Quick and easy instant pot shredded beef recipe with simple ingredients- Juicy, soft, tender meat that melts in your mouth. Use it in tacos, sandwiches, pasta.
This multi-purpose beef makes meal planning so easy because it can be used in so many recipes. It also freezes well and my family loves it just as much as this Mexican Shredded Chicken (One Pot) and this Shredded BBQ Beef (One Pot)
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How to make shredded beef in instant pot?
- Sear the meat until brown on all side.
- Mix in broth, herbs and spices.
- Cover and “Seal.”
- Cook on “Manual” mode.
- Let the pressure release via “Venting.”
- Shred meat.
What cut of meat is best for shredded beef recipes?
Tough meat like chuck roast is my preference because it has lots of connective tissue and very little fat. Thus, when it’s cooked slowly for a few hours, the high amount of collagen and tissues in this tough cut breaks down, which yields the most tender and succulent meat.
How do you shred cooked beef?
The best way to do this is to use 2 forks to scrape the beef and rip off small portions. Mix everything together at the end so that all the shreds are coated in the sauce.
I have also heard some people do it successfully in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment but I have not tried this. However, I have used a stand mixer for shredding chicken and that worked very well.
Shredded beef tacos are my favorite way to enjoy them!
Use soft or hard tacos and fill them with the beef, lettuce and any of these toppings: guacamole, sour cream, green onions, shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella), finely chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapenos.
How to use leftover shredded beef?
Sandwiches- Use hamburger buns or pretzel buns and fill them beef and a topping of bbq sauce and some lettuce.
Quesadillas, Enchiladas, Burritos, Taquitos- Omit oregano and instead, use 1.5 tablespoon taco seasoning, when preparing the beef in the pressure cooker. Then, follow the basic steps of putting together a burrito, enchilada or quesadilla. Use Mexican toppings like guacamole, jalapenos, shredded Mexican cheese blend and enjoy.
Pasta- Mix the prepared beef with your favorite pasta sauce and serve it over boiled noodles.
Grilled cheese sandwiches- This is amazing with lots of mozzarella cheese and juicy beef.
Casseroles- Use it in beef casseroles.
Pizza- Use these tender shreds as a topping.
What sides to serve with pressure cooker shredded beef/ pulled beef ?
Salad- Make your favorite green salad with vegetables of your choice and toss in some of this beef too as a source of protein and make a basic salad more filling.
Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash -A healthy alternative to regular pasta.
Zoodles or zucchini noodles- Another healthy alternative to regular pasta
Roasted vegetables- Such as Roasted Carrots (One Pan) or Roasted Sweet Potatoes (One Pan) or even Oven Roasted Cauliflower (One Pan).
Crusty bread or dinner rolls- The thicker the bread, the better. That's because this beef is ver juicy and the thicker breads can absorb those juices better without becoming soggy.
Pita bread- Fill the pockets with beef and any toppings you like, similar to a shawarma.
Rice or couscous- Simply boil them with a splash of lemon juice and make a rice bowl with beef and other toppings of your liking.
Coleslaw- A classic option that you can also use in sandwiches.
Creamy Mashed Potatoes- This is my favorite!
Tips and Techniques
Trim excess fat- This is important because it prevents the beef from becoming too greasy.
Shredded beef sauce-The thickness of sauce can be adjusted, based on your preference. If it's too thin or watery, cook on the "Saute" setting without lid until liquid is reduced. If it's too thick, add some water and cook for a few minutes.
Adjust amount of seasonings- This is all based on your preference. Add more of less of spices you like and/or dislike.
Use low sodium broth- Because this prevents the beef from becoming too salty.
Add a spicy kick- Do this by adding some red chili flakes. This is entirely optional though.
Sear the meat- Because it gives it a nice crispy exterior and helps with the overall texture.
Cooking time may vary- This depends on the type of pressure cooker you use as well as a personal preference of how you like your beef. If it’s not tender enough to your liking, just cook for longer (up to 80 minutes).
How to store shredded or pulled beef? When it cools down completely, store in an air-tight, sealed freezer container for up to 1 month. When you are ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight and then heat in microwave or stovetop.
Other Instant Pot Meals
Recipe
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2.5 pounds Chuck roast Trimmed of excess fat
- 2 cups Beef broth Low sodium
- Salt To taste
- Pepper To taste
- 1-2 teaspoon Dried oregano Can be replaced with Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- 1.5 tablespoon Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili flakes Optional
Instructions
- Turn Instant pot to "Saute"mode and heat oil.
- Add roast and sear one side until golden brown. Then, flip it over and sear the other side.
- Sear and brown the sides of the roast too.
- Add broth, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika powder, chili powder, vinegar, red chili flakes and mix to combine everything together.
- Put the lid on and turn the the valve to "Sealing."
- Select "Manual" mode and set the timer for 60 minutes.
- When the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before turning the valve to "Venting."
- Open the lid and shred beef with 2 forks.
- Select the "Saute" mode and cook until liquid is reduced to your desired consistency. I like the sauce to be thick and really coating the beef and thus, I reduce a lot. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.
Happy cooking everyone!
Myra says
Easy and delish. Thanks for sharing.
lara says
Used stew meat from Aldi’s. I wasn’t sure what type of vinegar. I used apple cider vinegar. This was so good!!!
Abeer Rizvi says
Any type of vinegar can be used. I love apple cider vinegar. It adds a very subtle tang and fruitiness.
Pat says
I would strongly recommend 4 cups of broth to avoid scorching. After one hour, the “burn notice” on the insta pot went off and I had to do some salvage work on the portion that hadn’t shredded. Spices were right on
Abeer Rizvi says
Are you using an instant pot or the ninja foodi pressure cooker? I used Instant Pot. I feel like slight adjustments need to be made to recipe sometimes, depending on which pressure cooker is being used.
Ryan says
If you put a trivet in the Instant pot to hold the meat, it will then not throw you the burn notice.
Abeer Rizvi says
That's a great tip. Thanks for sharing Ryan.
Carly says
I found after browning the beef on each sides, I had to take out the meat and deglaze the bottom with the broth to remove the brown stuck on bites that cause the burn notice and then add the meat and spices back in
Brandie says
Everyone loved this. We added a little Famous Dave's bbq sauce, onions and coleslaw to a bun. Excellent!
Valeria says
Do I double ingredients if I use 5lbs of meat?
Abeer Rizvi says
Yes, if you double the quantity of meat, you double all the other ingredients too.
Gina says
How much longer would you cook a 5lb roast for then?
Abeer Rizvi says
I haven't tried that to know what changes need to be made. Sorry!
Roohi says
Does the time need to changed if I'm using lesser quantity of meat?
Abeer Rizvi says
No necessarily. It would just be more tender.
Sheryl says
Can this work with petite sirloin meat? I have some leftover and want to use it.
Abeer Rizvi says
I haven't tried that to know how that would affect this recipe. If you give it a shot, I would love to hear your feedback.
Lara says
Love this recipe. Second time making it. I doubled the meat so I doubled the seasonings but did not double the broth. I did not need to increase the time. I did cut my bottom round roasts into thirds and seared them on all sides first. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
C says
This recipe was absolutely delicious. So simple, so juicy, so tasty - will definitely be making it again!
Harri says
Absolutely spot on - follow the recipe!
Tony says
I absolutely love this recipe! I’ve made it at least 10 times over the last couple years. I always serve it on Hawaiian rolls. I JUST NOW saw that all other uses for it. I will definitely make some tacos with it in the future. I have some in the instant pot now. I always take the beef out and shred it while I reduce the juice. It does take quite a while to reduce that tasty juice down to a nice thick sauce. It does need to be babysat. Once it gets close to being perfect, it could get too thick fast. You’ll know when to add the beef back to get it coated with the deliciousness!