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!
Would you recommend filtered or unfiltered apple cider vinegar? I’m excited to try it out!
I LOVE this recipe. I make it once a month. Recently, I bought an instant pot. I don’t suppose you have a recipe for this in the instant pot?
Thank you!
College men loved this! No leftovers!
Made it for my daughter’s 5th bday and set it up as a taco bar and it was such a hit! Next time I’ll have to double the recipe b/c there were no leftovers!
The first time I made this recipe, I used chuck roast and I couldn’t stop raving about how good it was! Tonight, I was craving it, but I didn’t have beef, so I made it with chicken :-) It was just as tantalizing! Absolutely addicted to barbacoa now, thanks for such a flavorful recipe!
Awesome! Served over rice and beans first night and used leftover for quesadillas in the air fryer later in the week. Halved recipe since there are only two of us and made the perfect amount for two meals. Easy and delicious!
I made this on the stove tonight using some fresh roasted Hatch peppers & homemade tomatillo salsa. Amazingly good, thanks for the recipe!
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight, it actually came out better than expected. I’ve tried so many others and they went into the garage can. So I was really happy wen this turned out, I was told to save this recipe for next time.
Just made this and halved the recipe. It was delightful! We will be making it for a family gathering soon. Thank you so much. The flavors are nicely balanced. I cooked it ahead of time and refrigerated it overnight. Of course, the fat rose to the top and solidified, so it was easy to remove before heating and serving. The flavor was even better the 2nd day. Perfect.
Hi, Can you double the recipe and cook as above?