back to the instant pot, then stir in the lime juice to soak it in. Taste and adjust any seasonings and serve with your favorite toppings.
Slow Cooker Option
You can make this recipe in the slow cooker, if desired. Searing the beef before adding to a slow cooker with the other ingredients is recommended. However, you can skip the searing and simply add the beef chunk roast to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients (except the lime juice). Slow cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Drain off 3/4 of the liquid from the pot, shred the beef and addd back to the slow cooker with the lime juice.
Expert Tips
- Cut the chunk roast into smaller pieces, if needed to fit into the Instant Pot. Depending on how big your chuck roast is, you may need to cut it in half or into bigger chunks. This will ensure that the surface area is seared properly. Sear each piece individually.
- Add additional spice – If you like more heat and spicy flavor, leave some of the seeds in the jalapeno or add in an extra pepper.
- Total cook time for instant pot shredded beef – This recipe takes about 20 minutes to come to pressure before cooking for 50 minutes. After that point, you will need to use a 10 minute natural release before you release any remaining pressure.
- Shred your beef with two forks, a meat claw tool, or in the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment.
- Storage: Leftovers of the instant pot Mexican shredded beef can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or frozen for two months. When reheating, add a little beef broth or water to lock in the moisture.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways you can serve this flavorful Mexican shredded beef. Check out the ideas below!
- Topping Ideas: cotija cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, guacamole, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, salsa, enchilada sauce or sour cream.
- Serve over: rice, grains, potatoes, quinoa, pasta.
- Nachos
- Shredded Beef Tacos
- Burritos
- Enchiladas
- Taquitos
- Shredded Beef Salad
- Chimichangas
- Quesadillas
FAQs
You should cook the beef for 50 minutes on manual high. The time it takes to come to pressure will be about 20 minutes depending on your pressure cooker, so the total cooking time is 70 minutes.
The best cut of beef for shredding is a chuck roast. It’s a tough cut of meat that becomes tender and shredded when cooked properly. Other cuts of meat that are great pressure-cooked are brisket and short ribs.
You can overcook beef in a pressure cooker, but it’s not as easy to do as it is with other cooking methods. The key is to cook the beef for the amount of time specified in the recipe, then allow for a natural release of pressure. This will help to prevent the beef from becoming tough and dry.
The best way to keep shredded beef from drying out is to cook it until it’s tender, then shred it with two forks. Add the shredded beef back to the instant pot, then stir in the lime juice to soak it in. Taste and adjust any seasonings and serve with your favorite toppings.
Other Easy Instant Pot Recipes
Did you try this Instant Pot Shredded Beef recipe? Leave a recipe rating and review below.
Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds beef chunk roast
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2 fresh jalapenos, sliced (seeded if you prefer less spice)
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 lime, juiced
- tortillas, cotija cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, (for serving)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle the roast evenly with the seasoning and rub it into the meat. Cut the roast in half or chunks to fit in the pot.
- Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When hot, add the roast to the inner pot and sear, about 2 minutes on all sides. Remove to a cutting board and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil, then stir in the onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then press CANCEL.
- Add the broth and deglaze the pot.Return the beef to the pot, scattering some of the onions and jalapeños on top. Secure and seal the lid, then cook on MANUAL HIGH for 50 minutes.
- When the cooking time is up, allow a 10-minute Natural Release, then open the pressure valve to quickly release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid and transfer the beef to a cutting board. Shred the beef with two forks, then return it to the Instant Pot. Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Serve in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings, orin burrito bowls or salads.
This was delicious! And super easy! We had it with rice, zucchini, and corn. Tomorrow I will use the leftovers for tacos in my lunch.
This is my go to recipe for tacos! So stinkin easy! I use chuck roast and I deep fry my corn tortillas for taco shells! My kids request it every time they visit! My boyfriend usually can’t stop himself from going overboard! There’s always leftovers for easy lunches or a good batch of burritos or enchiladas!! Thanks for the recipe! ❤️❤️❤️
I’m glad you enjoyed. Thanks so much for your feedback!
This is a delicious, easy way to instantly improve taco night. The beef was tender and full of flavor.
Absolutely loved this shredded beef! We love it in wraps and over rice.