Instant Pot Red Mexican Barbacoa (Authentic Barbacoa)

Published: May 13, 2018 · Updated: Nov 4, 2020 by Mely Martínez

Get ready to take an authentic barbacoa recipe that usually takes 1-2 days to prep and cook and make it right in your townhome in just under 1 hour! This Mexican barbacoa recipe is a delicious meal made with 6 simple ingredients and is paired up with a homemade red adobo sauce to make a classic red beef barbacoa- all in your Instant Pot!

Mexican red beef barbacoa recipe | Mexican Recipes

For today's recipe, I am going to show you how to make an authentic barbacoa recipe using just a few simple ingredients.

This red Mexican barbacoa recipe is inspired by a dish that's a favorite in the State of Veracruz and its neighboring states. There are many other recipes all over Mexico that is prepared in a similar way to this red beef barbacoa, but every region makes it their own by adding their unique blend of spices, herbs, and peppers.

In This Post

Frequently Asked Questions About Barbacoa
Instant Pot Mexican Beef Barbacoa Recipe
How To Make Mexican Barbacoa: Step By Step Tutorial
More Beef Recipes To Enjoy
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

If you have never had red beef barbacoa before, you are going to be very delighted with this Mexican dish.

To give you something to reference to- This Mexican barbacoa is very similar to the Beef Birria, but it includes fewer ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions About Barbacoa

Before I share my Mexican barbacoa recipe, here are a few questions I've been asked about homemade barbacoa.

What is Beef Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is known to be a cooking process in which the meat is cooked inside a pit in the ground for a long period of time.

After a large hole is dug, stones are placed on the bottom, then the pit is lined with maguey leaves. The meat is wrapped in banana or maguey leaves (making sure all the meat is well covered) and placed inside. Firewood is added to the pit, then the whole thing is covered with soil.

This process is done the night before serving the barbacoa.

This process is still used in some parts of Mexico, but in urban areas, the meat is generally cooked in the oven or on the stove.

For this recipe, we are using an Instant Pot to cook the meat, and a skillet to combine the meat with the sauce to make the red barbacoa.

What is Mexican Barbacoa made of?

Barbacoa is usually made with beef or lamb.

I remember one summer when I was living in Tabasco and was invited to a cattle ranch for a barbacoa party, and we arrived the day before to help with the process. A whole cow was cooked in a huge pit dug in the ground, and there was enough meat to feed an entire army!

We seasoned the meat with salt and a lot of herbs from the region. The most common herbs used for barbacoa are a bay leaf, marjoram, and thyme. Fish and poultry can also prepare in this homemade barbacoa pit, but the authentic barbacoa recipe is made using beef (especially the head) or lamb.

What kind of beef can I use in this barbacoa recipe?

I will be using beef cheek from RUMBA Meats for this recipe and beef bones from RUMBA meats, as well. I really like their fresh, high-quality cuts, and the fact that the meat comes in a convenient vacuum-sealed package.

Do I have to use an Instant Pot to make this barbacoa recipe?

No, you don't. You can also use a slow cooker or just a simple stock pot to cook on the stove. Just make sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.

Mexican Barbacoa recipe with cilantro and onions

Instant Pot Mexican Beef Barbacoa Recipe

Here is a list of ingredients you will need:

Beef cheek or Beef chuck roast*
Beef bones (optional)
Onion
Garlic cloves
Bay leaf
Avocado leaves (optional)

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

*Beef chuck or a combination of beef shank and beef chuck will yield more meat after cooking.

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Homemade Red Adobo Sauce

Along with the beef, you will also need to make a quick red adobo sauce to make the red barbacoa.

Here is a list of ingredients you will need:

Ancho peppers (with seeds and veins removed)
Guajillo peppers (with seeds and veins removed)
Morita pepper (with the stem removed)
Garlic cloves
Mexican oregano
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

To make this sauce, here is what you will need to do:

Lightly toast the peppers for a few seconds on the griddle, then place them in a saucepan with hot water and let them soak for 20-30 minutes until they're very soft.
Drain the peppers and place them in your blender with the garlic cloves, oregano, and cooking broth (or clean water).
Process until you have a smooth sauce.

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

How To Make Mexican Barbacoa: Step By Step Tutorial

To make things easier for you, I am going to breakdown the directions to this recipe into sections.

Prep The Meat

Remove the meat from the package and rinse it. Then, dry it using paper towels. Cut it into two or three pieces, depending on the size of the cooking pot you're using. The parts should be more or less the same size so they can cook evenly.

Add All Of The Ingredients To The Instant Pot

Place the meat pieces, bones, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and avocado leaves (if using) into the Instant Pot.

Cook The Meat

Cover with water and cook until the meat is very tender and you can easily shred it. It will take 50 minutes in a pressure cooker, or 45 minutes in an Instant Pot.
If using a regular stock pot to cook on the stove, the meat will be ready in about two and a half hours.
If using the slow cooker, it will take 8 hours in the low setting and 6 hours in the high setting.

Make The Red Adobo Sauce

While the meat is cooking, start prepping and cooking the red adobo sauce (ingredients list and instructions above).

Combine Everything To Make Red Barbacoa

Remove the cooked meat from the Instant Pot.
Discard any fat and shred the meat using two forks.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and pour the sauce in.
Fry the sauce for a few minutes, then stir in the shredded meat.
Let it cook for about 5-8 minutes to allow all the flavors to combine.
Season the stew with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Video Tutorial For Mexican Barbacoa Recipe

Watch this video tutorial and follow along to make this Mexican Barbacoa right at home.

Cooking Tips:

You can also use Beef Hind Shank from Rumba Meats. If you choose this option, buy 2 packages.
Also, if you use the beef hind shank, then you won't need to buy the bone narrows. Just be sure that any combination of meat that you use includes bones, in order to enhance the flavor of the dish.
Avocado leaves are available at Latin stores or online. You can skip them and only add the bay leaf. You can also use “Hoja Santa” leaves, which are also sold online.
The Morita pepper is similar in spiciness to a chipotle pepper, so don't use it if you want a mild flavor.

What To Serve With Red Mexican Barbacoa

When I make this authentic barbacoa recipe, I like to serve it with warm corn or flour tortillas, chopped onions and cilantro, and homemade green salsa!

More Beef Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican barbacoa, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

I hope you make this recipe for Mexican beef barbacoa! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience. Please leave us a comment done below and tell us all about it!

¡Buen provecho!
Mely

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