Juicy, tender Instant Pot shredded beef is flavorful and easy to make with only 4 ingredients! Meal prep to use in a variety of ways including tacos, burritos, sandwiches or over grains.
This multi-purpose shredded beef recipe can be used in green chili burritos, shredded beef tacos with homemade flour tortillas or try it in my empanada dough recipe!
Table of Contents
Shredded Beef in Instant Pot
Instant Pot shredded beef has amazing Mexican-inspired flavor thanks to the salsa verde and chili powder. The pressure cooker tenderizes the meat to a melt-in-your-mouth fall apart tender texture which makes pulling it apart effortless.
Shredding beef becomes a no-brainer Once you know how to use the Instant Pot shredded beef becomes a no-brainer for meal prep. Got pork instead, try this Instant Pot carnitas recipe and if you have more time on your hands, you can’t go wrong with this birria recipe or these braised short ribs on the stovetop!
Ingredients You Need
The best part about Instant Pot shredded beef is you can adjust the seasonings based on your preference!
- Beef roast: The best cut to use is boneless beef chuck roast and it will need to be cut into three large pieces.
- Water: Water is used to bring the pot to pressure, beef broth will add even more delicious taste.
- Seasoning: Simple seasonings of salt, chili powder and salsa verde.
Substitutions and Variations
The great thing about this beef recipe is you can season it to your liking. This Mexican style is just one way!
- Toss in some sliced onions and have them cook down in the liquid.
- Make a dry rub with other spices including garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, paprika, taco seasoning, etc.
- Add some veggies to your pot. Things like potatoes, sweet potato, sliced bell pepper, and carrots would add a ton of flavor to the sauce and would be nice and tender by the time the cooking time was done.
How to Make Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Using your Instant Pot is the easiest way to get Mexican shredded beef in just over an hour!
- Place beef in Instant Pot. Place the chuck roast into an Instant Pot and then pour water into the pot and sprinkle the salt and chili powder on top. Drizzle with salsa verde.
- Pressure cook. Place the lid on top and set valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 60 minutes. Once the time is up, Natural Release about 10 minutes, then Quick Release to release remaining steam.
- Shred. Remove cooked roast from the Instant Pot and trim any fat. Shred the meat with two forks.
- Serve. Remove about a cup of liquid and then place the beef back into the Instant Pot and stir together. I recommended to save the broth for reheating. Serve as desired!
Tips for Making Shredded Beef in Instant Pot
- Cut of meat. I use a chuck roast for this recipe, but you can use whatever you like since the pressure cooker does such a good job of tenderizing even the toughest cut of meat. Round roast, stew meat, or any cut of beef on sale!
- Searing is optional. Searing your beef creates a brown exterior that locks in moisture and adds a ton of flavor. The Instant Pot makes this almost unnecessary because cooking under pressure locks in the moisture and adds a ton of flavor already.
- The total time includes the cooking time and 10 minutes of Natural Release of the pressure. Keep in mind, it will take time for the pressure to build, so you’ll want to take that into account.
- Shredding technique. Removing the meat to a bowl and shredding it with two forks is the easiest way to pull apart the meat.
- Discard extra liquid. There will be quite a bit of the juice in the pot, you may want to get rid of (or save for later) about 1 cup of broth.
- Serve it with flour tortillas or shells, rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, lime juice, guacamole, or cilantro.
Versatile Ways to Use Shredded Beef
One of the best things about this shredded beef recipe is how many ways you can use it! Meal prep it on the weekend and feast all week long with these versatile serving suggestions.
- Beef taquitos
- Beef empanada recipe
- Burrito bowls
- Sheet pan nachos
- Beef enchiladas
- French dip sandwiches
FAQs
The Instant Pot uses high pressure to cook whatever is inside. It breaks down the fibers in the beef in a fraction of the time as the low and slow crockpot or oven method. When you’re pressed for time, the Instant Pot is the way to go. You’ll have shredded beef ready to go in just over an hour.
No Instant Pot? No problem! I recommend to first sear your beef in the skillet before adding it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. Similar to be my barbacoa, slow cook on low about 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Discard a cup of the liquid, shred the beef and enjoy.
Chuck roast is great for shredding as it is a tough cut of meat that becomes tender under pressure. Brisket or short ribs are two other options though that are commonly used for shredded beef.
The most common issue is that you did not cook it long enough! Be sure to follow the recipe exactly for tender beef.
For this two pound chuck roast, you will need to pressure cook it in your Instant Pot for 60 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure and 10 minutes for Natural Release. The whole recipe will take about 1 1/2 hours.
Leftover Storage and Reheating
To store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Make sure to dump all the juices in the container as well to keep it from being dry when reheated.
To freeze: You can also freeze the beef for up to 4 months! Make sure to keep it in a freezer-friendly bag and seal it well to avoid freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
To reheat: Place desired amount of beef with some of the solidified juices in a skillet and saute until warmed through, microwave in 30 second intervals with some of the juices, or place in a shallow pan in the oven and broil for a few minutes, stirring as needed.
Be sure to check out these other favorite Instant Pot recipes for shredded meat including Instant Pot kalua pork, easy shredded chicken, and this pulled pork recipe!
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Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast , cut into 3
- 1 cup water , or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons chili powder , more if desired
- 1 cup salsa verde
S&P, to taste
For serving: flour tortillas or shells, pico de gallo, sour cream, cilantro
Instructions
- Place the chuck roast into an Instant Pot (I'm using a 6 quart). You can sear the sides on sauté mode first if desired. Then pour water into the pot and sprinkle the salt and chili powder on top. Then drizzle on the salsa verde.
- Place the lid on top and seal the valve. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Once the time is up, allow the steam to naturally release (about 10 minutes).
- Remove roast from pot and take off any fat. Shred the meat with two forks.
- Remove about a cup of liquid (save the broth if desired) and then place the beef back into the Instant Pot and stir together. Place lid on until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, 5 Ingredients Or Less, Beef, Cinco De Mayo, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Instant Pot, Low Carb, Mexican, Nut-Free, One Pot, One Pot, Whole 30
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This was juicy and delicious! Thank you!
This is so simple to make and my family loved it. I will definitely make it again.
This beef was super tender and flavorful! I love that it made a big batch. It’s perfect for taco night and meal planning for the week!