This meal prep-friendly Instant Pot Shredded Beef recipe is made with only 4 ingredients and can be used to create various meals throughout the week!
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love a good barbacoa, pulled pork, or beef with delicious flavors and spices. But if I’m going to cook a big batch of beef for just me and my husband, I want to have the option of re-purposing it for several meals, and we don’t like to eat the same exact thing over and over again.
Enter this easy and delicious Instant Pot Shredded Beef recipe! This easy recipe yields plain and basic shredded beef with no special spices added except salt. The result is a tender and juicy base protein that can be flavored with sauces or spices according to whatever dish you’re making! It’s such a budget-friendly way to stretch out one recipe and great for meal prep that you can enjoy throughout the week.
And the best part? There are only 4 ingredients in total! It’s so easy to cook in your pressure cooker and requires minimal cleanup. It’s also low in carbohydrates, high in protein, and takes so well to any spices and flavors that you desire. Getting a meal on the table has never been this easy!
Watch a Short Video of This Recipe
Ingredient Notes
- beef rump roast or beef chuck roast: See tips below for notes on how to pick the perfect cut of beef for shredding.
- sea salt
- coconut oil
- bone broth or beef broth
How to Make This Shredded Beef Recipe
- Cut the roast into 4 even pieces and season all sides with salt.
- Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and heat coconut oil in the pot for 10 minutes.
- Add the roast pieces and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Press Cancel, and add the broth over the beef. Close the lid and make sure the pressure-release valve is closed.
- Cook at high pressure on Manual for 50 minutes. Once the Instant Pot beeps to signal that it’s done, let it sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the pressure to release naturally until the lid opens.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board, and shred the meat with 2 forks. Return to the Instant Pot and keep warm until ready to use.
- You can eat the beef on its own with various sides or use it in other dishes like tacos, burrito bowls, stir-fry, sandwiches, and more.
What is the Best Cut of Beef for Shredded Beef
For shredded beef, it’s important to choose a cut that’s relatively tough and contains a lot of connective tissue. This helps the meat break down and become tender when cooked. Some of the best cuts of beef for shredding include:
- Chuck roast: Chuck roast is a popular choice for shredded beef as it has a lot of marbling of fat and connective tissue. These help it become tender and juicy when cooked slowly.
- Brisket: Brisket is a cut of beef that is known for being tough, but it’s super flavorful. When cooked properly, it can be incredibly tender and delicious.
- Round roast: This cut comes from the rear or “rump” of the cow and is a bit leaner than other cuts but works really well for shredding.
Expert Tips
- Slow Cooker: If you want to make this in your slow cooker instead of the Instant Pot, simply brown your beef pieces in a skillet over medium-high heat with the coconut oil for 10 minutes, then place the beef and broth into your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred according to the instructions, and enjoy!
- Shredded Chicken: This recipe works really well with chicken breasts as well! Here are some adjusted instructions if you’d like to use chicken instead of beef.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
- Pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot.
- Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot, making sure they are not overlapping.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing.”
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is up, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred it with two forks.
Serving Tips
You can season the beef according to how you plan to serve it with each dish! You can add grilled onions and make a sandwich, spice it up with chili powder, ground cumin, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for Mexican shredded beef tacos, season it with favorite spices like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, and more!
However you wish, this multi-purpose shredded beef is yours to customize!
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it in my meal after flavoring it with spices or sauces specific to that dish.
- On its own, alongside veggies, rice, black beans, refried beans, or with a side of tortillas
- tacos
- burritos
- beef enchiladas
- burrito bowls
- taquitos
- stir-fries
- soups and stews
- casseroles
- salads
- curry
- Over nachos with your favorite toppings like red onion, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
- Alongside eggs for breakfast
- Stuffed in sweet potatoes or bell peppers
- As a pizza topping
The possibilities are honestly endless. It’s all about finding creative ways to incorporate it into your dish!
I would love to know… how would you use this Instant Pot Shredded Beef? Share below!
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use for whatever your heart desires!
- You can store the shredded beef in the liquid and juices, or you can discard it.
Recipe FAQs
There are a few reasons why it can turn out tough and not tender. First, it may not have been cooked long enough. If not cooked properly, the meat will remain tough and difficult to shred. Another reason is that there may not be enough liquid. It’s important to use the right amount of liquid to keep the beef moist and tender.
Typically, beef is cooked low and slow to make it tender enough to shred. With the Instant Pot, the cooking time is expedited because of the pressure cooking process, cooking it much faster while still achieving a tender, juicy result!
After! Once the beef is properly and fully cooked, it will shred very easily.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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4-Ingredient Multi-Purpose Instant Pot Shredded Beef
Video
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb beef rump roast or chuck roast
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or your cooking oil of choice
- 2 1/2 cups bone broth or beef broth
Instructions
- Cut the roast into 4 even pieces and season all sides with salt.
- Set Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and then once fully heated, add coconut oill.
- Add the roast pieces and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
- Press Cancel, and add the broth over the beef. Close the lid and make sure the pressure-release valve is closed.
- Cook at high pressure on Manual for 50 minutes. Once the Instant Pot beeps to signal that it's done, let it sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the pressure to release naturally until the lid opens.
- Transfer the roast to a cutting board, and shred the meat with 2 forks. Return to the Instant Pot and keep warm until ready to use.
- You can eat the beef on its own with various sides, or use in other dishes like tacos, burrito bowls, stir-fry, sandwiches, and more.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Slow Cooker: If you want to make this in your slow cooker instead of Instant Pot, simply brown your beef pieces in a skillet over medium-high heat with the coconut oil for 10 minutes, then place the beef and broth into your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred according to the instructions, and enjoy!
- Shredded Chicken: This recipe works really well with chicken breasts as well! Here are some adjusted instructions if you’d like to use chicken instead of beef.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper.
- Pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot.
- Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot, making sure they are not overlapping.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing.”
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is up, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate or cutting board and shred it with two forks.
Serving Tips
You can season the beef according to how you plan to serve it with each dish! You can add grilled onions and make a sandwich, spice it up with chili powder, ground cumin, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for Mexican shredded beef tacos, season it with favorite spices like garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, and more! However you wish, this multi-purpose shredded beef is yours to customize! Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it in my meal after flavoring it with spices or sauces specific to that dish.- On its own, alongside veggies, rice, black beans, refried beans, or with a side of tortillas
- tacos
- burritos
- beef enchiladas
- burrito bowls
- taquitos
- stir-fries
- soups and stews
- casseroles
- salads
- curry
- Over nachos with your favorite toppings like red onion, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.
- Alongside eggs for breakfast
- Stuffed in sweet potatoes or bell peppers
- As a pizza topping
Storage Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use for whatever your heart desires!
- You can store the shredded beef in the liquid and juices, or you can discard it.
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My first tima to do this: my chuck roast is nearly 3 lbs. Any adjustments?
No need for adjustments. You can cook it the same exact way, or maybe reduce the broth to 2 cups if you don’t want too much liquid at the end.
Can this be frozen after making it?
I’ve never tried but I don’t see why not. Just freeze in individual portion in an airtight container, then defrost and reheat when ready to eat.
I do this and freeze up to half for use another week. You can also smoke shredded beef. Pork or chicken. Takes only a half hour to an hour depending on how much smoke you like.
Thank you
Two thumbs up!
I just unboxed my 3qt IP today and this looks like a fantastic recipe to try first— but my chuck roast is only 2 1/3 lbs… what adjustments would you suggest? (Also, do you think that’s too much meat to fit in a 3qt IP?) Thanks so much!!
I would adjust the cooking time to 40 minutes and see how that turns out! Also, I’ve never owned a 3qt IP before, but as long as it fits under the max line, you should be fine using it. I hope it turns out well!
So how would I season the beef for burrito bowls? Just mix some leftover shredded beef in the spices from your recipe as I heat the beef up?
I’m so excited to try your burrito bowls…
Thanks!
Yes! Just some taco seasoning, or I like to stir in my favorite salsa. 🙂
Can you make this with a frozen roast?
Yes, but I would extend the time by 20 minutes.
The meat was so tough I could barely shred with a for.
How big was the meat? You probably have to put it back in the IP and cook it for longer. It should tenderize once you do.
I cut the meat into big chunks (About 2-3 inch cubes) before I browned it. Gets more flavor in and definitely will be tender.
What an awesome idea. Made it late one night after kids have retreated. I couldn’t resist and had to try some before shredding. It’s so simple and delicious. I added chopped garlic and onions when browning the beef. Oh the aroma! I see this as being a staple in my household.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
(Note first: I only use BOTTOM ROUND ROAST for this now, it has always turned out better than any other)
I’ve made this several times already. I’ve always loved making shredded beef, but this is now the ONLY way I make it. We make tacos, enchiladas, taco salad, burros, nachos…. anything we can make it into, we do. LOVE THIS! 🙂 <3
I followed this recipe and subbed in avocado oil since I didn’t have coconut oil – it was amazing 🤩
Super easy and made plenty of leftovers. It’s great for tacos, with roasted potatoes and carrots, in a sandwich, and pretty much anything. It really is so versatile and was a big hit!
So glad you liked it!
5 stars to encourage you to post more deliciously simple recipes
What happens if it turns out too tough to shred? What did o do wrong?
It might have been too big. You can put it back in the Instant Pot and cook for 10 minutes longer.
This was great, and so versatile!
Hi Jean,
I would try this with bbq sauce on a bun.
Absolutely delicious! We are occasional carnivores so 2lbs of roast was the most I could imagine making. I followed the instructions and set the timer on the instant pot for 40 minutes and let it do a natural release for 15 minutes. I was amazed at how the roast was so tender and easy to shred. We served it with Marsala mushrooms and rice. There was enough for leftovers and some for freezing. Thank you for sharing this simple and delicious recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you so much for leaving a review.