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!
Wow! My kitchen smelled amazing all day. And this recipe was amazeballs!! Made homemade non- GMO corn tortillas with corn from Mexico. And couldn’t believe how utterly delicious REAL corn tastes compared to all our genetically grown crap. Make this you will not be disappointed. Everyone freaked and never want store bought anything again!
This recipe is amazing! I was nervous because my children are quite picky, but this recipe satisfied even my pickiest eaters! I am adding this one to our monthly rotation.
This is honestly one of the best meat recipes I’ve ever made. I’ve made it twice in the last week. The amount of flavor in this insane. I substituted 1 chopped jalepeño for the chiles. Also I’ve been throwing it in the oven at 350 for 2 hrs. When it’s done, I shred up all the meat and mix everything together. I can’t wait to try this with pork and chicken. My favorite has been eating it over white rice but is good on a tortilla with cotija.
This is in my crockpot now! Can’t wait!
I’ve been making this once a week since quarantine. Easy to do and everybody loves it. I like to add half can of hard cider or Mexican beer. I may try to sear the outside of the beef to see if it’s worth the extra time because that works well with other braised beef recipes. Thank you!
Wow. So like many other reviewers, I have never actually taken the time to leave a comment for a recipe before. But oh my goodness, this recipe is SO GOOD. I didn’t have cloves. And I decided to thrown in an extra spoonful of salt and had to use key limes since it’s all I had, but otherwise didn’t change the recipe at all (although my roast was only 2.64 lbs). I love cooking, and have to say this is one of my favorite tasting meals I’ve ever made. I didn’t have to adjust the seasoning at all at the end—a first for me.
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Seriously loved this recipe. Made exactly as directed, except I did brown the meat a little in a cast iron skillet. Will make again and again!
So good!! Used 2T La Costena chopped chipotles for the 2 chipotles in adobo, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Unbelievably flavorful and tender. Served with cilantro lime slaw and charred corn tortillas – my piggy husband ate SIX tacos! Can’t recommend this enough.
This is so flavorful and easy. My boys love it too. I make this often. Yummy