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Carne Mechada (Puerto Rican Style Pot Roast) served with yellow rice in a white bowl.
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4.82 from 11 votes

Carne Mechada (Puerto Rican Style Pot Roast)

A delicious comforting dish of Carne Mechada (Puerto Rican Style Pot Roast) cooked in savory spices, yummy veggies and cooked to tender perfection.  A Comfort meal at its best!

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Servings: 4
Calories: 492kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs beef roast
  • 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning

  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

  • cup red wine

  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch to thicken sauce

Veggies

  • 3 potatoes

    peeled & cut into large chunks
  • 4 carrots sliced
  • 2 onions quartered
  • 1 pepper quartered

Marinade

  • 6 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 4 tablespoon oil

Instructions

  • Rinse beef roast and gently poke a few holes into the meat with a knife.
    Place in instant pot.
  • Put all ingredients for the marinade into a blender and blend until smooth.
    Pour marinade over beef. 
    Flip over and make sure marinade gets on both sides.
  • Add the sofrito, adobo seasoning, chicken bouillon powder, red wine, vinegar, water and bay leaf to pot.
  • Marinade beef for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.

Cooking Roast in Instant Pot

  • Place roast instant pot and turn venting knob to sealing position.
  • Add all the vegetables to pot.
  • Pressure cook for 60 to 80 minutes depending on the size of your roast.
  • When the cooking time is up, do a natural release for 10 minutes.
    After 10 minutes, turn vent to the venting release position and allow all of the steam to vent and the float valve to drop down before removing the lid. 
  • Add the cornstarch to a ⅓ cup of water and stir to form a slurry.
  • Add slurry to instant pot and stir in to thicken sauce.
  • Remove roast and cut into large chunks.
    Serve by itself or with a side of rice.

Notes

Serve Carne Mechada on its own or with rice.
Here are some suggestions:
Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice)
Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz Amarillo con Maiz)
Cilantro Lime Rice

STOVE TOP AND SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

For stove top:
  • Follow instructions to marinade beef roast.
  • Once beef is marinated, add a tablespoon of oil to a dutch oven or large pot.
  • Heat pan over medium heat and sear beef roast on both sides.
  • Add the sofrito, adobo seasoning, chicken bouillon powder, red wine, vinegar, water and bay leaf to pot.
  • Cook for 2 hours over medium low heat.
  • Then add vegetables and cook for an additional hour or until beef is fork tender.
  • Once cooked, shred beef with two forks into large chunks.
For Slow Cooker (Crockpot):
  • Add all ingredients to slow cooker including beef.
  • Cook beef roast on low for 7-8 hours or until fork tender.
  • Once cooked, shred beef with two forks into large chunks.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 1412mg | Potassium: 1081mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10220IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 5mg