Instant Pot Shredded Beef

Shredded beef being scooped with a couple of forks.

4.67 from 3 votes

Making shredded beef is easy and fast in an Instant Pot. This recipe is versatile and flexible. Change up the spice mixture to match the flavor and theme of your meal. Make it spicy Mexican one night then switch to a tangy barbecue or zesty cajun or all-purpose onion and herb flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Additional Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot, Instant pot shredded beef, instant pot shredded beef empanadas, Mexican shredded beef, shredded beef in the instant pot

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tablespoons seasoning mix see options below
3 pound boneless chuck roast
1/2 cup beef broth or chicken broth
14 ounce 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 spice mix options:

Taco seasoning. Check out our homemade taco seasoning mix.
Cajun seasoning mix. Homemade or storebought
Barbecue seasoning blend. Homemade or storebought.
Onion soup mix. Check out our homemade, low sodium onion soup blend.

How to add additional wet sauces.

If you want to add additional sauces wait until the meat is finished cooking and the juices have been reduced. After you shred the meat and add it back to the pot, add the additional sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Here are some suggested sauces:

Barbecue sauce
Tikka Masala simmer sauce
Enchilada sauce
Spanish Romesco sauce.

If you add the simmer sauces before you cook the meat then the juices will thin the sauce and dilute the flavor. Add the sauce last.

Nutrition