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Instant pot pork barbacoa on tacos.
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5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Pork Barbacoa

This delicious Instant Pot recipe has all the flavors you love in the classic barbacoa, but with a lot less time and effort.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Marinating time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: arbol, barbacoa, cumin, instant pot, oregano, pork
Servings: 6
Author: Amy Sandidge

Equipment

  • 1 pressure cooker

Ingredients

  • 4-6 pound pork roast I used the arm roast, but you use any one you like. There is enough flavor in this and pressure cooking, the pork is guaranteed to be tender and delicious.
  • 3 dried guajillo peppers
  • 2 arbol peppers
  • 1 onion peeled and quartered
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Start by cutting your roast into chunks. Mine were about 2-3 inch chunks. This will help the pork to cook quicker.
  • Heat a cast-iron skillet or another skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, garlic, and peppers. Char then turn. My arbol pepper charred much faster than everything else so I pulled them out before.
  • Once they are cooked, add them to a blender with the chicken broth, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano. Depending on how salty (or not salty) the broth is, you may need to add in more salt.
  • Blend it well until everything is combined and kind of smooth.
  • Pour this over your chunks of pork. Cover and let this sit for at least 1 hour. You can marinate this for up to 24 hours. I let mine sit for 3 hours.
  • It is time to cook! Place the pork and the sauce into your pressure cooker, seal the lid, and cook set the pressure time for 40 minutes.
  • Once the time is up, do a quick release on your Instant Pot. Shred the pork with 2 forks.
  • I like to turn my pressure cooker to saute and let the sauce reduce for about 15 minutes. This will really bring out the flavors in the sauce.
  • Now, you can leave the meat in the sauce or drain part of it out as I did. That is it! The meat is done and ready to serve!

Notes

  1. There are a lot of different pork parts you can use. As noted above, I used an arm roast. It worked really well and is such an inexpensive cut of meat. You can use loin, shoulder, or even check with the butcher for his recommendations.
  2. If you aren't familiar with the peppers, check out the Mexican section in your local grocery store. Both peppers are really easy to find. They are sold in clear bags.
  3. If you like crispy meat, sear the finished pork in a touch of oil in a skillet. Make sure the skillet and oil are hot before adding in the pork. I love doing this!
  4. I didn't serve salsa with mine as I don't think it needs it. The meat is really well seasoned after the marinade and cooking time. But, if you want it, go for it.
  5. The meat will hold well in the fridge in an airtight container for 7-10 days! When you are ready, reheat in the the microwave or cooktop.