You can have dinner ready and on the table in a fraction of the time with this Easy Instant Pot Shredded Beef recipe! This beef has been a huge hit in my house for a while now. It's a great meal prep staple protein to make many different meals. We enjoy it for tacos, tostadas, beef enchiladas and I even enjoy it for taco salads when I need to watch my carbs. This versatile recipe has simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. It's a delicious and easy way to enjoy dinners for multiple days in a busy work week.
What cut of Beef is best for Shredded Beef?
For this recipe I always use boneless chuck roast. Beef chuck roast is the best cut of meat for this recipe because it's an inexpensive cut of meat and it cooks great in the Instant Pot. It's also referred to as chuck steak or "pot roast" beef. Similar cuts that can be used are shoulder roast, shoulder steak, chuck eye and blade roast. Chuck roast when braised or pressure cooked turns out really tender and juicy and great for shredded beef.
How to Make Shredded Beef
There are many different ways of making awesome shredded flavorful beef, but pressure cooking is the fastest cooking method and most efficient way of getting this beef on the table in a hurry! Simply cut the beef into smaller chunks (About 3 inch), add the cooking oil, and toss to coat. Heat up the instant pot to sauté mode, add about half the beef, fat side down to render the fat and then sprinkle with half the seasoning. Brown the beef about 1-2 mins per side. Then add your cooking liquid, deglaze the pot and return the beef. Cook on high pressure for just 30 minutes and then let it natural release for 15 minutes.
Dishes to Make with Shredded Beef
This shredded beef is so versatile, it'll help you make easy meals on busy weeknights with minimal effort! Use it on Taco Tuesday for awesome shredded beef tacos. If you'd like to add a little southwestern flair or more like Mexican shredded beef, you can add a healthy amount of green chilis (or a 7 oz. can ) to your pot. Use it as your protein for enchiladas, taquitos, flautas and even tostadas! You can also add some roasted jalapenos to your dish if you want to add a spicy kick. If you need a gluten free option, you can make beef burrito rice bowls. Need low carb? Add this tender meat to some chopped lettuce, along with taco toppings and you've got yourself a delicious taco salad! If you don't feel like Mexican food for dinner, grab some buns and make some juicy beef sandwiches. Add some pepperoncini peppers, or pickled jalapenos with your favorite sandwich spread for a flavorful shredded beef sandwich.
Can I prepare this beef in the Slow Cooker?
Yes, you can, but of course the Instant Pot will take much less time. Some recipes really benefit from more of a slow cook, but this recipe does not require it. In a slow cooker, you'd prepare the same as the Instant pot, including browning the beef and then add the broth to the cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, depending on how much beef you have. For 3 lbs of beef, about 7 hrs and 8 hrs for 4lbs.
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Ingredients
- Chuck Roast- aka Beef Roast. This is an affordable cut of meat which is why I love cooking it.
- Cooking Oil- You can use your preferred oil here, but I like avocado or extra virgin olive oil.
- Garlic- I prefer granulated garlic, but garlic powder is fine as well.
- Chili powder- Grab your favorite chili powder.
- Salt- I use fine grain sea salt.
- Pepper- I use standard fine grain black pepper.
- Onion powder- If you're out of powder, you can use dried chopped onion or granulated onion.
- Smoked paprika- you can use regular sweet paprika in a pinch, I just prefer the smoky awesomeness of smoked paprika in this beef.
- Broth- I love vegetable broth for it's complex flavor, but beef stock or beef broth is definitely great too, especially for added beefy flavor! Just a personal preference.
Here are some other Instant Pot Recipes you might enjoy!
Easy Instant Pot Shredded Beef (Multi-purpose)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-3.5 lb Chuck Roast cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth vegetable or beef
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot on Sauté.
- Toss the beef chunks with about 2 tablespoon of avocado oil, then sprinkle the seasoning and toss the beef chunks right on the cutting board or in a bowl.
- Once instant pot hot, add about half the beef chunks, fat side down to the pot.
- Brown beef about 1-2 mins per side and then remove from pot.
- Repeat with the remaining beef.
- Once all of the beef is browned and removed from the pot, add the broth and deglaze the pot, being sure to scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
- Add all of the beef back to the Instant Pot, cover and set pot to High Pressure for 30 mins.
- After the time is up, let the pot natural release for 15 mins and then fully pressure release the rest of the pressure in the pot before opening it.
- Lastly, transfer the beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon and let it rest and cool a few minutes.
- Use 2 forks or shredding claws to shred the beef. If you want the meat juicier, just add in some of your au jus to the shredded beef.
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