
I probably said it a million times, I love Mexican food. I also LOVE my Instant Pot so I just had to try this Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa.
It probably comes from living in Southern California where authentic Mexican food can be found on almost every street corner. Most of the time I either have Pork Carnitas or Chicken based dishes.

That means I’ve been missing out on this delicious dish called Barbacoa Beef. I don’t think this dish originated in Mexico but is readily available at many local Mexican restaurants.
I just couldn’t resist looking up where Barbacoa Beef comes from and more specifically how it made its way to the US. You can read more about Barbacoa Beef by reading this article about Barbacoa.
This dish is so versatile that you can have it in tacos, burritos or even over a bed of rice! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. This is most definitely a keeper!

Barbacoa Beef is almost always served with diced onions and cilantro, but I also added a little bit of my Garlic Lime Crema for the ultimate tasty taco experience.
Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
If you have any questions about your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, I suggest you visit Instant Pot’s Official Customer Care Center.
For more great recipes you can make in your Pressure Cooker check out this collection of Instant Pot Recipes.
Copycat Rating

Since the goal of a Copycat Recipe is for it to taste exactly like the original, it’s only natural to rate this recipe against the original. This Copycat recipe rates a solid 10 out of 10 in my opinion.

Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Copycat Barbacoa recipe from Chipotle in your Pressure Cooker (see recipe card for quantities): Boneless Chuck Roast, Canola Oil, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, White Onion, Garlic Cloves, Beef Bouillon, Apple Cider Vinegar, Lime Juice, Ground Cumin, Dried Oregano, Chili Powder, Sea Salt and Ground Cloves.
How to Make Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
- In a large blender, add chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, chopped white onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt, and cloves. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In your Instant Pot, heat oil using the saute function. Add meat in small batches and cook until browned.
- When all the meat is browned, add the sauce from the blender. Add the beef broth.
- Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Release pressure using the quick pressure release method.
- Remove meat from Instant Pot and shred.
More Recipe Ideas
Printable Recipe Card

Instant Pot Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
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Ingredients
- 6 lbs Chuck Roast, boneless
- 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
- 6 oz Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- 1 White Onion
- 10 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- ⅔ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ½ Cup Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 Tbsp Ground Cumin
- 2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tbsp Sea Salt
- ½ Tsp Ground Cloves
Instructions
- In a large blender, add chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, chopped white onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and cloves. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- In your Instant Pot, heat oil using the saute function. Add meat in small batches and cook until browned.
- When all the meat is browned, add the sauce from the blender. Add the beef broth.
- Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Release pressure using the quick pressure release method.
- Remove meat from Instant Pot and shred.
Hi Chef Rodney!!
I’m planning a grad party for my daughter. She loves Chipotle so I was hoping to save some money and prepare the barbacoa myself. Do you think this would freeze well if made ahead of time and then reheated? It will only be frozen for a few days as my party is next weekend.
Once cooked I would wrap it well in something like aluminum foil and place it inside an airtight bag. I would unthaw to room temperature and heat up in a skillet. Microwave is an option I just don’t care to use my microwave. 🙂
Thank you!
I’ll let you know how it comes out when I’m done!
I’m making this tonight but just prepped the sauce. 2 comments: 1. Please adjust the recipe to add approximately how many limes you need. I totally missed the 1/2 cup, luckily I had some bottled lime juice to supplement. 2. I think you have a typo on the last ingredient. 1/2 t garlic clove which I guessed was ground clove but it took me a minute or two. I’m excited to see how this turns out. Hope to post later! 5 star based in the taste of the sauce.
Thanks for the suggestion on the lime juice. One lime will yield about 2 tablespoons of juice so this recipe will need about 4 limes. Typo fixed! I hope you enjoy this recipe.