Make super juicy and delicious shredded beef in a fraction of the time using an instant pot. This instant pot shredded beef recipe is my go-to for tender and flavorful beef for busy weeknight dinners!
Living a low-carb lifestyle, my family eats quite a lot of beef, and it can take a while to prepare. But, thanks to the instant pot, I can prepare my meat dishes in no time, like this goat meat pepper soup or instant pot pork chops.
❤️ Why You'll Love It
I seriously love how versatile this instant pot shredded beef is. It makes for easy meal prep and can be used in different dishes. I like to add it to salads, sandwiches, stir-fries, or enjoy healthy low-carb tacos!
It is truly one of my favorite meals, as I can get in much-needed protein while enjoying a delicious dish in less time.
And this easy recipe is really hard to mess up. With just minimal ingredients, you can have this dish ready without spending all day monitoring your food while cooking.
This will become your new favorite recipe!
🥘 Equipment Used
To make this delicious recipe, you will need an instant pot pressure cooker or any other pressure cooker.
The instant pot imparts a lot of flavor to my dishes and makes my cooking faster and easier.
Also, tougher beef cuts are the best cut of beef to use for shredded beef. Using the instant pot ensures the connective tissue in the meat breaks down and becomes pull-apart tender and super flavorful!
🧾 Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy recipe.
- Beef stew meat: If you prefer, you can substitute with chuck roast, beef roast, round roast, or other multi-purpose beef. I like to use a tough cut of meat as this makes for very juicy shredded meat. You can easily get your preferred cut of meat from the grocery store or meat market.
- Beef broth: This will add more flavor to the beef. You can use water instead, but you will need to add more spices to it.
- Spices: Smoked paprika, dried oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Olive oil: You can use your preferred oil instead.
- Cilantro/Parsley: To garnish.
🔪 How To Make This Recipe
- Mix all the spices and beef in a bowl and then set aside.
- Turn the instant pot to sauté mode, add olive oil, and then brown the beef on both sides.
- Next, pour in the broth and scrape the pot's bottom to deglaze. Place lid on instant pot and set it on high pressure for 50 minutes.
- When ready, let the instant pot do a natural release for 10 minutes, then quickly release by turning the knob to the venting position.
- Take the beef out, place it on a cutting board, and shred it with two forks.
- Return the meat to the instant pot and add cilantro, parsley, or your favorite herbs.
- Keep warm until ready to serve!
Make it in the crock pot (slow cooker)
You can easily make this in the slow cooker by cooking for 6-8 hours till the beef is tender. Then, use two forks to shred it, and you're good to go!
🥫 Storing And Reheating
I like to make enough shredded beef and freeze it so I'll always have some available for quick meals my family can enjoy. Shredded beef can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
You can preserve it for longer by freezing it for up to a month. To do this, put the shredded beef into an airtight container or resealable bag and pop it in the freezer.
Reheat the shredded beef by thawing it overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it on the stovetop.
🍽️ What Can I Eat It With?
This insanely delicious shredded beef recipe is ridiculously versatile. Add it to some stir-fry veggies for a finger-licking experience.
You can enjoy shredded beef in lettuce wraps for a quick lunch or spread on a bed of cauliflower rice for a low-carb dinner. It'll also be a hit in salads as well.
💭 Tips And Variations
- After browning the beef, it's important to deglaze your instant pot to prevent the 'burn' notice from popping up. This is done by scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- If you're using store-bought beef broth, make sure to get the low-sodium broth. You don't want the dish to turn out salty.
- The shredded beef sauce can be adjusted. Add some water to it if it's too thick. If it turns out too watery, set it to sauté mode while the instant pot is open to reduce some liquid.
- Add BBQ sauce, hot sauce, or your favorite toppings for exciting variations of this recipe.
- Use your favorite spices like chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, or herbs to make this dish your own.
👩🍳 Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to shredding beef, there are so many options. Chuck roast is an ideal cut for shredding because it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender after cooking. This is mainly because of its connective tissues. It's also a very juicy and delicious part of a cow. Other ideal cuts for shredded beef include the rump of a cow, brisket, skirt, and flank.
Yes, you can overcook beef in an instant pot, unfortunately. Overcooked meat will turn out dry and crunchy with no taste. It is important to follow instructions carefully so your beef turns out perfect!
Typically, you should cook your beef for up to 40-50 minutes, but it depends mainly on the size of the meat itself. A large, uncut piece would generally take longer for it to be cooked all the way to the middle. Smaller chunks would cook faster.
Meat that has been overcooked will lose moisture and become tough and dry. So if your beef turns out tough, chances are you've cooked it too long.
📚 Related Recipes
Enjoy these other mouthwatering instant pot recipes!
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef stew meat or chuck roast
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- cilantro or parsely to garnish
Instructions
- Mix spices and beef together in a bowl.2 lbs beef stew meat, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- Turn instant pot to saute mode and add some olive oil.2 tablespoon olive oil
- When warmed, add the beef and brown it on both sides.
- Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze.3 cups beef broth
- Set the instant pot on high pressure and cook for 50 minutes.
- When ready, let the instant pot naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Then quick release by turning the knob to the venting position.
- Take the beef out, place it on a cutting board, and shred it with two forks.
- Return the meat to the instant pot and add cilantro or parsley (or your favorite herbs).cilantro
- Keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
- After browning the beef, it's important to deglaze your instant pot to prevent the 'burn' notice from popping up. This is done by scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- If you're using store-bought beef broth, make sure to get the low-sodium broth. You don't want the dish to turn out salty.
- The shredded beef sauce can be adjusted. If it's too thick, add water. If it turns out too watery, set it to 'saute mode' while the instant pot is open to reduce some liquid.
Meats like chuck roast and pork shoulder can also be tough if they aren't cooked long enough. If I find that it isn't shredding well (for instance, chuck should literally fall apart when you push on it with a large mixing spoon) I'll pop it back in the IP for another 2-3 minutes of cooking. You have to reach the sufficient temperature in order to break down the connective tissues. For an uncut chuck roast I find it takes about an hour, but if you cut it into fist-sized chunks it takes mine about 50 minutes. For bone-in pork shoulders I start at 70 minutes.