Latin American Mexican Main Dishes Beef Barbacoa-Style Shredded Beef 4.7 (238) 175 Reviews 17 Photos This barbacoa recipe cooks the beef in a flavorful barbacoa sauce in the slow cooker until it's fall-apart tender and easy to shred. It's similar to what you'd get at Chipotle's and perfect for nachos, tacos, and burritos. Submitted by Jack Grigsby III Updated on November 15, 2024 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you'd find in a home kitchen. Staff credentials vary but include training at the Culinary Institute of America; kitchen stints in fine dining restaurants; and countless hours in the test kitchen itself. Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 17 17 17 17 Prep Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs 10 mins Additional Time: 10 mins Total Time: 8 hrs 55 mins Servings: 8 Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe This melt-in-your-mouth barbacoa recipe is shockingly easy to make in your slow cooker. What Is Barbacoa? Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground. These days, barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker. Learn more: What Is Barbacoa and How Do You Make It? Dotdash Meredith Food Studios What Is Barbacoa Meat? Historically, lamb or goat is used to make barbacoa. Modern versions can be made with beef or pork. This barbacoa recipe calls for a 3-pound beef chuck roast. How to Make Barbacoa You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics: Barbacoa Seasoning The beef is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, then slowly cooked in a flavorful mixture seasoned with garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and bay leaves. How to Make Barbacoa at Home Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this slow cooker barbacoa recipe: Season the beef and brown it on all sides in a skillet. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients. Cook the meat on Low until fork-tender, then shred. Return the beef to the slow cooker and toss in the sauce. What to Serve With Barbacoa Serve your barbacoa with corn tortillas with toppings such as onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. For more delicious serving inspiration, explore our entire collection of Mexican Side Dishes. Here are a few of the top-rated recipes you’ll find: Mexican Rice Quick and Easy Refried Beans Mexican Corn on the Cob (Elote) How to Store Barbacoa Store the leftover barbacoa (and its juices) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the meat on the stove, in the oven, or in the slow cooker. Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise “The meat is so tender and the taste is amazing,” raves Momma Scriv. “I’m a little bit of a lightweight, so I cut it down to one chipotle, but it was still very good. You can also dredge your tortilla in the sauce, fill it with the meat and cheese, and toss it on a skillet or griddle!” “It was a big hit as is, but if you like really spicy it could be easily made more spicy by adding more of the peppers,” according to one Allrecipes community member. “I served fresh jalapeños on the side for those who wanted more of a kick. The spice blend was perfect for me.” “This turned out absolutely delicious,” says Stan. “I put the beef on fresh corn tortillas that were dipped in the au jus, then griddled, flipped and topped with cheese!!! Finished them off by stuffing them with this amazing beef, folded, and crisped up!” Editorial contributions by Corey Williams Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast, cut into 6 to 8 chunks salt and ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ cup beef broth ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup fresh lime juice 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped 5 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 3 large bay leaves Directions Season beef chunks with salt and pepper on all sides. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook and stir beef until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Transfer browned beef to a slow cooker. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Mix broth, vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cloves together in a bowl until well combined. Season mixture with salt and pepper and pour over beef in the slow cooker. Stir in bay leaves. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Cook on Low until beef is fork-tender, 8 to 10 hours. Discard bay leaves. Remove beef from the cooker and shred using two forks. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Return beef to the slow cooker and stir to coat with sauce. Let marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios I Made It Print 384 home cooks made it! Nutrition Facts (per serving) 303 Calories 23g Fat 3g Carbs 20g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 303 % Daily Value * Total Fat 23g 29% Saturated Fat 8g 41% Cholesterol 78mg 26% Sodium 150mg 7% Total Carbohydrate 3g 1% Dietary Fiber 1g 3% Total Sugars 0g Protein 20g 41% Vitamin C 3mg 4% Calcium 32mg 2% Iron 3mg 18% Potassium 226mg 5% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.