This barbacoa beef recipe makes fork tender Mexican shredded beef in a flavorful, chipotle-spiced sauce.
Cook it in your slow cooker and serve in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, or salads for an easy, delicious meal!
My favorite way to eat barbacoa beef is on corn tortillas and topped with cilantro, onions, and lime juice.
However, it is great on rice bowls over using jalapeno, cilantro, lime rice.
Watch how to make
It is also fantastic over nachos. If you make Mexican shredded beef nachos, try making it over homemade baked tortilla chips. They are so good!
Ingredients for barbacoa beef
You will need the following ingredients to make barbacoa beef:
- Beef chuck roast- Because this recipe is slow cooked, the beef chuck roast is the best option for tender, flavorful, fall off the fork meat. However, you can substitute with a bottom round roast if you want a leaner cut.
- cumin
- ground cloves- You can substitute with a few whole cloves. If you use whole cloves, do not process them in the blender. Instead, add them in when you add the bay leaves and remove them when you remove the bay leaves.
- beef broth-You can substitute with chicken broth or water.
- apple cider vinegar
- chipotles in adobo sauce- I like the extra spice and flavor from the chipotles. If you want it to be less spicy, use half of the recommended amount in the recipe.
- Mexican oregano- You can substitute with Italian or Greek oregano.
- ground coriander
- bay leaves
- garlic
- lime juice
NOTE: Full recipe measurements are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Steps
Follow these simple steps to make barbacoa beef in slow cooker.
- Sear chuck roast on each side until outside is brown. Add to crockpot.
- In a food processor or blender, add beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, ground cloves, chipotles in adobo sauce, Mexican oregano, ground coriander, garlic, and lime juice. Process until smooth.
- Pour sauce mixture over the chuck roast. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until fork tender.
- Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove meat from juices. Shred the beef.
- Add beef back into the juices. Serve beef in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, and salads.
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Note: I found these fun, cute taco trays on Amazon. They are sturdy, dish washer proof, colorful, and do a great job holding my tacos in place.
Can you freeze barbacoa?
You can freeze barbacoa. To freeze, store in a ziplock or airtight container up to 4 months.
To serve, defrost meat, then reheat on stove top or microwave.
What sides go well with barbacoa?
Looking for some tasty sides to go with barbacoa? Try some of these:
- Mexican Corn Salad
- Cheesy Green Chile Rice Casserole
- Mexican Black Beans
- Mexican Pickled Carrots
- Homemade Restaruant Style Salsa
About the recipe
This recipe is from my dear friend and neighbor, Michelle Lakeman.
She also has shared her Apple Cider Margarita recipe with me. (It pairs perfect with barbacoa!)
She is a fantastic cook and mixologist. Dinner is always special and fun at her house. I am always begging for her recipes. I am so lucky to live next door to enjoy her friendship and kitchen creations.
Did your barbacoa beef turn out delicious? Please leave me a comment below if you make this and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.
Also post a picture of your barbacoa on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
Recipe
Barbacoa Recipe
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pound chuck roast
- 7 ounce chipotle in adobo sauce canned
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime juiced
- 16 ounces beef broth
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Sear chuck roast on each side until outside is brown. Add to crockpot.3 to 4 pound chuck roast
- In a food processor or blender, add beef broth, apple cider vinegar, cumin, ground cloves, chipotles in adobo sauce, Mexican oregano, ground coriander, garlic, and lime juice. Process until smooth.7 ounce chipotle in adobo sauce, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 16 ounces beef broth, 1 lime
- Pour sauce mixture over the chuck roast. Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours until fork tender.3 bay leaves
- Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove meat from juices. Shred the beef.
- Add beef back into the juices. Serve beef in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, and salads.
Sangeetha S
This barbacoa beef is delicious! Slow-cooking the beef ensured that it was tender and flavorful, while the chipotle spice added a kick of heat. This versatile dish makes a great addition to any meal plan.
Dee
This will be great for my next taco party! Looks simple to make yet feeds a crowd.
Laura Arteaga
Every minute invested in making this recipe was simply worth it. The flavors, the texture, and the recipe itself were just perfect.+
Monica | Nourish and Fete
I love barbacoa! So flavorful and delicious. And making it in the slow cooker is my absolute favorite - so easy and perfect to come home to after a long day.
Mindy S
Tender and flavorful! We served it with tacos and in burritos the next day. Great recipe!
Natalia
I don't consume beef, but my family does. So I decided to give your recipe a try. And let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations! Both my husband and toddler were delighted with the meal!
Carrie Robinson
I just LOVE that this is made in the slow cooker! This recipe is definitely happening in my house for our next taco night. 🙂 Looks amazing!
Mikayla
What a great recipe for using a chuck roast, delicious and tender and we will be making this again!
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
Such a fun recipe to make for summer backyard parties! Slow cooking is the best as it brings the most flavor.
Amy Liu Dong
I love how easy and delicious to make this dish is. I really love it and even my kids love it!
Jamie
Wow! This barbacoa beef recipe looks yummy and very delicious! The juiciness of the meat makes it so enticing and tempting! Everybody would definitely love it!
Ann
This meat turned out delicious! I used to make a beef enchilada versus a taco. Was still so delicious!
Amy Liu Dong
Such an easy but delicious recipe to make for my family, perfect for this weekend's family together
Jamie
This beef recipe looks absolutely delicious! For me, any slow-cooked food brings out the best taste there is! Wonderful treat that everyone will be loved!