Slow-cooked flavor without the wait can be yours any day of the week with this Instant Pot Shredded Beef on the menu. Budget-friendly chuck roast gets fall-apart tender with a rich homemade sauce. The result is shredded beef perfect for serving in sliders, over creamy polenta, or a myriad of other ways. The shredded beef itself is Whole30-compatible and is nearly irresistible when stuffed into a baked potato or sweet potato. No matter how you choose to serve it, we know you’re going to love it!
![Four shredded beef sliders filled with tender bbq shredded beef, homemade coleslaw, and jalapenos served on a parchment-covered silver tray.](https://therealfooddietitians.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Instant-Pot-BBQ-Beef-6-683x1024.jpg)
Shredded Beef in the Instant Pot: Easy does it!
The beauty of this recipe is the rich, homemade barbecue sauce that has a hint of natural sweetness from the onions and comes together with a handful of pantry staples. The other thing you’ll love about it is that it’s made entirely in one pot, thanks to the saute feature of the Instant Pot. The saute feature allows you to brown the meat and onions right in the Instant pot before adding the sauce ingredients. It all cooks under high pressure for a fraction of the time that you would need to cook this meal in the slow cooker. Browning the meat and onions deepens the flavor of the dish. So, while you could skip that step, we definitely recommend doing the saute. It’s worth the tiny bit of extra time and effort to produce crave-worthy shredded beef.
No Instant Pot? No problem.
While we couldn’t imagine living without our Instant Pots at this point, we know that not everyone has gotten on board the electric multi-cooker train. So if you don’t have an Instant Pot, but you want to make this recipe, please check out our delicious Slow Cooker BBQ Beef recipe. You’ll get the same slow-cooked barbecue flavor and tender beef without having to add another appliance to your arsenal.
Ingredients to make Instant Pot Shredded Beef
We know you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how insanely delicious this shredded BBQ beef in the Instant Pot turns out. You need just a handful of pantry staples and a good piece of beef chuck roast. Here’s what it takes:
- Boneless beef chuck roast
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Water or beef broth
- Tomato paste
- Dijon mustard
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Chili powder
- Fine salt and black pepper
Choose Butcher Box for Quality Meat!
Butcher Box believes in better. Better means caring about the animals and our planet. It means improving the livelihoods of farmers. Ultimately, it means better meals enjoyed together. It’s why they deliver 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef; free-range organic chicken; pork raised crate-free, wild-caught seafood, and more directly to your door. Sign up for Butcher Box today (and get a special deal!)
How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Beef
Here are the easy steps to make barbecue beef in your Instant Pot.
- Select the ‘Saute’ function on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion and cook until the onion starts to soften, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and add the cubed beef; stir.
- Add the water, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Lock the lid into place and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. When the cooking time is up, allow for 5 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the vent valve to ‘venting’ to release any residual pressure.
- Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the pot (or transfer the beef to a plate for shredding, if that’s easier, then return it to the pot). Stir to combine the shredded beef with the sauce. Serve on buns, sliders, or over polenta.
Two Delicious Ways to Serve Shredded Beef
1. for game day, parties, or easy weeknight meals
For the perfect hand-held entree or appetizer, pile the saucy shredded bbq beef onto slider buns and top with our simple creamy coleslaw (recipe below), and pickles or pickled jalapenos.
For easy entertaining, we like to set the Instant Pot to ‘Keep Warm’ to keep the shredded beef warm for serving. Then, set out a plate or basket filled with slider rolls and any desired toppings so guests can serve themselves.
2. For date night-in or an easy-yet-impressive dinner with friends
One recipe, two serving options – because who doesn’t love options? This Instant Pot Shredded Beef is just at home in a bun as it is over a bed of creamy polenta (prepared according to package directions or use this recipe). We think it’s the perfect no-fuss meal for a romantic date night-in or when you have friends coming for dinner. Sprinkle servings with fresh parsley and serve with a side of roasted veggies for deliciously balanced meal.
Instant Pot Shredded Beef: Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe Whole30-friendly? The shredded beef itself is Whole30-compatible but the slider buns and polenta are not. See below for some Whole30-friendly ways to serve.
- Can this shredded beef be prepared ahead of time? Yes, you can prepare shredded BBQ beef up to 4 days in advance and reheat in a covered saucepan on the stove or in the microwave before serving.
- How do I store leftover Instant Pot BBQ Beef? You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Can Instant Pot Shredded Beef be frozen? You bet it can be! Be sure to chill the cooked bbq beef in the fridge before transferring it to a freezer-safe container and freezing. Freeze for up to 6 months.
- How do I defrost frozen shredded beef? We recommend thawing it overnight in the refrigerator then reheating, as desired, to 165℉ before serving.
- What are some other ways to serve shredded bbq beef? For a Whole30-compatible option, we suggest serving the shredded beef over baked or mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. Other ideas are to serve the shredded beef in wraps or taco shells, over salad greens, or bowl style with corn and coleslaw.
- Can I make this in the slow cooker instead? We’ve got a recipe for that! Our Slow Cooker BBQ Beef is every bit as delicious and perfect for those days you just want to set it and forget it.
Video: how to make instant pot shredded beef sliders
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Budget-friendly chuck roast gets fall-apart-tender thanks to high pressure cooking in this Instant Pot Shredded Beef in a delicious barbecue sauce. Serve with your favorite toppings and watch it disappear!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- ⅔ cup water or beef broth
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Optional for Serving: Slider buns, coleslaw, and/or pickled jalapeños. Also delicious served over polenta (prepare according to package directions).
Optional Coleslaw
Ingredients
- 1 (9-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
- ⅓ cup mayo
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional – omit for no sugar added)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Fine salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
- Add slaw ingredients to a bowl. Stir to combine well. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Instructions
- Select the ‘Saute’ function on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add the oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the onion and cook until the onion starts to soften, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
- Press ‘Cancel’ and add the beef pieces; stir.
- Add the water or broth, tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Lock the lid into place and cook at high pressure for 40 minutes. Note: It will take some time for the Instant Pot to build up pressure before the 40-minute timer starts. When the cooking time is up, allow for 5 minutes of natural pressure release before flipping the vent valve to ‘venting’ to release any residual pressure.
- Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the pot (or transfer the beef a plate if that’s easier, then return the beef to the pot after shedding). Stir to combine the shredded beef with the sauce. Serve as desired.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive so we can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Notes
Looking for a slow-cooker recipe for Shredded BBQ Beef? We have one of those right here.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 3.5 ounces shredded beef
- Calories: 234
- Fat: 13 g
- (Sat Fat: 5 g)
- Sodium: 323 mg
- Carbohydrate: 5 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 2 g)
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 67 mg
Dietary
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel of Half Acre House.
For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!
I’m looking forward to making this. Does the cooking time change when you double the recipe?
Great questions! Cooking time will remain the same. It will just take longer for your Instant Pot to get up to temp because of the increased volume.
Really great! I normally think BBQ beef is too sweet and this one is savory- not at all sweet. My beef was closer to 3lbs and there was still plenty of sauce without doubling any of the liquid ingredients. We’ll be making this again.
If I don’t cut the beef into cubes, do you know if it will take the same amount of time to cook (40mins)?
If you leave the beef roast whole, the cooking time will likely to be closer to 60-75 minutes (like it is for this Instant Pot Beef Barbacoa recipe).
This was delicious and super easy to make. The flavor was so good. I never thought of eating BBQ beef on polenta! Family ate it up! Has anyone tried this yet with chicken?
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed it! The lightly sweet polenta pairs so well with the smoky beef. We haven’t tested this with chicken but it would be easy enough to do. Reducing the cooking time to 12-15 minutes should do the trick.
Any suggestions on making this with a frozen chuck roast?
We have not tested this recipe using a frozen chuck roast.