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This moist and tender Instant Pot shredded beef is fall-apart tender and ready in less than 2 hours! It’s great in tacos, salads, burrito bowls, and more.
Hands up if you agree that tender, juicy, fall-apart Mexican shredded beef is simply the best!
Perfect for quick meals, this flavorful Instant Pot shredded beef recipe is one of my go-tos for adding protein to my burrito bowls, salads, tacos, enchiladas and more.
It’s made with a handful of ingredients that I always have in my spice cabinet and requires minimal prep work.
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love my beef tinga and barbacoa!
Ingredients
- Beef chuck roast
- Seasonings: Chili powder, dried minced onion, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper
- Olive oil
- Beef broth
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
Which Cut of Beef for Instant Pot Shredded Beef?
Slow cooking meats like chuck roast or round roast are great for making shredded beef.
I’ve even made this recipe with the cuts that are labeled “beef stew meat” at my grocery store, and those work perfectly!
Shredded beef often takes quite a while to become fall-apart tender when made in the oven or the slow cooker. While I still love those methods of cooking when I have the time, they require some planning ahead which is easier said than done.
So the ultimate question is…
How Do You Cook Shredded Beef Quickly?
Use a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot!
People are obsessed with their Instant Pot, and for good reason – it speeds up the cooking process dramatically and can cook things like shredded meats, stews, chilis, and other meals that normally take 4 or 5 hours in a fraction of the time.
It’s one of my favorite kitchen appliances, and I can’t recommend it enough.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Ways to Use Instant Pot Shredded Beef
This Mexican shredded beef can be used in so many different ways:
- Serve it on top of some cilantro lime rice with black beans, roasted corn salsa, and pico de gallo for the best burrito bowl!
- Use it to make beef enchiladas, beef taquitos, or sheet pan quesadillas.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into small chunks (chuck roast or round roast works well)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 3/4 cup beef broth (or water)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large bowl add beef, chili powder, salt, minced onion, ground cumin, garlic powder, oregano and black pepper. Toss to combine.
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot and add the cooking oil. When hot, add the seasoned meat and sear until browned on all sides.
- Add the broth, cover with lid, seal the pressure valve and cook for 50 minutes at high pressure.
- Open the pressure valve to quickly release the pressure. Carefully open the lid and transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon.
- Shred beef with two forks and then return it to the Instant Pot. Add lime juice, chopped cilantro and stir. Serve and enjoy in tacos, burrito bowls and salads.
Notes
- I have the 6-Quart 9-in-1 Duo Plus Instant Pot.
- To keep beef from drying out in the fridge, I recommend mixing it with some of the cooking liquid before storing in an airtight container.
- To freeze, place cooled shredded beef in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! We made beef enchiladas with this, and the meal was a big hit!
THIS WAS AMAZING! The 2 lbs cooked down quite a bit and it was still plenty of food for the 3 of us, plus lunch the next day. I’ll definitely be making this again.
These are amazing. I used beef broth and added a little extra. Removed the beef after cooking and dipped the flour tortillas in it then fried them. Added cheese and beef to tortilla in pan and folded like a omelet. Dipped finished taco in sauce from installs. Outta this world good flavor!!!
This recipe is so full of flavor! Everyone who tries it asks for the recipe! It’s a family favorite. Even my daughters who are super picky love it.
This was so delicious!! It was a hit with my entire family, including my son who isn’t fond of Mexican food. It’s the first recipe of yours that I made – I can’t wait to try your other recipes!! Thank you!!
Delicious. Great for Tuesday Taco night and so easy. There are no leftovers with a family of 4 (two teenagers). Thank you
Thank you so much for making such a straight forward recipe that even super novice cooks like me can manage 🙂 This recipe is so easy to follow and made such delicious shredded beef!
I have a big roast. To I cut it up then cook it or can I throw the whole roast in and let the pressure cooker do it’s thing?
I think you definitely could do the whole roast as long as you cut it into about 1lb pieces of roast but I think you get more flavor infused into the meat with the smaller chunks because each one absorbs more flavor than a bigger roast piece can. You also might have to increase the cook time with larger pieces but I’m not really sure on that one.
I’ve made this recipe 5+ times and it is a family favorite! Any tips for doubling the recipe? Do I double the time also? Thanks!
Hello! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. You can use the toggle tool for exact measurements for doubling this recipe. As for the time, I would recommend increasing the time by 20-30 minutes.
This is very tasty! How many ounces of beef would you say is in a serving? I was guessing 3 or 4.
You are correct! One serving is about 4 ounces.
Hi Isabel! Thank you for your recipe! I am wondering what kind of chili powder do you use? I have jars of Ancho, Guajillo, New Mexico, and of course the prepared chili powder used for chili beans. Please help! Thank you so much and blessings to you and yours!
Hi Mia! For this recipe just regular chili powder is used but you can use any one of those variations!