This Tex Mex style Instant Pot shredded beef recipe is incredibly versatile and tastes amazing! Use it to make the best tacos or burritos, or serve it with your favorite Mexican side dishes.
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This easy shredded beef recipe is one of my favorite ways to cook chuck beef. You can make so many meals with shredded beef, and this Tex Mex flavored version is perfect for burritos, rice bowls, tacos, and more.
Whether you're batch-cooking shredded beef to use in several meals, or just cooking a weeknight dinner, this is the recipe for you! With minimal effort and only 3 ingredients + seasoning required, this will quickly become a dinner staple.
Why you'll love it
- Really easy to make
- A great way to cook affordable beef
- Much faster than slow cooked pulled beef
- Only requires a few ingredients
- Adjust the seasoning to taste
- Lean, gluten free and dairy free recipe
🥘 More INSTANT POT RECIPES From Hint of Healthy
Ingredients
Beef: I love to make shredded beef with chuck beef or braising steaks. It's an affordable cut of beef and becomes fall-apart tender when pressure cooked. Chuck steaks, chuck roast, or braising steaks all work well.
Beef stock: You always have to add some liquid to the Instant Pot. I prefer to use beef broth, as it adds a little flavor to the beef. You can also use water if you prefer, or chicken stock or a beef bouillon cube and water.
Olive oil: The oil is used to sautee the beef, and prevents it from sticking to the bottom of the Instant Pot. You can also use any other cooking oil that you like, for example cooking spray, canola oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil.
Seasoning: I use a combination of salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper in this beef recipe. You can adjust the seasoning to taste or use store-bought taco seasoning if you want.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Cut the beef into thick steaks or large chunks. Season well on all sides. Heat up the olive oil on SAUTE setting in your Instant Pot, and sear the beef until it's browned on all sides.
Two: Add the beef broth to the Instant Pot, and turn off the SAUTE mode. Use a wooden spoon to loosen up any stuck pieces of meat at the bottom of the pot. Seal the lid, and turn on PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting, and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
Three: Allow the pressure to release manually for at least 5 minutes, then perform a quick release according to the manifacturer's instructions. Use two forks to pull the beef apart.
💡 TIP! If you want to turn the cooking liquid into a sauce, you can combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of cold water in a small bowl. Add this to the liquid after the beef has cooked, and turn the pressure cooker on SAUTE mode. Stir while the liquid heats up. The sauce will thicken quickly.
Top tips
- Make sure to loosen up any stuck bits of meat from the bottom of the Instant Pot before you start pressure cooking. This will allow it to build up pressure correctly.
- This require has only been tested with a 6 qt Instant Pot, but should work for any size pot.
- Adjust the amount of beef and seasoning to taste. Make sure to always add at least 1 cup of liquid to your pressure cooker.
- Cutting the chuck roast into smaller pieces allows you to brown a larger surface of meat, and will add more flavor to the dish.
Serving suggestions
Serve your Instant Pot shredded beef as an entree paired with flavorful side dishes like sauteed onions and peppers, roasted corn, salsa, guacamole, Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, or black bean corn salad.
You can also use this beef in a variety of dishes. For example, try making shredded beef tacos, Mexican Rice Bowls, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, sandwiches, or casseroles.
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Variations
Adjust the seasoning: Feel free to adjust the seasoning however you like. For example, add extra cayenne pepper or chili powder to make it spicier. Other tasty additions include lime juice, orange juice, chipotle powder or paste, coriander, dried herbs, smoked paprika, and cinnamon.
Other types of meat: If beef isn't your thing, you can replace it with pork shoulder, pork butt, chicken thighs, or chicken breasts. The chicken will only require 20 minutes of pressure cooking. These types of meat will all shred perfectly and can be used the same way as shredded beef.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need a 3 qt or 6 qt Instant Pot or any other pressure cooker of a similar size.
Additionally, you will need two forks to shred the meat, a wooden spoon to stir the beef with, along with a cutting board, and a sharp knife to slice the chuck roast unless you use braising steaks or chuck steaks.
Storage
You can store any leftover pressure cooker shredded beef in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months.
Thaw and defrost the frozen beef before use. You can reheat it in a microwave, on the stove, in a skillet, or in the Instant Pot for a few minutes and serve it warm.
This dish is perfect for meal prep and batch cooking. Cook a big batch of Mexican pulled beef, and freeze it in portion-sized to use in future meals like tacos, chili, sandwiches, or enchiladas.
Frequently asked questions
You will want to use a tender beef suitable for slow cooking to make shredded beef. Braising steaks or chuck roast are your best options. You can also try using flank steaks or brisket.
Yes! The Instant Pot is a great way to make perfectly tender meat. The result is similar to slow cooked meat, but the process is much quicker.
Different cuts of meat are suitable for different cooking methods. If you want to cook meat for a long time, make sure to use a cut suited for it, like chuck beef or oxtail.
You might also like these recipes
- Instant Pot Ground Beef
- Slow Cooker Braising Steak
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Pulled Chicken Thigh Tacos
- Instant Pot Chicken Tacos
- Swordfish Tacos
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound chuck roast (or braising steaks)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Cut the beef into thick steaks or large chunks. Season well on all sides.
- Heat up the olive oil on SAUTE setting in your Instant Pot, and sear the beef until it's browned on all sides.
- Add the beef broth to the Instant Pot, and turn off the SAUTE mode. Use a wooden spoon to loosen up any stuck pieces of meat at the bottom of the pot.
- Seal the lid, and turn on PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting, and cook at high pressure for 45 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release manually for at least 5 minutes, then perform a quick release according to the manifacturer's instructions.
- Use two forks to pull the beef apart. Optionally you can drain off the cooking liquid, then serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- This recipe has only been tested with a 6 qt Instant Pot.
- Feel free to adjust the seasoning to suit your preferences.
- Add sauce: Make a sauce by thickening the cooking liquid after the beef is cooked. Combine 1 teaspoon or water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a small bowl, and add to the liquid in the Instant Pot. Simmer on SAUTE setting for a few minutes while stirring. The sauce will thicken quickly.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
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