Instant Pot Barbacoa Bowls {Chipotle Copycat}

Name: Instant Pot Barbacoa Bowls {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; 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

These Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef Bowls are 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

Add the barbacoa ingredients to the Instant Pot in order.
Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Do a natural pressure release.
Make the rice.
Prep your bowl ingredients.
Assemble your burrito bowls and dig in!

copycat version of Chipotle Barbacoa beef burrito bowl

Are burrito bowls healthy?

When making any type of burrito bowl, it can be easy to go overboard with ingredients that are high in calories and fat. For healthier barbacoa beef burrito bowls, consider making some of these easy ingredient swaps:

Choose leaner cuts of beef, like beef sirloin. For the best flavour of barbacoa beef, use a cut that has at least some fat. If you make it with a beef shoulder, trim away some of the excess fat.
Use cheeses that are lower in fat.
Swap out full-fat sour cream for a healthier choice. Light or non-fat sour cream or even yogurt will make the dish healthier.
Make some cauliflower rice to use in the barbacoa beef bowls. Making them with cauliflower rice instead of traditional rice will lower the calories and carbs in your burrito bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of meat is barbacoa?

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 Chipotle's barbacoa or this Instant Pot barbacoa beef 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.

What does it taste like?

Barbacoa beef is so good. It has a slightly tangy taste with a hint of spice thanks to the chipotles. It’s super flavourful, especially since all the spices pressure cook together in the Instant Pot!

What is in a barbacoa bowl?

A barbacoa bowl at Chipotle typically consists of white or brown rice, barbacoa beef, brown or black beans, and your choice of toppings including lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa. Since you’re making your barbacoa bowls at home, the options are pretty much endless when it comes to what toppings you want to add. Feel free to switch things up and add on whatever you’re craving.

Do you eat burrito bowls hot or cold?

It’s totally up to you! Chipotle typically serves their burrito bowls with hot beef and rice while the toppings like lettuce, cheese, and pico de gallo are all cold. You can reheat the beef and rice or eat the whole thing cold – it’s all a matter of personal preference.

Storing and reheating

Store any leftovers 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 spicy shredded 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.

Wanna Learn How To Meal Prep?

My meal planning service, Dinner Prep Pro, removes the guesswork and helps you get dinner on the table in 15-20 minutes each night. My meal prep checklists only take 1 hour each week!

Learn more

More Mexican-inspired meal prep recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

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.