Beef Barbacoa is a delicious crockpot dinner that you will fall in love with. This is the perfect dinner to come home to.
Many of you already know that my pulled pork tacos recipe is one of my very favorites. This delicious beef barbacoa recipe is an easy spin on that and just as delicious.
This recipe starts with browning pieces of chuck roast and then combining them in the slow cooker with broth, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, and seasonings. It makes the most amazing shredded beef, perfect for burritos and tacos. Your family will adore this recipe.
How to Make Beef Barbacoa
Here is a brief overview of how this slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe comes together. For the full list of ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Combine Ingredients in the Slow Cooker
In the bottom of a slow cooker, combine the beef broth, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, and cloves.
Brown the Chuck Roast
Brown the beef chuck roast in batches in a heavy-bottomed pan in hot oil. This extra step is totally worth it, it helps deepen the flavor of the final dish.
Cook the Beef in the Slow Cooker
Add the beef to the bottom of the slow cooker, and toss it in the liquid. Add the bay leaves. Cook on low for eight hours, or until the beef falls apart easily with a fork. Cooking it slowly in the crockpot makes it so tender.
Shred the Beef
Remove the tender beef from the slow cooker, and remove any large pieces of fat. Shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker for serving.
How to Eat Beef Barbacoa
- Tacos: This is my favorite way to eat this recipe. I love eating it in corn shells topped with cilantro and raw white onion (as seen in the first picture).
- Burritos: This is a fantastic burrito filling. It’s amazing with some white rice, guacamole, and pico de gallo rolled up in a big burrito shell.
- Nachos: This is an amazing start to nachos. You can use my chicken nacho recipe as a base replacing the chicken with this delicious beef.
- Salad: Add this to some greens with salsa, sour cream, olives, and pickled red onions.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover barbacoa beef, with the liquid it’s cooked in, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or a small skillet with some of the liquid over low heat until heated through. Never reheat leftovers more than once.
What to Serve with Beef Barbacoa
If you make this Barbacoa Beef Recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think!
Beef Barbacoa
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 – 4 pounds chuck roast cut into large chunks (roughly 2 inches by 3 inches)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (if you are using table salt, use 1/2 tablespoons)
- 1 cup low sodium beef broth (if you can't find low sodium, use less salt on the beef for browning)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 4 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Season the beef with the salt and brown it in the hot oil in batches. I like to prep the other ingredients (chop the onion, mince the garlic, measure the spices) while the beef is browning to save time.3 – 4 pounds chuck roast, 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- In the bottom of a slow cooker, combine the beef broth, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, and cloves.1 cup low sodium beef broth, 1 small yellow onion, 6 garlic cloves, 4 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Add the beef to the bottom of the slow cooker, and toss it in the liquid. Add the bay leaves. Cook on low for eight hours, or until the beef falls apart easily with a fork. Remove from the slow cooker, and remove any large pieces of fat. Shred with two forks and return to the slow cooker for serving.
- Serve as tacos in corn tortillas with cilantro and fresh chopped onions.
Notes
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