This moist and tender Mexican Shredded Beef is made in the Instant Pot in less than 2 hours! Its delicious by itself or great in tacos, salads and more. (gluten free, low carb, paleo)
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 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.
Ingredients you’ll need
- beef stew meat
- chili powder, dried minced onion, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, black pepper
- cooking oil
- beef broth or water
- lime juice
- cilantro
Which cut of beef do you recommend for shredded beef?
Slow cooking meats like chuck roast or round roast are great for making shredded beef. I often buy 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’s a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, yogurt maker, saute/browning pan and more all in one.
The pressure cooker function in particular is what 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 quickly becoming one of my favorite kitchen appliances and I can’t recommend it enough.
If you want to get dinner on the table fast and spend less time in the kitchen, then you’ve got to give the Instant Pot a try. I have the 6-Quart 9-in-1 Duo Plus Instant Pot and I love it.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into small chunks (chuck roast or round roast works well)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon 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.
Isabel’s Tips:
- 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 Information
I watched @Mandyinthemaking prepare this on her YouTube channel a few weeks ago and had to try it. So easy, and so delicious! I browned the beef in a skillet for ease, deglazed the pan and poured the broth into my Instant Pot to get all the yummy fond. I shortened the cook time to 40 minutes and it still fell apart with just a few twists from my chop-stir thingy.
My husband suggested I use these spices with a little less chili powder and cumin to make a rub for shredded bbq stew meat. I think he’s onto something!
My family loved this! We made chimichangas with the meat and it was so good. Thank you for sharing!
This instant pot mexican shredded beef is perfection! Obsessed with how easy, shreddy and tasty this is!
Winner for my whole family. So easy and so flavorful, will definitely be placed on the menu rotation for sure. And I may never make regular ‘beef stew’ ever again! We used the meat for tacos with grilled peppers+onions and beans. I also swapped fresh garlic and onion because I didn’t have any dried, and added 5 minutes cooking time to our grass-fed cut-up roast.
Hi Rebecca! Thank you so much for sharing!
Love this recipe! I regular rotate this recipe in my meal planning. Even got my sister hooked on it. Thanks for sharing!
Sooo good!
This is such a great recipe! I have made it a couple times for company because it’s so easy and tasty. I didn’t change anything in the recipe.
I have a very fussy family of three – we are all autistic and sometimes dinner is rough but we can always agree on tacos. But man am I bored of ground beef, Americanized tacos. I had beef stew meat that I thought was going to become, well, beef stew, and then I was craving the local shredded beef tacos from our favorite place. But at $15 a plate… plus tax… plus tip… $15 of beef later, and WOW!!!! We are a little weaker in the spice arena – I only used 1/4 teaspoon of Chile, but left all else the same. I was so excited that they were all ingredients I always keep around. I’m sorry for such a long winded review, but if it were me, I’d want to know! You helped a little neurodivergent family add a new recipe to the rotation of “we always love this” liar and that’s a big deal around here. I’m like tearing up. I don’t get a 10/10 review from my husband and son simultaneously very often it feels amazing. Thank you – a million times!
Not liar, list. Stupid typos! Thanks again
Hi Christina! Thank you so much for sharing! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe with your family!
Can this be made in a crock pot instead?
Hi Rhia! Yes you can make this in the crockpot! I would follow steps 1 and 2, but sear the meat in a pan, and then place it with the rest of the ingredients in the crockpot and set on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
My beef wasn’t able to shred after it was cooked. I cut in it small
Pieces and it wouldn’t shred when I used fork. Any reason why?
Hi Cindy! That’s weird that it turned out like that. Maybe they were cut a little too small and they overcooked. Do you mind elaborating on how you cooked it?
I didn’t want to use my stove or oven on a warm summer day so thought an Instant Pot dinner would be good. Isabel’s recipe was a choice from my Google search for ‘shredded Mexican beef’ and it’s a winner! I’ve bookmarked her site and I’ll be back for more summer ideas (i.e. her Mexican quinoa salad). My partner is a hunter so all our ‘beef’ is venison or elk meat. This recipe results in super-tender meat that shreds easily with 2 forks. Love the blend of spices and someone else’s suggestion to add a little chipotle pepper. I questioned the 1 Tbl of chili powder but it wasn’t overpowering.
Thank you Barb! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Oh man, this is INCREDIBLE. I messed up the recipe slightly cause I wasn’t paying attention and I forgot to sear the meat first, so it’s not quite as good as it could have been, but this is easily a 10/10, and I 100% will be making this again.
I love this recipe! I added some ground smoked chipotle pepper and some smoked paprika also to the rub. What an easy and delicious recipe. Thank you
This is a great recipe full of flavor. Its always a hit and its easy to make.
This has become a favorite for my family.