Pressure Cooker Mexican Pot Roast

Mexican pot roast made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker comes out so tender and delicious with a TON of flavor with this seasonings blend.

Instant Pot Mexican Pot Roast

Yes we have made a “regular” Ninja Foodi pot roast before. With a creamy rich broth it was incredible and is saved as a must make fairly regularly. BUT when we have a craving for Mexican food but don’t want to leave the house I make this one instead!

This is a great Cinco de Mayo recipe if you celebrate that holiday with your family or friends. All the big bold flavors you love served over rice or in tacos.

Ninja Foodi Mexican Pot Roast

You can use any pressure cooker you have, an IP, Crockpot express or Ninja foodi work too.

Yes you could buy some bold seasonings online that are already blended together, but this homemade Mexican pot roast seasoning is better and easy to make. You likely have everything you need in the cupboard but may need one or two. I will give you links to grab a couple below:

1. Sea salt and pepper
2. Cumin
3. Paprika
4. Red pepper flakes
5. Oregano
6. Chili powder
7. Garlic powder
8. Onion powder
9. Chili powder
10. A bit of cinnamon

And just use a small ramekin or measuring cup to mix. I prefer using a fork so you can break up any bits that have stuck together a bit. If you want to make this often, make multiple batches and store in ziploc bags labeled. Then you can just pull one out and skip that initial step. That is what we do.

What are the different types of pot roast?

There isn’t just one labeled this at the store. You can choose your favorite type which include; beef chuck roast, shoulder roast, beef arm roast, top sirloin roast, bottom round, some have more fat than others.

The leaner your piece is the more expensive it will be. You want some fat in order to keep it really tender as it cooks so keep that in mind but use what you have.

If yours has twine around it, like this, you should leave it on if you want to slice it or remove if you want it to fall apart a bit more. The cook time won’t vary because of that. I usually like shredded beef but in this case it is better to slice it into thin pieces and serve it with some mashed potatoes.

How do you keep pot roast moist and tender?

First off, cooking in your Instant Pot is key to break down connective tissues. The high pressure but natural pressure release keeps all the juices locked inside. Secondly you need to cook it with a liquid, broth is better than water. Lastly you always want to allow a large piece of meat rest before slicing it, 15 minutes is good.

Mexican Pot Roast Recipe

Now that you have all the ingredients mixed together for the seasonings you can get going. I have an entire printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here is a quick rundown;

• Lay meat on a cutting board and sprinkle mixture all over on all sides of your piece. Coat meat on all sides, if you want a really thick intense flavor. You can double the seasonings too.
  • If you wanted to brown the meat first over medium high heat with some olive oil on the stovetop you could, I don’t bother.
• Pour beef broth into pressure cooker. Place a trivet in the center, or use 2 medium potatoes to keep meat out of the liquid.
• Put on top of trivet or potatoes and close your lid. Seal steam valve to closed too.
• Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes, then allow steam to release naturally which will take about 20 minutes more.
• Lift lid, slice and enjoy.

Our instructions use a Ninja Foodi or other pressure cooker brand. If you wanted to make a large dutch oven roast you could, just use the season mix we have listed below. It will likely take much longer to get tender in a pot that is not under high pressure to cook it.

Mexican Pot Roast for Tacos

You could slice and add onion into the pot too if you wanted. Bell peppers can be sliced thick and included as well. If you like those very tender and served with it they will have a lot of flavor because of the seasoned broth below. Serve with a side of Ninja Foodi black beans or Crockpot black beans and vegetables for a healthy meal.

Another great idea is to slice, then chop into smaller pieces and into taco shells it can go. We like doing taco Tuesdays so this is a great way to change things up vs. just some ground beef and taco seasoning which is expected.

• Making this for a crowd? After you slice it and everyone has enough you can keep it warm in a slow cooker.
• Make sure you pour the broth in there too so it stays really moist the whole time.
• Set Crock pot to warm and it will stay well for a few hours, great for long time get togethers.
• Serve with our Jiffy Mexican cornbread and enjoy

You can make this into a taco bar too with air fryer tortillas to wrap it all up. Just serve these on the side in little dishes; guacamole, pico de gallo salsa, sour cream, cheese(s), diced onions, Spanish rice and more. Small soft corn and flour tortillas will hold it all in.

A protein packed dinner or addition to any potluck you’re having. Let us know if you add anything else to amp up the YUM so we can try it. Storing leftover pot roast is quite easy and no different than any other type of beef really, except for one thing. You MUST include some of the liquid in your container.

For larger chunks they can get dry easily in the cold fridge. To combat that transfer pieces into an airtight container with the gravy or sauce at the bottom it cooked in. When reheating pour some of this on top then too. Warm in microwave for a minute or so, or heat on stovetop in a small pot.

You can keep additional onion gravy separate if you have a lot in order to pour more on top but keeping it tender is #1 importance.