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
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 250 minutes
- Total Time: 260 minutes
- Yield: 0 About 8-12 servings 1x
Description
This barbacoa recipe is simple to make in your slow cooker, and makes the most tender, flavorful, delicious barbacoa beef.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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.
OMG thank you! That was amazing, family loved it!
I rarely post reviews of recipes but I had to take a moment to commend you on this amazing dish. I’m always looking for recipes that will appeal to my boyfriend’s taste (he is Mexican) and this did not disappoint! This dish was absolutely wonderful. The meat is so flavorful! We really enjoyed this. Thanks for posting!
Okay, so I was a little skeptical… Barbacoa in a slow cooker? My abuelita is shaking her head- no! But your recipes have never failed me yet so I decided to give it a try…and boy, am I glad I did! This recipe was super easy and super delish! Thanks for another great dinner!
Of course, if you lived in Wichita, Pizza Hut was a local restaurant–that is where Pizza Hut started. :)
Made this last week and it was a huge hit. My husband is in love and requested it again. Even my picky 6 year old liked it despite it being “spicy” – a first for her! I made nachos with the leftovers and they were to die for. I’m making it again for company tonight. Can’t wait for dinner. Thank you for this fantastic recipe!!!
Finally made this yesterday & it turned out amazing! Omitted the clove because I didn’t have any & chose to purée all the other ingredients together before pouring it over the beef & adding the bay leaves. Looking forward to making this again!
Having lived in Mazatlan, Sinaloa for 5 years I have a large collection of Mexican recipes including numerous ones for Barbacoa. Your recipe intrigued me because it was “slow cooker” prepared which the Mexicans seldom use. I made it for dinner last night and was very pleased with the result. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Chipotle is in danger of going broke if this tastes as good as it looks!
I made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! The leftover meat will become nacho toppings tomorrow. yum! Thanks for the recipe.
I made this last night as our lunch for the week- it’s delicious!! so much flavor!