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.
Serving Suggestions
- Chipotle Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Mexican Quinoa Salad
- Authentic Mexican Rice Recipe
- Cilantro Lime Rice
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.
Julie says
This recipe is more than 5 Stars! It’s so hard to find a recipe with so much flavor like this one! The meat is absolutely moist and tender! Please try this recipe! This is one you will have in your meal time routine!
Reba Yo says
Had a package of beef stew meat in the freezer and needed a tasty idea to use it up. This recipe did it! Loved the seasonings, tenderness, and ease of prep. Made our own Chipotle-style bowls – rice, salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc. The rice soaked up the extra juices from the beef – so good. My husband took one bite and said, “This one’s a keeper!”
Shannon Hicks says
I plan on making this tonight and it all looks good! I do think is 11G of fat though and not 22 lol but I cannot wait!
Kelly vee says
I simply loooooove this recipe! My whole family loved it and so will my in-laws tonight when they come to have dinner with us! It will be my third time making it ! Yummmyyyy
Lara says
It’s 11 o’clock at night. I am not hungry. I still just ate two tacos. Amazing recipe exclamation I’m so happy. Are used corn tortillas and start some cilantro lime Crema from Costco into some shredded cabbage/coleslaw mix. Put this lovely juicy beef on the tacos and topped it with the cabbage. The line makes it. Overall fantastic tacos I would happily served others!
Nikki says
This recipe was so easy and so tasty. It had just the right amount of cook time to do the remaining prep for tacos and made my kitchen smell heavenly upon pressure release! Thanks for the recipe, everyone here loved it and it’s now a keeper!
Kayla says
Are you suppose to remove the liquid before adding the meat back into the instant pot? I made this today, but when I added the meat is soaked up all the juices
Isabel says
No, it’s supposed to soak up the juices!
ReeNee says
Made this last night with a shoulder roast in a Fagor lux multi cooker on high pressure setting. CAME OUT PERFECT! Very tender. Effortless to shred, hubby and son loved it. Served on soft corn tortillas for tacos.
Isabel says
I’m so happy you loved it, ReeNee!
heidi says
Hi I don’t have an instant pot.
Can I use my slow cooker? and how long would I cook for?
Dee says
Can you still make this recipe if you don’t have an instant pot?
Isabel says
You could make it in the slow cooker. Sear the meat on your stove like normal, then add it to the slow cooker with all the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.
Miranda Brown says
Hi! This recipe is amazing and my family and I love it!! However, I was wondering if you had around what time it would cook if you boiled this in a normal pot?? I’m going to Florida in a couple weeks, and I won’t have my yedi down there, so I was hoping you might know around how long I could cook this in a regular pot??
Ali says
Do you put the instant pot on meat/stew for 50 minutes?
Isabel says
Hi, Ali. For this recipe, I press the Pressure Cook button, not the Meat/Stew button. If you make it, let me know what you think!
Jax says
Delicious!!! Made this for company. I tripled the recipe except for the chili powder (used 1 T since there were a lot of young kids) and I used chicken broth. I pressure cooked for 70 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thank you!
Isabel says
Thanks, Jax! I’m so happy everyone loved it!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen says
This beef looks so tender and full of flavor! I love how quick this is to prep. Now I’m craving tacos for lunch. 🙂
Isabel says
Thanks, Kristine! It’s seriously so easy to prep, it’s one of my favorite things about it! Then you just let the Instant Pot do all the work! 😉