Instant Pot Shredded Beef (and Tacos)
This instant pot shredded beef recipe is flavorful and makes the perfect tacos, burritos, rice bowls and many more delicious meals! One of my favorite ways to use the instant pot is to cook meat. The cook time is reduced, yet that melt-in-your-mouth tenderness remains. One of my favorite ways to eat shredded beef is with tacos (this recipe!) There is no such thing of having too many taco nights in a week at our house. You could say every day is Tuesday around here! These yummy instant pot tacos have become a staple in our household topped with this salsa, so so good!
Why you will love this recipe
- The meat is so flavorful and so tender
- This shredded beef recipe is so versatile, it can be used to make burritos, taquitos, taco bowls, nachos, the list goes on and on.
- Cooking the meat in the instant pot cuts your cooking time in half, so why not use an instant pot?
Ingredients you will need:
- Chuck roast is a meat of choice but stew meat works here too
- Minced garlic
- Beef broth (unsalted or low-sodium) chicken and vegetable broth works too. I like using unsalted, so I can control the amount of salt being added.
- Spices (chili powder, pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic salt
- Chopped white onion for sautéing the meat and can be used for toppings
- Chopped cilantro makes the perfect topping for tacos
- Corn or flour tortillas for tacos – corn is my favorite, but you can also use flour tortillas
- Juice of a half lime (optional) but elevates the meat flavor and gives it that citrusy punch
Step-by-Step Instructions:
How to make Instant Pot shredded beef
Step 1:
Cut the meat into small chunks, if not already pre-cut. Mixed all spices in a large bowl and then add the meat to the seasoning bowl and coat all sides with the spices using tongs. Set your 6qt instant pot (affiliate link) to sauté mode and add your cooking oil.
Step 2:
Add in your chopped onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Then add minced garlic and cook until fragrant for about a minute. Add seasoned meat and brown all sides before adding the broth. You might have to do this step in batches if you have too much meat. Lastly, set the instant pot to manual mode on high for 50 minutes.
Step 3
Once time is up carefully release all the pressure, open the lid and transfer the meat to a large bowl. I like using this strainer laddle to transfer the meat and shred the beef using two forks. Add a few spoonfuls of the broth to the bowl so the meat maintains some moisture. Once the meat has been shredded I like to add more garlic salt if needed and squeeze a lime wedge and combine.
Building your instant pot shredded beef tacos
- Heat your corn or flour tortillas on a griddle until warm or microwave for 10-15 seconds
- Add your shredded beef – (to make the beef crispy, heat the meat in the broiler for 10 minutes.)
- Top with chopped onion and chopped cilantro
- Pour green salsa or red spicy salsa (optional) but, you really don’t want to skip the salsa
- Squeeze a lime wedge and serve
Substitutions
For this recipe I used chuck roast, but have tested this with stew meat and works just as well. If you don’t have beef broth, you can use chicken or vegetable broth too.
What to serve with shredded beef
- Tacos (my favorite) and this recipe is one of my favorites
- burritos
- nachos
- quesadillas
- rice bowls
Instant Pot Shredded Beef (Tacos)
Instant pot shredded beef is bursting in flavor, tender, easy to make and comes together within an hour and a half.
Ingredients
For the beef:
- 2 lb Chuck Roast*
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (+more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 cup unsalted beef broth *
- 1 minced garlic
- ⅓ finely chopped white onion
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
For the tacos:
- 18 corn or flour tortillas (I use corn)
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- green or red salsa * (see note)
- Lime wedges
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
-
Cut chuck roast into one inch pieces
-
Add all spices in a large bowl and combine
-
Add meat to the spice bowl and coat all sides with the spices
-
Press the sauté button on the instant pot and add olive oil. Add onion and sauté until translucent for a minute and then add minced garlic until fragrant for another minute
-
Add in meat and brown the meat on all sides flipping with kitchen tongs or fork *
-
Add in beef broth *
-
Cover the instant pot with lid, set to manual mode and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes
-
Carefully release the pressure after 50 minutes
-
Transfer the beef to a bowl or plate with some broth to keep the beef moist and shred with two forks – add more salt if needed
Build your tacos:
-
Heat your tortillas on a griddle in medium-high heat until warm for about two minutes. You can also microwave for about 15 seconds
-
top your tortillas with shredded beef, onion, cilantro
-
squeeze lime on top (optional)
-
top with green or red salsa (optional, but highly recommend)
Notes
Browning the meat – you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your instant pot. Brown the meat on all sides and put in a bowl while other pieces are browning. Once all meat is browned add all pieces back to the instant pot and close the lid.
Beef Broth – you can also use chicken or vegetable broth instead
Instead of using chopped white onion and minced garlic you can skip step 4 and add ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon onion powder to the meat.
Red Salsa
Green Salsa
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcal
Storing tips:
You can store shredded beef in a zip top bag or air tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
