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Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Carne Asada

Published: Jun 27, 2018 | Updated: Aug 2, 2023 | Author: Neena Panicker

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Instant Pot Carne Asada Pinterest - three tacos with fixings - Paint the Kitchen Red

Now you can make delicious Instant Pot Carne Asada at home using this quick and easy recipe!  The marinade gives the beef wonderful flavor and the Instant Pot cooks the beef perfectly tender and juicy.  Instant Pot Carne Asada can be used in tacos, nachos, burritos, or a Mexican rice bowl with your choice of toppings.

Instant Pot Carne Asada - three tacos with purple cabbage, tomatoes, cheese on a blue background with red chilis and cut lime

If you love ordering Carne Asada street tacos from your favorite food truck or Mexican restaurant, you’re going to love this recipe.  The recipe is super easy and the beef comes out tender and so flavorful.

Carne Asada (pronounced “caar-nay ah-saa-da”) means “grilled meat” in Spanish and is traditionally a grilled skirt steak or flank steak that can be used in tacos, fajitas, or served straight up with rice, tortillas, and vegetables.
I adapted this recipe for the Instant Pot from the Elote Cafe Cookbook written by the chef at the Sedona, Arizona restaurant Elote Cafe.  If you’re ever in Sedona, you need to visit this restaurant – it’s fabulous!  I love the seasonings used in the marinade. The recipe has some unusual ingredients, including yogurt, but they work together to give the meat wonderful flavors.
Serve your carne asada in tacos, burritos, or fajitas with your choice of fillings (e.g. guacamole, pico de gallo, queso fresco, cilantro, cabbage, crema, salsa). Another option is to make Carne Asada Nachos or Carne Asada Fries: Top tortilla chips or steak fries with melted cheese, Instant Pot carne asada, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream, cilantro – yum, a great appetizer for game day!
Instant Pot Carne Asada would also be great for a taco party. Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Pork Carnitas – they’re super tasty and one of my favorite recipes to make for a crowd.

Tips

The recipe as written is the quick and easy version and doesn’t require marinating the beef, but if you have the time, it’s well worth it to marinate the meat for 30 minutes to a few hours.


Ancho chiles are dried poblano chiles, which are pretty mild.  Ancho chile powder is available at regular grocery stores in the spice aisle and in Latin grocery stores.


Dried arbol chile peppers are fairly spicy, so you can either leave them in whole or break them into two pieces for more heat.  Feel free to remove them before serving.


I use chuck roast because it’s the cut of beef that I like to cook in the Instant Pot. If you wish to substitute another cut, just make sure it’s one that is marbled with fat and not a lean cut, which can result in your meat being too tough.


I love to serve carne asada tacos with this guajillo sauce, adapted from the Elote Cafe Cookbook:

  • 5 to 6 guajillo chiles, stemmed
  • 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon cumin, ground
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 cup water
  1. In a saute pan, toast the guajillo chiles till fragrant and lightly charred.  Remove from pan and set aside.
  2. Add oil to the pan and saute the onions and garlic, sprinkled with salt, over medium-high heat until caramelized.
  3. Add cumin, black pepper, oregano, water and toasted guajillo chiles.
  4. Simmer over low heat until chiles are soft.
  5. Allow the mixture to cool and blend in a blender until smooth.

Another sauce I like to serve with tacos is this spicy mayo sauce:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon [sriracha sauce or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
  • salt, to taste
  1. Stir together all ingredients until smooth.

If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot  DUO Beginner’s Quick Start Guide or the Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Quick Start Guide first and then come back here to learn how to make this Instant Pot Carne Asada.

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Instant Pot Carne Asada Ingredients

Instant Pot Carne Asada Ingredients - Beef, yogurt, onion, broth, ancho chili powder, brown sugar, salt, arbol chili, garlic, lime juice, oregano, black pepper - Paint the Kitchen Red

How to Make Instant Pot Carne Asada (Step-by-Step Instructions)

Instant Pot Carne Asada step by step instructions 1 collage - marinade ingredients in bowl, stirred, mix marinade with meat - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • In a medium bowl, combine ancho chile powder, black pepper, brown sugar, Mexican oregano, salt, garlic, lime juice, yogurt, and broth. Mix well.
  • Add beef to the marinade and stir to combine.
  • If you have the time, refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Instant Pot Carne Asada step by step instructions 2 collage - marinated meat in Instant Pot, stirred with onions, red chili over the top - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Add beef and marinade to the inner pot.
  • Stir in onion.
  • Add dried arbol chiles.

Instant Pot Duo Manual mode 12 minutes collage - close lid, press manual, press - or +, display shows 12 - Paint the Kitchen RedInstant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:

  • Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
  • Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘12′ (12 minutes).

Instant Pot Ultra pressure cook 12 minutes collage - close Instant Pot Ultra, set time to 00:12 and select Pressure Cook, press start - Paint the Kitchen Red

Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:

  • Close the lid.
  • Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 12 minutes (00:12).
  • Press ‘Start’.

Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cooking collage - display shows On, float valve is down, display shows L0:00 - Paint the Kitchen Red Instant Pot Ultra pressure cooking collage - Ultra display shows On, float valve is up, display shows 00 00 - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
  • Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
  • The display will count down from 12 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.

Instant Pot Duo natural release cancel and open collage - float valve is down, arrow pointing to Cancel, lid is open - Paint the Kitchen Red Instant Pot Ultra Natural Release Cancel and Open collage - arrow pointing to float valve down, press cancel button, lid is open and Instant Pot Ultra display shows Off - Paint the Kitchen Red

  • Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Carne Asada Step by Step Instructions 3 Collage - Cooked meat, stirred, remove with a slotted spoon

  • Stir contents of Instant Pot.
  • Remove beef with the slotted spoon and transfer to a serving bowl.
  • Serve Instant Pot Carne Asada in warmed tortillas, with your choice of toppings including queso fresco, guacamole or avocado pieces, salsa, pico de gallo, crema, pickled onions, cabbage, sauteed vegetables, and cilantro. Try out my guajillo sauce and spicy mayo recipes from the Tips section above.
  • Beans and rice are great accompaniments to complete this meal.

Instant Pot Carne Asada - three tacos with purple cabbage, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro on a blue background with salsa, red chilis and cut lime

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Carne Asada

Now you can make delicious Instant Pot Carne Asada at home using this quick and easy recipe!  The marinade gives the beef wonderful flavor and the Instant Pot cooks the beef perfectly tender and juicy.  Instant Pot Carne Asada can be used in tacos, nachos, burritos, or a Mexican rice bowl with your choice of toppings.
4.73 from 11 votes
PRINT PIN RATE
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 229
Author: Paint the Kitchen Red
Prevent Screen from Going Dark

Equipment

  • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
  • Slotted Spoon
  • Large Bowl

Ingredients
  

  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 2 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 2 Tbsp  lime juice
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup beef broth
  • 2 ½ lbs beef chuck (1.13 kg) cubed or sliced into strips
  • ½ cup onion chopped
  • 6 dried arbol chiles stems removed

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine ancho chile powder, black pepper, brown sugar, Mexican oregano, salt, garlic, lime juice, yogurt, and broth.
  • Add beef to the marinade and stir to combine.
  • Add beef and marinade to the Instant Pot inner pot.
  • Stir in onion.
  • Add in dried arbol chiles.
  • Close the lid and pressure cook for 12 minutes on High Pressure.
  • Let the pressure release naturally (NPR).  [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
  • Open Instant Pot lid and stir contents.
  • Remove beef with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl
  • Serve Instant Pot Carne Asada in warmed tortillas and top with your choice of toppings including queso fresco, guacamole or avocado pieces, salsa, pico de gallo, crema, pickled onions, cabbage, sauteed vegetables, and cilantro. 

Notes

  • Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. minced garlic, cut vegetables, etc.
  • If you have the time, refrigerate marinated beef for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 229 kcal | Carbohydrates: 2 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Cholesterol: 59 mg | Sodium: 216 mg | Sugar: 2 g
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Mexican/Latin
Main Ingredient beef
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Thank you for visiting Paint the Kitchen Red. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please don’t use any content without prior written permission. If you’ve made this recipe and would like to share it with your friends, please link back to this recipe. Thank you!

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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Comments

  1. Anne says

    April 17, 2024 at 7:25 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this recipe! It was so easy and so tender compared to what I sometimes get from the taco truck.

    Reply
    • Neena Panicker says

      April 22, 2024 at 8:02 am

      Hi Anne, thanks for the comment – I’m so happy you like the carne asada recipe!

      Reply
  2. Linda says

    August 28, 2021 at 8:29 am

    Would the cook time be the same is I use flank steak?

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      August 31, 2021 at 1:38 pm

      Linda, if you cut the flank steak into thin strips the cooking time should work. Hope you like it.

      Reply
  3. Cooking Dad says

    May 24, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    2 stars
    Meat was very tender, but end result was not very flavorful.

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      May 26, 2020 at 10:21 am

      I’m sorry to hear you didn’t care for the flavor. Here’s one way to get much more flavor: saute the meat after it’s cooked, adding in a little cooking liquid at a time, and allow the liquid to evaporate before adding more. This way the flavors get concentrated and you get a bit of a char on the meat. Keep doing this until the meat has the level of flavor you’d like.

      Reply
  4. Ela says

    July 31, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and simple!

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      August 01, 2019 at 9:55 am

      Thanks, Ela! Happy to hear it. Try my Instant Pot Carnitas – another very easy recipe!

      Reply
  5. SHANNA MUNOZ says

    April 26, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I just have to say, I’ve made plenty of tacos in my day. I am married to a Mexican him is very picky. I was a little nervous to try this in the Instapot. The flavors were absolutely wonderful and it came out perfectly tender. Thank you for this recipe, great job!

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      April 29, 2019 at 11:00 am

      Shanna – your email made my day! Thank you for sharing, I do appreciate it!

      Reply
  6. Elizabeth Bateman says

    April 25, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    Can you use stew meat? I also don’t have acho chili’s I have chipotle powder and canned green chili’s. I have thawed out stew meat I need to use. Usually make a quisada but this looked yummy

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      April 26, 2019 at 8:18 am

      Elizabeth, yes you should be able to use stew meat and your other substitutions look fine, so I would give it a try. I hope you like it.

      Reply
  7. Liz Csordas says

    April 09, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    so delicious! i made bowls with this – rice, roasted mushrooms, spinach, salsa + avocado. beef is so flavorful!!!

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      April 09, 2019 at 7:57 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe, Liz! Be on the lookout for my chicken tinga recipe, coming tomorrow. I just finished the leftovers also as part of a rice bowl 🙂 Thank you so much for rating and commmenting on the recipe – much appreciated!

      Reply
  8. Matt says

    March 14, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious, Thanks!

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      March 14, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      You’re so welcome, Matt – happy you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  9. Julie Wanek says

    December 06, 2018 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent and Easy!

    Reply
  10. Kristen says

    November 03, 2018 at 3:22 pm

    Just out of curiosity, about how many servings will this make? I’m making it for a party soon and want to make sure I dont need to double up.

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      November 04, 2018 at 7:37 am

      Kristen, I would say you can make about a dozen street tacos (smaller tortillas) – maybe enough to serve 4 to 6 people, depending on sides, etc. I think you can increase the quantity of beef by up to 30% more and not change anything else and still be good.

      Reply
  11. Kynthia Alice Rosgeal says

    September 16, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    5 stars
    The recipe works, but after cooking it I had to add about a 1/2 tsp of ground cumin. Other than that, very good.

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      September 17, 2018 at 9:26 am

      Kynthia, pressure cooking tends to dull the spices and that’s why I usually up the quantity. Adding at the end is a good way to adjust. I’m glad you liked it and thanks for the feedback.

      Reply
  12. Elizabeth says

    August 11, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    How spicy is this when cooked – recipe fully followed? If you put less of the dried chilies, is it less spicy? Planning to cook for my family which includes small children. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      August 12, 2018 at 8:18 pm

      Elizabeth, I don’t find it very spicy – because you remove most of the liquid and use just the meat. But yes, I would reduce the number of red chilies if you’re concerned about spiciness. You’ll still have flavor. You can always change it up next time and add more spice.

      Reply
  13. Michelle Hansen says

    June 30, 2018 at 9:37 am

    So when I put the beef in the Instant Pot- Iam Not adding the marinade with it?

    Reply
    • Paint the Kitchen Red says

      June 30, 2018 at 10:37 am

      Hi Michelle, I guess I should make that more clear – I will change the wording. The beef and marinade (which is fairly thick) need to be added. Thanks for your question!

      Reply
4.73 from 11 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Hi, I'm Neena Panicker, and welcome! I am the creator, photographer, and author of recipes and tips at Paint the Kitchen Red. I live in the glorious west in Salt Lake City, Utah with my family.

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