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 have made this several times and it never disappoints! I follow the recipe exactly and it is spot on! Whole family loves
Made this recipe twice and absolutely love it! I seared the meat on the second try and definitely made the dish better. If you are a die-hard chilehead I recommend adding dried Thai chili peppers to give an extra kick.
Just made this for a taco bar with a few friends tonight. It was AMAZING. Everyone raves about it. I served it alongside a copy cat Chipotle cilantro lime rice plus all the fixings. It was super easy to assemble the night before then plug in in the morning. 5 stars!
5 star from me not a 1 star!
The clove in here was just a little strong for my taste, making it less authentic tasting as I had hoped. Would also reduce cumin.
YUMMY!
Look, I’m sure it’s good. But I was looking for an authentic barbacoa recipe. Chuck roast with fat trimmed? My abuelita would slap me across the back of my head. Hear me people, use beef tongue and or cheek. This is the way.
Finally a Barbacoa that does not disappoint! Absolutely delicious. I didn’t even cut the beef chuck roast up before adding everything into the slow cooker for around five hours on high. This is totally going on the dinner rotation. Thank you!
This recipe was excellent and quickly has become a family favorite. However, I found my beef was a bit tough and hard to shred. Does that mean it was cooked too long in the crock pot? After I shredded it and put it back in the juices for a bit, it was delicious and you would never know it had been tough. I would like to be able to shred it easier.
Authentic Barbacoa should be made with shredded COW TONGUE!! not pot roast.