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!
This recipe is amazing!
Always. a hit, I don’t change the recipe.
This is the perfect recipe! We’ve made it 10+ times it is a household favorite. Thanks for sharing!
How much would i need for 50 people?
I made this and love the flavor. I don’t usually use this cut of beef, but found it too fatty and not as tender as I expected. I cooked it in high for 4 hours. Would it have been more tender if I would have cooked it on low for longer time or is this normal with this cut of beef? Is there another cut of beef I could try?
Exceeded our expectations. From the first bite we knew we would be making this over and over. Fantastic recipe. Thank you!!
Delicious! Complex flavors with easy ingredients!
Absolutely delicious! Perfect layering of flavors. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Super easy and very delicious! Ate in tacos and burritos for first few meals then turned into a hearty soup with potatoes, carrots fresh green beans and onions, added a beef bullion cube and walla. If you have an aversion to cloves, like my daughter, you may want to skip but think this offered a nice flavor profile.
Can I skip the chipotles in adobo sauce and just put the diced green. Chiles in the recipe to make it more palatable for my grand kids?