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.
I made this recipe last night with some left over frozen chipotles (I had drained the juice out for another recipe & saved the peppers only). We live in south Texas so everyone in the family loves spicy foods! I left out the cloves(because I didn’t have them). This recipe was amazing!!! I’ll have to make it again. We ate it last night in rice bowls & tonight we’ll have It again with tacos!
Thanks very much Kayla! I’m so happy your family loved it! : )
I made this last night exactly as written. After removing from the slow cooker, I used an immersion blender to puree the onions and peppers…then I seared the meat with some of the juices in a skillet to get a bit of a crust. Served this on flour tortillas with pickled red onions, cilantro and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. I mean really? These were phenomenal. This one is definitely a keeper. Thank you for the recipe!! Cheers!
Thanks so much Angie, that’s so nice to hear! Happy you loved it. : D
This was SO AMAZING. I left out the green chiles since I don’t like them, and I used a sprinkling of dried onions instead of fresh since my husband doesn’t like onions, but it was still SO good. So juicy! So tender! So flavorful! So great! It’s now one of our forever foods. Served on small taco-sized flour tortillas with sour cream, salsa, and cheese. Homemade guac and tortillas chips on the side. Mmmmm mmmmm good!
Thanks Alicia, I’m happy you guys liked it! Homemade guac and tortilla chips on the side? Now you’re talkin! : )
How many people would you say this could serve? I need to feed 8 adults and 2 kids…..
It totally depends on how much people are eating, but I would recommend making a double batch to serve that crowd.
This is the best crock pot barbacoa recipe ever!! My kids couldn’t have enough of it in tacos. In Mexico, barbacoa is also served with its own broth, diced onions, cilantro and some lime juice. Delicioso!! I did blend all of the ingredients (minus the bay leaf) as suggested. Very well worth it!! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Lydia, I’m so happy you liked it!
Just made this tonight street taco style and made some easy black beans to go with. DELICIOUS!!! Thanks so much, this was just like chipotle but even better!!
Thanks Sara, so happy you enjoyed it! : )
Tatia Sanchez, not all barbacoas are greasy that you have to drain them. If you want to even say that authentic barbacoa is only made with certain parts is wrong too. Some states in Mexico only use goat or lamb for barbacoa. I think know thus is a great recipe. I would tweet a bit, I wouldn’t add those peppers barbacoa it some guajillo and maybe one dried ancho. But overall it’s gteat. My uncle has goats and a cattle in mexico….huge farm and he makes his buried. Yet, when he comes to the states he makes the best beef barbacoa and has been using a crock pot for over 30 yearrs.
In regards to asking a Mexican chef, well each has their own version. Again depending on who taught them. Let’s appreciate that someone is truly enjoying our foods and make simple suggestions especially when this is really close to a great tasting barbacoa. I make mine in crock pot for parties and serve in clay pot and many do not know how it was made. I live my crock pot for cocinita pibil, tenga and barbacoa. Try this and tweet some ingredients…bet your family would love it especially if me with love.
Brandy just mash the Chipotle peppers and put in a small sandwich or snack size bag and freeze. Use as needed to flavor different meals. Use in stews, as part of a marinade etc. All you need to do is cut a chunk off each time.
I came to update on this since my first try at it was too spicy for me to eat. I sent the left overs to work with hubby the next dayand they didn’t last an hour. He has rave reviews from coworkers who thought the heat was ‘just right’ (must have stomachs of steel) and several of them wanted the recipe. Of course I pointed them here. We are trying this recipe out again, with the right amount of adobo chilis for a party we are hosting tomorrow. Fingers crossed that it’s not too spicy. :)
Thanks for sharing Joni! I’m happy you guys found a good balance of spice. Thanks for giving it another go. : )
“Authentic” or not, this recipe absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you! : )