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 recipes you’ll love
- The BEST Mexican Carnitas Recipe
- Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
- Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe
- Carne Asada 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.
Ali says
March 2, 2019 at 5:39 pmDo you put the instant pot on meat/stew for 50 minutes?
Isabel says
March 4, 2019 at 9:49 amHi, 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
February 2, 2019 at 12:37 amDelicious!!! 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
April 1, 2019 at 12:12 pmThanks, Jax! I’m so happy everyone loved it!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen says
January 23, 2019 at 11:57 amThis 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
January 27, 2019 at 1:34 pmThanks, 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! 😉