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Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef (Keto, Paleo)

Quick and easy paleo and keto-friendly Instant Pot barbacoa beef – this recipe takes just over an hour to make and only requires 8 ingredients. This mouth-watering recipe is simple and awesome for meal prepping.

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef - low-carb, paleo, keto, and only 8 ingredients required! | TheRoastedRoot.net

One of my all-time favorite recipes on this site is my Crock Pot Barbacoa Beef which I have probably made at least 8 times in the last couple years.

So you can imagine when I bought my Instant Pot a few weeks ago, barbacoa beef was one of the first recipes I made in it.

How to Make Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef:

The process is so simple! First, we blend up the chilies, seasoning, broth and lime juice in a small blender to create an adobo sauce.

adobo sauce ingredients for barbacoa beef

adobo sauce for barbacoa beef

We then brown the meat in the Instant Pot on the Sauté mode just long enough to give it a nice sear.

Keto Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef made with 8 simple ingredients

(^ Don’t mind the background noise 😉 )

Pour in the sauce, set the Instant Pot to the Pressure Cook mode, then let it do its thing for an hour!

Once the beef has finished cooking, transfer the meat to a cutting board and shred it using two forks. Place the meat back into the Instant Pot so that it can absorb the juices, making it extra flavorful.

Keto Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef made with 8 simple ingredients | TheRoastedRoot.com #whole30 #paleo #lowcarb

When the beef is ready, the world is your oyster when it comes to serving options.

You can eat it in tacos, swaddle it up with beans and rice in a burrito, make a burrito bowl with your choice of toppings, or create a hodge podge bowl o’ nutritious vegetation like what you see here.

I ate the beef on top of mixed greens with a hefty portion of avocado, quinoa, tomatoes, red cabbage, and green onion.

What Type of Beef Should I Use?:

I always use grass-fed beef because it contains more nutrients than grain-fed. Plus you get a nice dose of omega-3 fats. An added bonus, is it tastes better than grain-fed beef (in my opinion).

I source all of my beef from ButcherBox, which serves up grass-fed, grass-finished beef as well as heritage pork, organic chicken, and wild Alaskan salmon. In addition to the fact that the beef is never grain-fed, I love that there are no added hormones or antibiotics, the convenience factor (it’s delivered right to your door), and the fact that it’s affordable!

It’s really just clean, great tasting beef! I simply place an order whenever I’m running low on animal protein to keep my freezer stocked. 

Keto Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef made with 8 simple ingredients - a Whole30, paleo, low-carb dinner recipe | TheRoastedRoot.comWhat did we do with the leftovers?

We consumed them in all meals, of course! – we added the barbacoa beef to scrambled eggs with potatoes and kale for breakfast, ate it as a sandwich or burrito for lunch, and made a bowl situation for dinner.

If you don’t follow a Low-FODMAP diet, consider adding 1 small diced yellow onion and 5 minced cloves of garlic for even more flavor.

The beef is magnificent without, but a little onion and garlic action is MEGA when your tummy can tolerate it.

I’m still baffled by the power of the Instant Pot to make incredible shredded meat so quickly. Where the Instant Pot approach only takes 1 hour of cook time, the slow cooker version took upwards of 10 hours to get the level of shred.

How, pray tell, will you eat your barbacoa beef??

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef - low-carb, paleo, keto, and only 8 ingredients required! | TheRoastedRoot.net

Instant Pot Barbacoa Beef

Easy Barbacoa Beef made in the pressure cooker is incredibly tender and flavorful!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
5 Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Blend the beef broth, lime juice, cider vinegar, chilis, cumin, oregano, and sea salt in a small blender and set aside.
  • Cut the beef roast into 4-6 large chunks.
  • Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and add the oil. Once hot, carefully place the chunks of meat on the surface. Brown 2 minutes per side.
  • Pour the adobo sauce over the browned meat and secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes.
  • When the pot has finished its cycle and beeps, allow the pressure to naturally release. 
  • Remove lid and transfer the chunks of beef to a cutting board. Use 2 forks to shred the beef and place the meat back in the pot. Stir well and allow beef to sit 15 minutes or longer to absorb the juices. 
  • Serve barbacoa beef in tacos, burritos, or bowls.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 5 - Calories: 407kcal - Protein: 35g - Fat: 29g
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: instant pot barbacoa beef, keto, low-carb, paleo, shredded beef recipe, whole30
Servings: 5 Servings
Calories: 407kcal
Author: Julia
Recipe Rating




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Suzi

Sunday 1st of January 2023

I can't eat food w/ heat spice. Any exchange? I can eat, some, otherwise, it is not enjoyable, for me! Any adjustment,to use a pork roast instead??

Julia

Wednesday 4th of January 2023

Hi Suzi! I would omit the chipotle chilis and chop up one bell pepper so that you're getting some additional flavor without any spice. No changed needed for a pork roast!

Nicole

Sunday 6th of November 2022

This was great! Wanted a different way to make something with a tougher meat. I only had diced green chilis in the pantry so made a daring substitute. The whole family approved!

Julia

Monday 7th of November 2022

I'm so happy to hear it, Nicole! Thank you for reporting back! xo

Heather

Friday 17th of July 2020

Would you say the 3 chipotle chilis makes this quite spicy? I really want to make this recipe, but do not want a huge punch of heat.

Julia

Friday 17th of July 2020

Hi Heather,

I'd recommend decreasing it to one chipotle chili...that way you still get some chili flavor but less heat. Hope you enjoy it! xo

Mena

Sunday 21st of June 2020

This sounds delicious! Would it work with lamb shoulder instead of beef?

Julia

Monday 22nd of June 2020

Hi Mena,

That's a great question! I assume it would work great if it's an equivalent size, but I've never tried it with lamb shoulder, myself. Let me know if you go for it! xo

Sevananda Jose

Saturday 16th of November 2019

Did anyone take a “mili-moment” to look into the ingredients of the suggested “Goya” brand chipotle chilies in adobo sauce? Show me the gmo and I’ll show a spike in your blood glucose! Dear God!!! What a way to ruin a possibly wonderful recipe!!!

Steve

Saturday 7th of March 2020

Half of it is fiber. Not that big of a spike in blood sugar.

Tammy

Sunday 17th of November 2019

If you don’t like the brand of chilies. Use a different one. Just a thought.

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