Easy Instant Pot BBQ beef recipe comes out so yummy! Super tender roast shredded with tangy barbecue sauce is great as sliders or over rice for dinner made in Ninja foodi or any pressure cooker too.
Have you tried Instant Pot BBQ beef sandwiches yet??!! Itโs great for dinner, potluck dish, and a must have appetizer when throwing a Super Bowl football party. (participant in the amazon program, affiliate links present)
Instant Pot Shredded BBQ Beef
Like I said, I used a round roast. Iโve used Instant Pot chuck roast to make this too if that is what I have on hand. Weโve even done this same method to make pork butt in Instant Pot. Itโs just that easy. You see we buy half of a cow at the beginning of each year so we have A LOT of beef to use year round.
I like having several choices of the sauces to use to tenderize each one to change up the flavors. If and when I can just swap out the bottle used there are a multitude of choices. Serve with rice for dinner and done.
Table of contents
If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with letโs start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this โโ> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
- I HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautรฉing but it wonโt have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the model I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.
Easy Pressure Cooker BBQ Beef Recipe
Yes you could make this same thing on the stovetop over a really long period of time until it is tender enough to shred. The cook time just takes a lot longer but can be done in something like a Dutch Oven.
What cut of meat is used for bbq beef?
I often us chuck roast which is inexpensive and falls apart well when cooked at high pressure. It may be labeled as shoulder roast This time I used a roast that came out super tender, brisket is another great choice but the most expensive option.
What is the number one bbq sauce?
Sweet Baby Rayโs barbecue sauce consistently tops lists as the best and most popular one. This may be because itโs sweet with a bit of tang as well as being inexpensive.
We buy half a cow at the beginning of the year so we always have meat handy right at home. I know, lucky us. ๐ Love having it handy at home and not having to shop for it in the store ever. If I did I would get the cut that looked best, and was reasonably priced. Yes, I am frugal too.
- I donโt even bother sautรฉing it at the beginning.
- Just cut into fourths or large chunks like our Instant Pot Barbacoa beef so it gets as tender as possible.
- Sprinkled with some salt and pepper on all sides.
Then I pressure cook it for an hour with broth and a small amount of sauce.
I have found that is the best way to get the meat tender, and then adding the remainder of the sauce at the end. This way the flavors donโt get muted with the addition of the water or broth in the initial step. Yes you can use water instead of beef stock or broth. Difference is of course you wonโt get that added flavor. If you have it on hand itโs far better than just water I tell you.
BBQ Beef Ingredients
- Roast like chuck with some fat on it
- Barbecue sauce of your choice
- Onion sliced or diced
- Beef broth or water
- Salt and pepper are basic seasonings
Of course you can add additional seasonings on the outside of your meat if you like, we stayed simple
Pressure Cooker BBQ Beef from Frozen
You can in fact cook Frozen Roast in Instant Pot with the same liquid and sauce as directed below. Believe it or not if cut into pieces like we did here initially the timing wouldnโt change. If left whole I would add an additional 15 minutes, that is all.
Time needed: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Instant Pot Barbecue Beef Recipe
- Season and cut beef
If using a roast cut it into 4 equal pieces. Smaller pieces will yield more tender pieces quicker. Season each piece on all sides with at least salt and pepper. Chili pepper can be added for heat.
- Add ingredients
Put beef, sliced onions, broth and 1/2 cup of bbq sauce into your pot.
- Pressure cook beef
Close lid and steam vent and set to high pressure for 60 minute cook time, followed by a 10 โ 15 minute natural release.
- Drain and shred
When done remove your meat and put it on a cutting board to chop into smaller pieces (or shred with 2 forks). Drain liquid from pot into a strainer to catch onions.
- Serve
Put cooked onions and shredded beef back into your Instant Pot. Pour barbecue sauce on top and use tongs to toss with sauce until coated well. I added 1.5 cups of sauce but that is up to you.
BBQ Beef in Ninja Foodi
If you need a really accurate time to complete this whole thing including the 20 minute time it takes to reach pressure, Iโd say itโs 1.5 hours. Any pressure cooker brand will work too. If you have a Crockpot Express or need a new Ninja Foodi recipe, follow the same directions below with the lid that is not attached for that pot.
You could dice your onions if you wanted. Just keep in mind that they really get cooked down in that hour and become almost nothing. If you slice them thick like this you will have something left to add texture.
Most of the reason I add them period is for flavor. When you drain the liquid after the pressure cooking, make sure to use a strainer so you donโt loose these bits.
What can I do with leftover bbq beef?
- If you do have some of this left over after you eat it (we donโt), you could eat it the next day in:
- A batch of Instant Pot chili to really โbeef it upโ
- On top of a salad
- Inside of an Instant Pot casserole
- Serve inside small air fryer tortillas for tacos
Looking for more easy Instant Pot beef recipes? We have a lot to choose from, here are a few favorites:
- Our Instant Pot beef and broccoli is amazing for sure and pretty cheap too.
- If you love classics, this easy pressure cooker beef stroganoff is great over egg noodles.
- Throw together some Instant Pot ribs with a quick release and youโll be surprised how tender they turn out.
- Then try beef and noodles Instant Pot recipe as a complete meal
What to Serve with BBQ Beef Recipe
Probably our favorite way to serve this is inside slider buns. I can usually find great homemade rolls in the bakery section of our grocery store for next to nothing (seen above).
- Add pickle macaroni salad or cole slaw on top and WOW.
- If I donโt have those I just make a pot of Ninja foodi rice to serve it over. My girls probably prefer this with shredded cheese on top of the meat.
- For a low carb idea you could make Hawaiian lettuce wraps with this beef and cheese inside.
How long does shredded beef last in the fridge?
If you have leftovers make sure to store in airtight containers or freezer bags within an hour of it cooling off to room temp. From there you can safely eat it within 3-4 days of it being in your refrigerator. Reheat beef in the microwave in 30 second increments stirring in between. Or put into a pan on the stovetop over medium heat stirring constantly until hot. You can print recipe below and enjoy it very soon.
Instant Pot BBQ Beef
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb beef roast, I used round roast, cut into 4 equal pieces
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 2 c barbecue sauce, or more if you want
- 1 onion, sliced, optional
- 1.5 c beef broth, or water
Instructions
- Cut your roast into 4 equal pieces. Season all sides with salt and pepper and put into your pressure cooker with onions on top.
- Pour broth into your pot with 1/2 c bbq sauce on top of meat.
- Seal lid closed and close steam valve.
- Set to high pressure for 60 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural release.
- Release rest of steam, remove meat on to a cutting board and drain liquid from pot in a strainer.
- Dump onions in strainer back into your pot. Use a sharp knife to cut beef from pot into strips, or use fork to shred apart.
- Put beef back into pot with onions and pour rest of your bbq sauce on top. Use tongs to mix bbq sauce with shredded beef. If you want more sauce, add more. Serve on slider buns or over rice.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Iโve made this instant pot shredded bbq beef recipe several times now, and it always comes out perfect. Super tender full of flavor. I use a chuck roast because itโs got a richer flavor and comes out more tender. As for the rest of the recipe and directions, I follow it to a T. Perfection every time. There may be other recipes out there that have a higher number of 5-star reviews, but this is my go-to recipe when making shredded beef.
I like to put on Kingโs Hawaiian rolls and eat them like sliders, and Iโm easily able to eat two or more at a time!
Highly recommend, definitely save this recipe!
Glad itโs a hit, thanks for the note
Would a frozen roast work for this? If so what do I set timer to?
Can this be made if roast is frozen?
If so what would I set the timer to? Thank you
Timing would depend on the size, to get it to break down and be able to shred with forks I would maybe suggest an extra 5 minutes with natural release at the end.
This is an awesome recipe. I used a rump roast. I bet it would work for barbecued chicken, too. Very easy and delicious.
Awesome!
Can i used chicken broth if i donโt have beef at hand? Will it affect the flavor?
Of course, taste will just be a bit different
Can you freeze ? Sorry if I missed it in the write up
You could in freezer bags and allow to defrost in fridge and then reheat in microwave or in a pan on the stovetop
I just finished making the BBQ Beef for Instant Pot. I used a Ninja Foodi, pressure cooked a 3.5 lb rump roast. I used Sweet Baby Rays as the sauce. I did not have any beef broth so I used the Better than Bouillion Beef in the water. I did sear the meat before I started but then followed your recipe. I pressured it for about 75 minutes and then did a slow release until the pressure was done. (I was doing something else and forgot it). Drained, shredded (made 1/2 of sandwich) added BBQ sauce and a little of the liquid back in. I love it. Still 2 hours before dinner so will add the liquid as needed. It is on low right now just soaking up all the BBQ sauce. Thank you for an easy and good recipe.
Oh yay, enjoy!
Wonderful.. delish
Glad you loved it too
Delishโฆadded quite a bit of sauce to initial cooking time..
Glad it was a real hit