This amazing Beef Barbacoa is tender, flavorful, and so easy to make in the slow cooker! Use this delicious meat in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, and more!
Take Taco Tuesday to the next level with this Beef Barbacoa! Isn’t Mexican food is the best?! These tacos are sure to knock your socks off! Serve them tacos along side Spanish Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Refried Beans, or Seasoned Black Beans.
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacos
This flavorful meat is so easy to make! Sear the meat for extra flavor and then pop it in the slow cooker topped with an easy sauce whipped up in the blender. We like it best served in a warm corn tortilla and topped with radishes, cilantro, queso fresco, guacamole, and lime.
Ingredients for Beef Barbacoa:
- Chuck Roast– This is a tough and flavorful cut of beef from the shoulder made tender by cooking slowly.
- Oil– This is needed to sear the meat. If you choose not to sear, this can be omitted.
- Broth– Canned or water with bouillon works great.
- Onion– I prefer sweet onions but yellow works too.
- Garlic– Fresh is best! Just peel and toss into the blender.
- Chipotle Chilies– You can find these in the Mexican section of the international aisle.
- Vinegar– This acid ingredient helps to break down the the tough fibers.
- Seasoning– Cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaves. This combination of spices adds delicious authentic flavor.
How to make Beef Barbacoa:
Time needed: 8 hours
- Sear Meat
Trim excess fat off beef and cut into 4 portions. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Season beef with salt and pepper and then sear on all sides. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker and bay leaves in between meat. - Make Sauce
In a blender, puree onion, broth, garlic, chipotle chilies, vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over the beef.
- Slow Cook
Top with lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Shred
Lift beef out of slow cooker (careful not to knock off any of the thickened sauce on top) and shred on a cutting board. Reserve 1 cup of of juices in the slow cooker and discard the rest. Add the beef back to the slow cooker with ~1/2 cup of the juices and cook on low for an additional 20 minutes or until warm.
- Serve
Serve in corn tortillas with cilantro, radishes, salsa, queso fresco, avocado, salsa, pico de gallo…
FAQs
Beef Barbacoa is an authentic Mexican dish that is made with chuck roast, chilies, and other spices. The meat is slowly cooked until tender and shreds easily. It is used in dishes like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
Beef Chuck roast works best for this recipe. It might also be labeled as “pot roast”, “shoulder roast”, “chuck eye roast”, or “chuck roll roast”.
This meat is great in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, or bowls. Add your favorite Mexican toppings and enjoy!
Spray or brush both sides of corn tortillas with oil. Head a pan over medium-high heat and cook tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove and place in a tortilla warmer or in a folded towel.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS CHIPOTLE BARBACOA:
- Slow Cooker– This is very similar to the one I use but it has the addition of a lockable lid which is awesome for when you are transporting food for a party or pot luck, especially soup.
- Wolf Gourmet Blender– This blender is amazing! It a power house that can blend anything. I love it and use it for everything from smoothies, to soups, to dressings.
- KitchenAid Blender– If you’re not ready to commit to a high power blender, this one is great!
- Cutting Board– I love having various sizes of cutting boards and these are awesome because they won’t slip and slide around on the counter.
LOOKING FOR MORE MEXICAN RECIPES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Café Rio Sweet Pork
- 3-Ingredient Salsa Chicken Tacos
- Slow Cooker Pork Posole
- Chipotle Pork Tacos
- 10-Ingredient Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Beef Barbacoa
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 pound chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For Serving:
- white corn tortillas
- cilantro
- radishes
- queso fresco
- lime
Instructions
- Trim excess fat off beef and cut into 4 portions. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season beef with salt and pepper and then sear on all sides. Place in the bottom of the slow cooker and bay leaves on top.
- In a blender, puree onion, broth, garlic, chipotle chilies, vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over the beef.
- Top with lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
- Lift beef out of slow cooker (careful not to knock off any of the thickened sauce on top) and shred on a cutting board. Reserve 1 cup of of juices in the slow cooker and discard the rest. Add the beef back to the slow cooker with ~1/2 cup of the juices and cook on low for an additional 20 minutes or until warm.
- Serve in corn tortillas with lime juice, cilantro, radishes, salsa, queso fresco, avocado, salsa, pico de gallo…
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