Easy Instant Pot Shredded Beef

The Instant Pot shredded beef on a white place on top of a placemat with a bundle of fresh cilantro in the background.

For those nights you don’t have time to wait, this Instant Pot shredded beef recipe has your back. After a trip to the pressure cooker, a chuck roast transforms into tender, juicy shreds of beef in a fraction of the time it takes to slowly braise in the oven or prepare in the slow cooker. You’ll get so many uses out of this versatile recipe that it’s sure to find a spot on your regular dinner and entertaining rotation.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Release Time 15

Total Time 1 25

Servings people

Calories 413kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

6-quart Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 pound boneless chuck roast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup beef stock
Several slices of yellow onion

Instructions

Stir together the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Sprinkle the spice mixture on both sides of the chuck roast and cut the roast into four even pieces.
Add the canola oil to the Instant Pot and turn the unit to Sauté. When the oil is hot, add two pieces of the chuck roast to the pot and cook on both sides to brown, about two to three minutes per side. Repeat with the other two pieces.
Remove the chuck roast pieces, pour in the beef stock and use a sturdy wooden spoon to scrape up any little meat bits on the bottom of the pot.
Place the chuck roast back in the Instant Pot and spread onion slices on top. Hit the Cancel button to reset the Instant Pot, seal the unit and cook on the Manual setting for 50 minutes.
After pressure cooking, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 15 minutes and then flip the valve open to release the remaining pressure. Most of the pressure should have released naturally after the initial 15 minutes. Move the meat to a large cutting board and use two forks to shred the beef. Discard any pieces of fat. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container with the juices in the refrigerator for three to four days. To reheat the meat, warm it with the juice on the stove over medium heat. If serving for a party, keep the meat warm in a slow cooker or chafing dish.
To freeze, store the beef in a freezer-safe container and keep it for up to six months. Thaw the meat by leaving it in the refrigerator overnight or using the defrost setting on your microwave.
If the beef doesn’t easily shred, it likely needs more cooking time for the connective tissues to finish breaking down. Every cut of beef is a bit different. Simply give your roast another 10 minutes in the Instant Pot.
When possible, let the roast sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking to take the chill off the meat. This allows for more even cooking.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition