Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Easy Instant Pot Shredded Beef that's tender, juicy, & flavorful. Perfect for meal prep dinners like tacos, BBQ sandwiches, and nachos.
Easy Instant Pot Chuck Roast Shredded Beef
This Instant Pot Shredded Beef recipe solves dinner five times this week making it a rock star for meal prepping and busy weeknights.
One of my secret weapons for time saving weeknight cooking is choosing recipes like this one that can turn one roast into tacos, BBQ sandwiches, nachos, enchiladas, and more.
Using the Instant Pot gets this tender shredded beef in all its glory on your table in two, hands-off hours. Making it perfect for most weeknights, game days, and Sunday dinners.
Why This Instant Pot Shredded Beef Works
- chuck roast = perfect shredding cut
- pressure cooking in the Instant Pot breaks down connective tissue fast
- miso + tomato paste boosts the beefy umami flavor
- cooking juices become built-in sauce
Instant Pot Dinners to Try
If you love a good Instant Pot recipe, check out my Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup and Instant Pot Ham and Beans recipes. And for a CrockPot Roast that's better than all the rest, try my Pot Roast Seasoning recipe.
Ingredients
Here I give you the basic ingredients for a versatile starter for shredded beef.
- Olive Oil -- for browning the roast.
- Beef Roast -- 3 to 4 pound chuck or arm roast are my favorites here. Beef brisket would also work.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
- Onion, sliced
- Garlic Cloves, minced
- Tomato Paste -- brings richness and needed acidity.
- White Miso Paste -- brings umami to the dish and is delicious added to many dishes.
- Beef Bouillon -- deepens the beef flavor.
- Beer, Apple Cider, soda pop, or water -- liquid to tenderize the roast and bring moisture.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute to preheat. While seasoning the roast generously with kosher salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil and sear the roast on all sides.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and close the Instant Pot lid. Set the steam release to the sealing position.
- Set the cooker to Manual or Pressure Cook and cook for 60 to 90 minutes depending on the weight of your roast. *See cooking time table below
- Allow the cooker to release pressure on its own. When the seal is released, remove the lid.
- Shred the beef using 2 forks. Serve on buns with BBQ sauce or flavor to your liking for a variety of uses including: tacos, pot roast, quesadillas, enchiladas, spaghetti, chili, etc.
Hint: If your beef isn't tender enough to shred easily after cooking for 2 hours, simply seal the Instant Pot up and cook for 15 to 30 more minutes.
Instant Pot Shredded Beef Cook Time
Cooking time depends on the size of your beef roast. 20 minutes per pound of beef is a good starting point.
| Roast Size | Cook Time |
|---|---|
| 2 lbs | 60 minutes |
| 3 lbs | 75 minutes |
| 4 lbs | 90 minutes |
7 Easy Meals From Instant Pot Shredded Beef
- shredded beef taco casserole
- BBQ shredded beef - simply stir in your favorite bottle BBQ sauce
- sloppy joe sliders
- beef version of these enchiladas
- loaded tachos
- easy quesadillas
- beefy baked potatoes
- homestyle chili starter
Best Cuts of Beef for Shredded Beef
- Chuck roast (best) - Taken from the shoulder, this cut is heavily marbled with fat and connective tissue, ensuring a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Arm Roast (good choice) - Similar to the chuck roast and works quite well.
- Brisket - Taken from the lower breast, it is packed with intense, savory beef flavor. When cooked slowly, it produces tender, slighty stringy shredded meat. It typically cost a bit more than chuck roast.
- Rump roast - A very lean cut from the hindquarters. It is more economical than chuck but has less fat, which makes it drier. Not my favorite for shredded beef.
Substitutions & Variations
There are many ways to cook beef roast in the Instant Pot.
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork - use a pork butt or shoulder instead of the beef roast for a fabulous pork version.
- Mexican Style Shredded Beef - Add 1 can of tomatoes with green chilis, adobo sauce, 2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of cumin.
- BBQ Shredded Beef - Stir in your favorite BBQ sauce, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Classic Beef Pot Roast - Add carrots and celery to the roast while cooking. Serve over mashed potatoes for a classic beef pot roast dinner.
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef
Don't have an Instant Pot? Utilize your slow cooker for fantastic shredded beef that will be ready when you get home.
- In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. While heating, season the roast generously with kosher salt and pepper.
- Sear the roast on all sides.
- Put the roast and the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker.
- Set the cooker to low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours.
- Shred the beef using 2 forks. Serve on buns with BBQ sauce or flavor to your liking for a variety
Storage
Store any leftover shredded beef in a shallow container, tightly sealed in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Chuckie's Top Tips for Shredded Beef
- Let the roast rest before shredding - Allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before shredding it right in the cooking juices. This keeps the meat juicy, flavorful, and perfect.
- Freeze portions for weeknight dinners starters.
What to Do with Leftover Shredded Beef
If you're cooking for one or two, plan to use the leftovers in one of these favorites for varity, then freeze the rest in usable portions.
FAQ
Yes! This is my favorite way to make it as it allows the fat to separate and solidify on the surface, making it even easier to scoop out.
I like to use a liquid that adds flavor to my beef so I lean towards beer, apple cider, apple juice, or beef broth.
That depends on the size of your beef roast. 20 minutes per pound of beef is a good starting point.
Choose a chuck roast or brisket for the best results. Also, cooking it in the Instant Pot until tender. If it's not shredding easily, pressure cook it for another 10 to 30 minutes and try again.
Cooking meat from frozen is not considered a safe practice. This allows the meat to stay in the temperature danger zone for too long. You're better off to defrost it in the fridge and try again tomorrow.
Sure you can, if the roast is still tough, it's more likely you need to cook it longer. Make sure you check out my cooking chart and pay attention to the weight of your roast. Also, making sure you allow the pressure to release on it's own to allow the cooking juices to redistribute.
New Recipes to Try
Looking for new recipe inspiration? Try these:
Sides to Serve with Instant Pot Shredded Beef
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Instant Pot Shredded Beef:
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Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Set the Instant Pot to saute to preheat. While seasoning the roast generously with kosher salt and pepper.
- Add the olive oil and sear the roast on all sides.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and close the Instant Pot lid. Set the steam release to the sealing position.
- Set the cooker to Manual or Pressure Cook and cook for 2 hours.
- Allow the cooker to release pressure on its own. When the seal is released, remove the lid.
- Shred the beef using 2 forks. Serve on buns with BBQ sauce or flavor to your liking for a variety of uses including: tacos, pot roast, quesadillas, enchiladas, spaghetti, chili, etc.
Versatile protein to use so many ways! I love it on sandwiches with BBQ sauce and any form of tacos/nachos/quesadillas/burritos/enchiladas you can think of!