This homemade beef barbacoa recipe is easy to make in the slow cooker, and it’s SO flavorful and delicious! Perfect for burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas and more.
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Homemade Barbacoa Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Barbacoa
This barbacoa recipe is simple to make in your slow cooker, and makes the most tender, flavorful, delicious barbacoa beef.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or standard dried oregano)
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup beef stock or water
Instructions
- Slow cook. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork.
- Shred and toss. Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
- Serve. Use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the barbacoa beef and enjoy!
Notes
Storage instructions: Any leftovers can be stored (with their juices) in a food storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I love it well great coking
Hello! I have a question before I make an attempt at making this. I’ve read that if you use the two chipotle chilis vs just using the sauce they come in, that it’ll be way too spicy. Did you use both chilis and the sauce or just the sauce/chilis? :)
Hi Jacky! We used 2 chipotles (not 2 cans of chipotles). We didn’t use any of the sauce in the can they come in, but if you wanted this to be spicier, you definitely could! :)
This is the worst recipe I’ve had in decades. Do not make. Followed the recipe exactly. Dry. Tasteless. Overcooked.
We’re sorry this didn’t work for you, Lindsay.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it about 5 times. It’s delicious every time!
We’re so happy to hear that, Jen!
Delicious!
Thanks for the recepie. Today I’ m in the kitchen , this si muy thirth ….
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
I made this this evening, exactly as it is written. It was AMAZING!!!! My husband and I both loved it. We will be keeping this recipe and telling others about it. Thank you so much for sharing it. :)
Thank you, Jessica — we’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed it!
Do you know how many calories per serving this would be?
Hi Shelley! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
I was looking for a LC dish to make for a Spanish class potluck and this fits! I will be making in a few weeks. Thank you so much!
P.S. I thought I was the only one that remembered Book-it!
That’s awesome, Rita — we wish you luck! :)
Hi i want to make this insted off cidar vinager can i use white vinager?
Hi Ariana! We haven’t tried this with white vinegar, but we think that should work okay. We hope you enjoy!
Hi,
Can I use whole cloves instead of ground? Or will the taste be overpowering?
Hi Ella! We definitely recommend mincing the garlic for this. We hope you enjoy the recipe!