Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches are a quick weeknight dinner with big beefy flavor.

Before we start: I know this is not Real Barbecue™. It’s not better than beef cooked all day (and all night) in a smoker. But it is good, and it is easy, and a great weeknight dinner.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
• Recipe Tips
• Which BBQ sauce is best for this recipe?
• Storing Leftovers
• What to serve with Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches
• Instant Pot Barbecue Beef Sandwich Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef top round cut into 2-inch cubes (or chuck roast, or bottom round)
• ½ cup water
• 8 hamburger buns

Barbecue Rub

(Makes 2 tablespoons of my Homemade Barbecue Rub, or use your favorite store-bought rub)

• ¾ tablespoon paprika
• ¾ tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon fine sea salt
• ½ tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Barbecue sauce

(Makes 1 cup of my Easy Barbecue Sauce, or use your favorite store bought sauce)

• ¾ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Franks Red Hot)

How to Make Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Spice the beef and make the barbecue sauce

In a small bowl, mix the barbecue rub ingredients (paprika, brown sugar, chili powder, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme), breaking up clumps of brown sugar with your fingers. Sprinkle the beef cubes with ½ teaspoon of salt, then the barbecue rub. In a medium bowl, whisk the barbecue sauce ingredients (ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce) until smooth.

Everything in the pot

Pour the water into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, then add the spiced beef in an even layer. Pour the barbecue sauce on top of the beef and spread it around evenly. Don’t stir too much - we want layers, with the water on the bottom, the beef in the middle, and the barbecue sauce on top, to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Pressure cook for 30 minutes with a natural release

Lock the lid on the cooker. Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes in an electric pressure cooker (“Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode in an Instant Pot), or for 25 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 more minutes. (If you’re in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam.

Shred the beef, add some pot sauce, and serve

Remove the beef from the pot with a slotted spoon, then shred the beef with a pair of forks. Ladle liquid from the pot onto the shredded beef until it is saucy, but not swimming in sauce. (I add about a cup of sauce from the pot to the beef.) Spoon onto the buns, pass some extra BBQ sauce at the table, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Make Prep Easy by buying a 2-inch thick roast

I keep the prep to an absolute minimum. I want 2-inch cubes of beef, so I look for a 2-inch thick Top Round roast in my grocer’s meat case, to make cutting easier. I only need to cut the roast lengthwise and crosswise to get my 2-inch cubes.

(Don’t buy pre-cut stew meat, even if it’s top round - stew meat is cut into ¾-inch to 1-inch chunks, which are too small for this recipe.)

Barbecue Rub

I always have a batch of barbecue rub in my pantry and barbecue sauce in the fridge, so the rest of the recipe is easy. Sprinkle the beef with the rub, put it in the pot with some water, and spread the barbecue sauce over the top. (Don’t stir it much - sauce that sticks to the bottom of the pot may burn while under pressure.)

Of course, you can use your own favorite BBQ rub.

Only Use a Little Pan Sauce

The last trick is not adding all of the sauce from the pot. (I’m always amazed at how much liquid is in the pot after pressure cooking.) The sauce is thin, but full of flavor from beef juices mixing with barbecue sauce. Shred the beef, then only add as much of the sauce as you need to make it wet. I pour the rest of the pot sauce into a fat separator and pass it at the table for anyone who likes extra-sloppy beef.

Which BBQ sauce is best for this recipe?

I think my easy homemade barbecue sauce is best for this recipe, of course. (My second favorite is my Espresso Chipotle Barbecue Sauce, which has a little more heat from the chipotle peppers.) Use your own favorite BBQ sauce; store-bought is fine.

Storing Leftovers

Leftover shredded BBQ beef can refrigerate for a few days, and lasts in the freezer for up to 6 months. (It freezes beautifully.) I pack leftover shredded beef in 2-cup containers for easy lunch-size portions later on.

What to serve with Instant Pot BBQ Beef Sandwiches

Of course, serve these BBQ beef sandwiches on buns, with extra BBQ sauce at the table. I like to add the traditional beef barbecue toppings of thin-sliced onions and pickles. The tart flavors are a nice counterpoint to the rich, sweet beef. Potato salad, cole slaw, and grilled corn are great side dishes to serve with this beef.

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What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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