Instant Pot Mediterranean Beef
This Instant Pot Mediterranean Beef recipe turns a chuck shoulder roast into tender, flavorful shredded beef with a delectable balsamic red wine sauce. Perfect for elegant dinner parties and casual family gatherings! Slow cooker option available.
*As a member of the Beef Expert Bureau, I’m excited to share my Instant Pot Mediterranean Beef recipe. All opinions here are my own, shaped by my love for beef and my Instant Pot obsession!*
I initially held off buying an Instant Pot, but after trying one at the NCBA test kitchen in Denver, I immediately understood the hype and had to have one of my own. This gadget has transformed my cooking, making it easy to prepare gourmet meals with minimal effort. Not to mention, it’s a lot less intimidating than the old-school pressure cookers our grandmothers used.
This Mediterranean shredded beef recipe was my first creation in the Instant Pot, adapted from this Mediterranean Beef Pot Roast. It’s a great example of how pressure cooking can yield tender, flavorful meat without hovering over the pot for hours. The result? Fall-apart, tender beef with incredible Mediterranean-inspired, rich, mouthwatering flavor.
This dish is right up there with my Instant Pot Cuban Style Shredded Beef and Instant Pot Southwest Beef Roast –all of which achieve juicy, just plain delicious shredded beef! If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Looking for more Instant Pot inspiration? Check out my other Instant Pot creations while you’re here.
Recipe highlights
- Melt–in-your-mouth. Pressure cooking transforms a budget-friendly beef cut into tender, flavorful shredded perfection infused with savory and subtly sweet flavor.
- Quick and easy. The Instant Pot significantly cuts down on time spent in the kitchen. Plus, everything cooks in one pot, making cleanup a breeze!
- Versatile serving. The fine dining feel of this dish is perfect for fancy family dinners and impressing dinner guests.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Boneless beef chuck shoulder roast. This cut becomes tender and flavorful when cooked under pressure. Look for a well-marbled piece for the best flavor, but trim any excess fat to avoid a greasy texture. Beef brisket works well as a substitute.
- All-purpose flour. Used to coat and brown the beef and thicken the sauce. Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour if you need to.
- Spices. Dried oregano, salt, and pepper are all you need to elevate the dish’s flavor.
- Onion. Adds sweetness and depth. You can use yellow or white onions here.
- Shallots. Offer a delicate, slightly sweet flavor. Red onion also works here if you already have one.
- Garlic. Brings a robust, savory flavor to the dish. Fresh is best, but pre-minced garlic works in a pinch.
- Extra virgin olive oil. To sauté the beef and vegetables,
- Beef broth. Intensifies the beefy flavor and serves as the base for the sauce.
- Red wine. Adds depth, flavor, and richness to the sauce. Use a red like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Merlot. If you don’t want to use wine, you can just use additional beef broth.
- Balsamic vinegar. Adds sweet and tangy depth. Choose high-quality balsamic vinegar. It makes a big difference!
- Medjool dates. The natural sweetness and subtle caramel flavor help balance the savory elements.
- Fresh herbs. I topped this dish with fresh oregano, but parsley works well too.
How to make Mediterranean Beef in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Prep the beef. Whisk together the flour and spices. Chop the roast into 2-inch cubes, slicing against the grain, and place in a plastic bag. Add the flour mixture, seal, and shake to coat evenly.
Step 2: Sauté the beef. Turn your Instant Pot to “Sauté” mode and add olive oil. Once hot, add the meat, onions, shallots, garlic, and sauté until the beef is lightly browned.
Step 3: Add liquids and dates. Pour in the broth, wine, and balsamic vinegar. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot –this helps prevent a ‘Burn’ message and adds so much flavor! Add the dates and give everything a good stir.
Step 4: Pressure cook. Cancel the “Sauté” mode. Secure the lid and cook on “Manual” high pressure for 40 minutes. Once the timer stops, let the pressure release naturally -and voila!
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Take time browning the beef using the “Sauté” function. Make sure to brown the cubes evenly to enhance the dish’s overall taste.
- Beef roast becomes tender and shreds effortlessly when it reaches an internal temperature of around 195°F to 205°F. If unsure, you can check by pulling a piece of meat with a fork. If it’s fork-tender and falls right off, it’s good to go!
- To thicken the sauce, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a bit of cold water and stir it into the sauce after cooking. Use the “Sauté” function to simmer until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
Instant Pot burn notice
The “Burn” warning on your Instant Pot is a safety feature to prevent overheating. While this Instant Pot shredded beef recipe has plenty of liquid to avoid such issues, a few things can still trigger the message:
- Improper steam release valve seal: Double-check that it’s securely closed.
- Incorrectly installed sealing ring ring: Check that it’s properly in place.
- Food spills: Wipe any spills off the heating element.
- Underglazed bits: Scrape any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot after adding the liquid and stir well to avoid any issues.
Variations
- Kick of heat – If you can handle the heat, sauté diced fresh jalapeños with the beef. Or, add some crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to the pot before pressuring cooking.
- Add veggies – Make it heartier by adding vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, or mushrooms. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them in with the beef. Just be mindful of their cooking times so they don’t become too soft.
- Include olives or capers – For an extra touch of Mediterranean flair, stir in some chopped olives or capers just before serving.
If you prefer not to use dates, you can substitute them with other dried fruits like raisins or apricots. Or, add a small amount of honey or maple syrup.
Yup! First, brown the coated beef and sauté the onions, shallots, and garlic in a pan. Then, transfer everything to your slow cooker. Add the liquids and dates, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
What to serve with Mediterranean beef
Make your shredded beef a meal! The rich, savory sauce makes it ideal for serving over dishes like rice (white, brown, or wild), mashed potatoes, polenta, orzo, couscous, or mashed cauliflower.
Consider a simple, fresh salad with Greek salad dressing and a side of these Greek Potatoes with Lemon and Feta to get some veggies on your plate. Most importantly, have warm pita bread, naan, or crusty baguette within reach to scoop up all the saucy beefy goodness.
Storing & freezing
Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, store any leftover Mediterranean beef in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Allow the beef to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Mediterranean-inspired beef recipes
If you love this Mediterranean shredded beef recipe, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Instant Pot Mediterranean Beef
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless beef chuck shoulder roast trimmed of any fat
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour can use gluten-free
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 shallots sliced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup red wine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir works well here *if you don’t have wine, just use more beef broth
- 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates
- *optional: parsley or fresh oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, salt, pepper and dried oregano
- Chop roast (slicing against the grain) into 2″ size cubes
- Place roast cubes inside a plastic bag and add flour mixture
- Seal bag and shake to coat the meat
- Turn Instant Pot on to “Sauté” mode and add olive oil
- When the pot is hot, add beef mixture, onions, shallots and garlic
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
- Add broth, wine, balsamic vinegar and dates and gently stir well to mix
- Put the lid on top and lock to seal
- Press “Cancel” to stop sauté, then press “Manual” and set the timer for 40 minutes on high pressure setting
- When cooking time has finished, use the “Natural Release” and allow the pressure to release on it’s own (takes about 15 minutes)
- Serve over cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, couscous or brown rice
Notes
Nutrition
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Do I have to add cooking time to the settings if I’m doubling the recipe ?
Hi Cooper! If you are doubling the ingredients, it might take longer for the Instant Pot to come to pressure (perhaps even double the time), but the actual cook time under pressure should remain the same. I haven’t tested this out myself, so let me know how it turns out! This is one of my favorite beef meals!
Looking for meal prep recipes I can make in the instant pot and came across this recipe. I will love to make this, I just have one question. Is it freezable? And if so, how long is it good for?
Hi Jackie! Yes, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
AMAZING BASE- I felt it was lacking spice so i added around 1.5-2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper and GODDAM it was amazing. i also wanted to add a crunch instead of a mushy starch, so i boiled potato quarters, rolled them in beef tallow, baked at 450 and they were the perfect compliment to this dish. this combo is going in my recipe book. thank you!
I love your mods! I’m going to have to try your method next time! 🙂
I’ve made this twice now — tonight I’ve added some chopped jalepeno that I had on hand to give it a kick of heat. BUT … both times my Instant Pot gives me the Food Burned error message. Seems the sugars in the thick sauce of the dates carmelizes on the bottom of the pot and starts to char. Only reason it’s 4 stars instead of 5 for me is that . I just now added another batch of the wine / balsamic vinegar / beef
stock to thin it. Hope it works. Suggestions welcome!!
Hi Lucy! I am going to add this note to the recipe card because I had someone else inquire about this issue:
There are several things that can trigger the “food burning” message code. It’s a safety code to prevent overheating. It can be from not enough liquid, but that wouldn’t be an issue here since this recipe included plenty of liquid to create a sauce for the beef. Other things that can cause it are: steam release valve not being properly sealed, sealing ring improperly installed, food that got spilled onto the heating element, or browned bits of the meat weren’t scraped up when the liquid was added so it didn’t properly deglaze when it switched to pressure cook mode. I hope that helps!
Hello, I made this recipe and followed it exactly – about 10 minutes in to the pressure cooking phase, it showed ”burn”. Even if I scraped and added liquid, it kept doing that. Wondering what I did wrong? Thanks!
Hi Valerie! I’m sorry to hear this. There are several things that can trigger this code. It’s a safety code to prevent overheating. It can be from not enough liquid, but that wouldn’t be an issue here since this recipe included plenty of liquid to create a sauce for the beef. Other things that can cause it are: steam release valve not being properly sealed, sealing ring improperly installed, food that got spilled onto the heating element, or browned bits of the meat weren’t scraped up when the liquid was added so it didn’t properly deglaze when it switched to pressure cook mode.
Hi Amee!
I’m making this today, and wanted to make a suggestion: It would be super helpful if you would include measured amounts for things such as onions and shallots. The shallots I have right now are about 2 1/2 times the size of the ones I had last time, for example. By offering equivalencies, you help make the recipe tighter and more reproducible.
1 Large Shallot = 1/2 cup minced or sliced
1 Medium Shallots = 1/4 cup minced or sliced
1 Small Shallots = 2 tablespoons minced or sliced
The recipe looks delicious and we can’t wait to taste it!
Thank you for the suggestions Debbie and I hope that you enjoyed the recipe!!
I’ve got this in the instant pot right now and it smells wonderful. I used a bit more than 2 lbs of beef so I did about 1-1/2X the sauce ingredients and a few more dates. Can’t wait to see how it turns out. 🙂
Thanks for the feedback Stephanie! I hope that you enjoy it!!
I just got an Instant Pot last night and I am searching recipes to try out. This one looks delish! I do not think I am a date fan…do the dates cook out or are they pronounced in the dish.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa! The dates aren’t strong in the dish, just adds a nice hint of sweetness.
This was my first atempt at an instant pot meal, and this dish is AMAZING! I don’t usually eat meat but the flavor in this dish was out of this world! Thank you! I will definitely make this again!
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe Dawn! I love my Instant Pot!! I made a roast in mine tonight, too. 🙂
Made this the other day and have to say it was THE BOMB!!! I forgot to add the dates, so I opened the cooker (I used a Fagor multi cooker which I LOVE) added the chopped dates and turned the pressure back on for an additional; 10 min. The flavor is out of this world. I served it with Bob’s Red Mill brown and wild rice.
If you were asking, I’d give it 10 stars.
Thanks for sharing!
Love this!!! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback Lani! I’m so glad that you loved the recipe! I love the Bob’s Red Mill rice, too!