Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef {Chipotle Copycat}

Name: Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef {Chipotle Copycat}
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 lbs stewing beef; 4 cloves garlic minced; 1 chipotle pepper, minced; 2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles); 1 tbsp lime juice; 1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free); 1 tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp chili powder; 2 tsp cumin; 2 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp paprika; 3/4 cup beef broth; 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper; Store-bought fresh salsa or pico de gallo; Guacamole; corn; Lettuce; Cheese; sour cream; cilantro; 2 cups water; 1 cup dry rice; 1 tsp butter

This Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef is a perfect Chipotle copycat! The beef stays tender and flavourful with a natural pressure release.

Ingredients and substitutions

Barbacoa

Olive oil – substitute for any neutral cooking oil of your choice like canola oil.
Stewing beef – you use any type of beef you'd like, including steak that’s been chopped into pieces.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
Chipotle pepper – try using chipotle powder instead.
Adobo sauce – you can try using minced pickled jalapeno with smoky BBQ sauce but the flavours will be different.
Lime juice – fresh or bottled lime juice can both be used.
Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
Vinegar – use apple cider vinegar instead of regular vinegar or double up on the lime juice.
Chili powder – taco seasoning will also work in place of the spices.
Cumin – see substitution notes above.
Onion powder – garlic powder would also be good.
Paprika – use a pinch of cayenne instead.
Beef broth – vegetable broth can work but will have a different flavour.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Bowls

Fresh salsa – fresh pico de gallo or jarred salsa can be used instead.
Guacamole – sliced avocados would be good in place of guacamole.
Corn – fresh, canned or grilled corn would all be yummy. Swap out for another veggie of your choice like bell peppers if you don’t like corn.
Lettuce – use iceberg or romaine lettuce or even some spinach.
Cheese – Monterey Jack is good on burrito bowls but cheddar or cojita cheese would be yummy too.
Sour cream – leave this out altogether if you’re not a fan of sour cream.
Cilantro – leave this off if you don’t like cilantro.

Rice

Dry rice – use any kind of rice of your choice like white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice.
Butter – or a butter substitute to make the rice moist.

How to make barbacoa beef

Steps 1 and 2 for making Instant Pot barbacoa bowls: cook barbacoa then make rice and assemble toppings.

Step 1: Cook the barbacoa.

Add all the barbacoa ingredients to the Instant Pot in order. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes, then do a natural pressure release.

Step 2: Make the rice and prep toppings.

While the barbacoa is cooking, make the rice in a rice cooker and assemble any toppings if you're making barbacoa bowls.

Steps 3 and 4 for making instant Pot barbacoa bowls: shred beef then assemble burrito bowls.

Step 3: Shred barbacoa.

When the pressure has released, shred the beef.

Step 4: Assemble your burrito bowls and dig in!

Serve the beef with rice and other desired toppings. Enjoy!

copycat version of Chipotle Barbacoa beef burrito bowl

How to serve barbacoa beef

Wondering how to serve your Instant Pot barbacoa? Here are some of my favourite ways to enjoy this tender meat:

Burrito Bowls: This is one of the most popular options! Serve your beef over rice with your favourite burrito bowl toppings like guac, cheese, corn and salsa.
Tacos: Serve your barbacoa in corn tortillas with red onion, cilantro and cotija cheese.
Burritos: Add your barbacoa to a flour tortilla with all your favourite burrito toppings, then roll it up and dig in.
Quesadillas: This barbacoa beef would be delicious in this quesadilla recipe instead of chicken.
Loaded Fries: Swap out the carne asada for barbacoa in this loaded fries recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

What cut of meat should you use?

Authentic Mexican barbacoa beef is made from either the head of a cow or sometimes, chunks of goat meat. In the United States, some Mexican restaurants make barbacoa using beef cheeks rather than using the entire head of the cow. Neither the barbacoa Chipotle recipe or this barbacoa Instant Pot recipe use any part of a cow's head, though. Instead, Chipotle makes their barbacoa beef using a beef shoulder, and my recipe calls for stewing beef, which usually comes from cuts of beef chuck or round.

Can you make barbacoa in the slow cooker?

If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can definitely try making this recipe in the slow cooker. Try cooking it on low for 8 hours.

How do you make it more mild?

This barbacoa definitely has a bit of a kick thanks to the chipotle pepper. If you want to make your beef more mild, use only half a chipotle pepper.

Can you make this recipe with pork or chicken instead?

Yes! While barbacoa is traditionally made using beef, you could also try making it using chicken breasts or pork. The cooking time will remain the same.

What toppings can you add on?

If you're serving your Instant Pot barbacoa as burrito bowls, the sky's the limit when it comes to toppings. I like adding on some fresh salsa, guac, corn, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and cilantro, but feel free to add on any toppings you're craving. Diced red onion, cotija cheese and bell peppers would all be delicious!

Storing and reheating

Store any leftovers of this barbacoa chipotle recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days. I recommend reheating the bowls without the toppings – just reheat the rice and beef together and then add the toppings fresh from there. Sprinkle some water over top of the beef to prevent it from drying out then microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.

If you want to be able to pack barbacoa beef burrito bowls for meal prep lunches, place the beef and rice into small, microwaveable containers. When you're ready to eat, you just need to microwave the beef and rice for about 2 minutes, then add it into the container with your cold ingredients. Toss to combine and you'll be all set!

Can you freeze barbacoa beef?

Fortunately, this Instant Pot barbacoa beef freezes beautifully, making it the perfect choice for meal prep dinners like a beef burrito bowl!

Freeze the leftover beef and rice separately for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating just like you normally would.

There are a lot of ways to use leftover barbacoa beef too. Of course, you can use it to make traditional Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos and enchiladas. For something a little different, use your barbacoa beef to make loaded baked potatoes, a pot of soup, or add some of the beef to an omelet.

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Meal Prep Tools

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan to use the Instant Pot barbacoa beef in lunches for the week.
Get some compostable takeout containers like the ones pictured in this post.
I get all my grass-fed beef and free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
Freeze and refrigerate leftovers in round glass microwave-safe bowls with lids.
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