There are certain Cuban dishes that feel like an occasion, and boliche is one of them. Traditionally, this chorizo-stuffed beef roast is slow-simmered until tender in a rich tomato-based sauce, filling the kitchen with that unmistakable delicious aroma. This Instant Pot Cuban Boliche keeps all the depth and comfort of the classic stuffed pot roast, but makes it realistic for modern life. It is tender, flavorful, and ready in a fraction of the time.
Our Instant Pot boliche recipe is the drastically simplified version of our original Cuban Boliche Recipe. This version fits into our busy weekday schedule because of how quickly it comes together and simple prep. Have no fear- this mouthwatering Cuban pot roast is still loaded with a ton of flavor.
Jump to Recipeif you love Cuban food Here are our Top 10 Cuban Recipes you should try
What is a Cuban Boliche
Boliche is a traditional Cuban stuffed beef roast, typically made with eye round and filled down the center with chorizo before being seared and slowly braised in a savory tomato-based sauce. As it cooks, the flavors of the sausage infuse the beef from the inside out, creating tender slices with a bold, rich center. When you slice it, you see that beautiful ring of sausage running through the center — a little surprise in every bite.
Our Instant Pot version keeps all that signature flavor while cutting the cook and prep time dramatically!
Why Make This Instant Pot Cuban Boliche Recipe
The Traditional boliche recipe includes marinating, searing, sautéing and braising, which is about a 3-4 hour process. With this recipe, you will have boliche on the table in less than an hour. You still get that delicious meat stuffed with chorizo in a flavorful broth along with those perfectly tender potatoes.
We are always huge fans of kitchen tools that make our lives easier. The Instant Pot is one of those tools that helps you bring a delicious dinner to the table in a fraction of the time. Whether you have a family or just feeding yourself it is a magician that is able to infuse so much flavor into your food it will taste like you worked on it all day. You can find one HERE!
A Few Tips to Follow:
- Type of meat: this recipe calls specifically for mock tender/ boliche francés cut of meat for boliche but especially when we make it in the instant pot. The shape is more consistent which will help cook the meat evenly and quicker. Other cuts, eye of the round or rump roast can be used but expect to add more time to the cooking time because they are lean tough cuts.
- Searing – searing the meat and getting a golden crust on it before pressure cooking is not negotiable. It is an extra 5 minutes but it adds a deeper taste to the dish.
- Cook boliche less than you think. It’s tempting to pressure cook it for an hour so it can be very tender and although meat that is falling apart is delicious, the beauty of boliche is slicing it and seeing what it is stuffed with. You want it to be tender but stay together.
Substitutions:
- You can replace vino seco with white or red wine.
- If you want to add more vegetables you can but keep in mind if they are added at the beginning they may break down. Adding peas or spinach to the recipe after it has been pressure cooked is a better bet.
- You can use regular beef broth or chicken broth. The bone broth adds a lot of flavor.
- If you want a thicker sauce you would need to remove the meat and the potatoes after they pressure cook leaving the broth behind. Set the instant pot to “saute” mode so it begins to boil. Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and whisk into the broth vigorously. Let it boil for another 2-4 minutes and the sauce will thicken just enough.
- If you don’t like chorizo you can stuff it with chunks of cheese or ham.
While the boliche is cooking away in the instant pot you can work on the side. Anything that can soak up the sauce would work perfectly. We would serve this recipe with any of these sides:
Instant Pot Cuban Boliche
4
servings15
minutes30
minutesIngredients
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3-pound mock tender roast (boliche francés)
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2 links of Spanish Chorizo, casing removed if you prefer
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6 cloves of garlic, smashed
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4 tablespoons of avocado oil
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2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
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1 cubanelle pepper, thinly sliced
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2 1/2 cups of beef broth
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1 cup of vino seco
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2 tablespoons of tomato paste
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2 tablespoons of tomato paste
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2 bay leaves
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3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half or in fourths if they are large
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¼ cup of parsley, finely chopped
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2 teaspoons of sazon
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Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Directions
- Prep the meat by drying it well with a paper towel. Set the instant pot to “SAUTE.” This will allow it to heat up really well while you get the meat ready.
- Time to make a hole in the middle of the meat for the chorizo.Take a large narrow knife and make an inch slit through the middle of the meat. This hole is for your chorizo, so think about creating a hole in the middle of the meat that the chorizo would fit into. Push the knife into the meat trying to get as far in as possible. If the roast is very long you may need to do the same process to the other side of the meat. Once done, insert the chorizo into the meat.
- Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the meat and then sprinkle it all over with salt and pepper and half of the sazon.
- When the pot is hot add a tablespoon of oil and sear the meat well on all four sides. It will be about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Once all sides have been seared, and are a deep golden brown- leave the meat in the Instant Pot. Then add the onions, poblano, garlic, sazon and a teaspoon of salt. If it’s a little dry add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Move everything around. Once well mixed, add the tomato paste, bay leaves, vino seco and beef broth. The roast should be about ¾ covered in liquid.
- Finally, add the large chunks of potatoes. Give everything one big stir, make sure everything is almost covered with the liquid (if not add a little water).
- Set the pressure to 30 minutes on high. Allow it to naturally release when it’s ready or press the quick release button 5 minutes later.
- Remove the roast onto a platter. Cut into 1-inch slices and plate. Taste the broth. If it needs salt or pepper now is a good time to add. Add the parsley to the broth. Cover the boliche slices with the broth and the potatoes.
