This 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!
Have you tried Instant Pot BBQ beef sandwiches yet??!! It’s 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. I’ve used chuck roast to make this too if that is what I have on hand. We’ve even done this same method to make pork butt in Instant Pot. It’s 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 let’s start with a few basic tips:
- Make sure to Bookmark our InstaPot recipes page. We add new ones each week!
- Then PRINT this —–> 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 still deglaze pressure cooker after sautéing but it won’t have as many issues with this better liner.
For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.
Easy 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 Ray’s barbecue sauce consistently tops lists as the best and most popular one. This may be because it’s 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. 😉 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 don’t even bother sautéing 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 don’t 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 won’t get that added flavor. If you have it on hand it’s far better than just water I tell you.
BBQ Beef Ingredients
- Roast
- Barbecue sauce of your choice
- Onion
- Beef broth or water
- Salt and pepper
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 wouldn’t 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 – 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, I’d say it’s 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 don’t 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 don’t), you could eat it the next day in:
- A batch of Instant Pot chili to really “beef it up”
- On top of a salad
- Inside of an Instant Pot casserole
- Serve inside small air fryer tortillas for tacos
- Put on top of white rice or as sliders
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 you’ll be surprised how tender they turn out.
- Then try beef and noodles Instant Pot recipe as a complete meal
For an easy pulled pork slow cooker recipe we have that too! Now you can enjoy all different types of meat with the same tender texture that’s full of flavor.
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 don’t have those I just make a pot of 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.
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Instant Pot BBQ Beef
Equipment
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
Nicole V
Tuesday 13th of June 2023
I've 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 it's 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 King's Hawaiian rolls and eat them like sliders, and I'm easily able to eat two or more at a time!
Highly recommend, definitely save this recipe!
The Typical Mom
Wednesday 14th of June 2023
Glad it's a hit, thanks for the note
Jaime
Friday 21st of April 2023
Would a frozen roast work for this? If so what do I set timer to?
Jaime
Friday 21st of April 2023
Can this be made if roast is frozen? If so what would I set the timer to? Thank you
The Typical Mom
Friday 21st of April 2023
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.
Melanie
Sunday 1st of May 2022
This is an awesome recipe. I used a rump roast. I bet it would work for barbecued chicken, too. Very easy and delicious.
The Typical Mom
Tuesday 3rd of May 2022
Awesome!
Myra
Thursday 8th of April 2021
Can i used chicken broth if i don’t have beef at hand? Will it affect the flavor?
The Typical Mom
Thursday 8th of April 2021
Of course, taste will just be a bit different