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This Instant Pot shredded beef gives you the payoff of a long braise without giving up your afternoon. A quick sear, a can of tomatoes, broth, and seasoning mix do the heavy lifting while the pressure cooker turns chuck roast into shred-worthy beef.
Simmer the cooking liquid right in the pot until it reduces into a bold, clingy sauce that coats every bite.
Here’s Why This Instant Pot Shredded Beef Recipe Works
Chuck roast was made for this. The marbling and connective tissue break down under pressure, so you get true shred-worthy beef without an all-day braise.
One recipe, a bunch of personalities. Use your seasoning mix to steer the whole dish (taco, Cajun, BBQ-ish, onion-soup comfort) …whatever fits the plan.
That sear isn’t just for looks. Browning adds depth, and deglazing pulls every browned bit into the sauce so it tastes slow-cooked.
The sauce finishes itself. A short sauté simmer after cooking reduces the tomatoes and broth into something bold and meaty, not watery.
Recipe Tips
Cut it so it sits flat. Halving the roast helps it brown evenly and fit comfortably in the pot.
Don’t wing the deglaze. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom well. This prevents the burn warning and builds the sauce at the same time.
Give it the 15-minute natural release. It keeps the beef tender and helps the fibers relax before shredding.
Skim the fat before reducing. You’ll get a sauce that’s rich, not greasy.
Save sticky add-ins for the end. If you’re going BBQ sauce, enchilada sauce, or anything thick, stir it in after you reduce the cooking liquid so it coats the meat instead of thinning out.
How to Serve it
- Tacos, burritos, beef chimichangas
- Rice bowls with sliced onions, cilantro, and lime
- Sandwiches (use it in my beef shawarma sandwiches)
- Taco baked potatoes: pile the beef on a hot baked potato, add your toppings, and call it dinner.
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Instant Pot Shredded Beef
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons seasoning mix, see options below
- 3 pound boneless chuck roast
- ½ cup beef broth , or chicken broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 can
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Slice the chuck roast in half so the pieces fit in the Instant Pot.
- Season both sides of the chuck roast with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the seasoning. Save the rest of the seasoning for later.
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and add some olive oil to the pot. When the oil is hot, brown the chuck roast for about 2 minutes on each side. Turn the saute mode off and set the roast aside on a plate.
- Pour the broth into the pot and scrape the bottom to remove anything that might be stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Put the roast back into the pot and add the crushed tomatoes, the bay leaves and the rest of the spice mix.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the pressure release valve is in the “sealed” position. Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes then release the rest of the pressure manually.
- Remove the chuck roast from the pot and shred the meat with 2 forks.
- Use a large spoon or a ladle to skim the fat off the top of the liquid. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken.
- Return the meat to the Instant Pot with all the cooking liquid. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
Suggested seasoning mix options
- Taco seasoning: Use homemade taco seasoning or your favorite store-bought blend.
- Cajun seasoning: Homemade or store-bought.
- Barbecue seasoning blend: Homemade or store-bought.
- Onion soup mix: Try our homemade low-sodium onion soup blend.
How to add additional sauces
If you want to stir in a finished sauce, wait until the meat is done cooking and you’ve reduced the cooking liquid. After you shred the beef and return it to the pot, stir in the sauce and simmer for 5–10 minutes.Good options:
- Barbecue sauce
- Tikka masala simmer sauce
- Enchilada sauce
- Spanish romesco sauce
If you add these sauces before pressure cooking, the meat releases liquid and the flavor gets diluted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Reader Submitted Photo
Nailed it! I made your bbq seasoning (yum) and my own buns, your momma’s delicious coleslaw and this shredded beef was a huge hit for dinner. Thank you for awesome recipes! 🙏🏼 ❤️ ps I wanted to post a pic, but it won’t let me.
That sounds like a great dinner spread, you really went all in. I’m so glad it turned out well and that everyone enjoyed it. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Sorry the photo wouldn’t upload. Sometimes the comment system can be picky about file size or format. You can send it in an email and I can share it here.
Does anyone trim off any of the fat before cooking ? A lot of time there seems to be way too much fat and not all of it cooks off. I know it gives flavor, but I can’t stand biting into a chunk of fat.
You can trim the fat if you would like.
This turned out wonderful! Used the shredded beef to make tacos. Will definitely make again ?
Oh, thanks Marisa. It is perfect for tacos. Glad you enjoyed it.
This sounds like a terrific way to make shredded beef! I usually make it in a Dutch oven, which works well, but it takes more than a bit of time. This looks tons easier. Tons. 🙂 Thanks!
I do love my Dutch Oven, John, but I agree this is so easy and it is way much faster. Thanks for the comment
I too just made some beef brisket in my IP, but with just salt and water 🙂 Yours turned out really tender, juicy and delicious. Would be nice to fill some pita pockets with it! Thanks for sharing another great recipe, Dahn.
Oh yes, pita pockets would be great with this shredded beef. Great idea Angie 😉