Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Made it? Rate this recipeBeef chuck slow cooked in a smoky chipotle, garlic, lime, and cumin sauce until dark and meltingly tender, then shredded into its juices and served with warm corn tortillas, pickled red onion, and lime.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Pickle the Onion
Place the sliced red onion in a jar or bowl. Stir the vinegar, sugar, and salt together until dissolved and pour over the onion. Press the onion down so it is submerged and refrigerate. It is ready in 30 minutes and keeps for 2 weeks.
Chef's Tips
- ›Make the onions the day before for a deeper pink color.
- ›Slice the onion as thinly as you can, ideally on a mandoline.
Blend the Sauce
In a blender, combine the white onion, garlic, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, lime juice, cider vinegar, beef broth, cumin, oregano, cloves, and black pepper. Blend until smooth.
Chef's Tips
- ›Start with 2 chipotles if you are sensitive to heat; 3 gives a medium spice level.
- ›The ground cloves are part of the classic barbacoa flavor, but a small amount goes a long way.
Combine in the Slow Cooker
Season the beef chunks with the salt and place them in a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker. Pour the blended sauce over the beef, turning the pieces to coat, and tuck in the bay leaves.
Chef's Tips
- ›Use thawed beef only. Frozen meat should never go into a slow cooker.
- ›For more depth, sear the chunks in a hot skillet first, though it is not required.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef falls apart when pressed with a fork. Leave the lid on throughout so the heat and moisture stay in.
Chef's Tips
- ›LOW gives a more tender result.
- ›The sauce darkens as it reduces with the beef juices.
Shred and Season
Remove the bay leaves. Lift the beef onto a board and shred it with two forks, discarding any fatty pieces. Skim excess fat from the sauce, return the beef to the slow cooker, and stir so it absorbs the juices. Let it sit on WARM for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt or a squeeze of lime as needed.
Chef's Tips
- ›The beef should be very juicy; it absorbs more sauce as it sits.
Serve
Pile the barbacoa into a serving bowl. Serve with a stack of warm corn tortillas, the pickled red onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges, and let everyone build their own tacos.
Chef's Tips
- ›Use a slotted spoon to fill tortillas so they do not go soggy.
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About This Recipe
What is this dish?
Barbacoa is a Mexican dish of slow-cooked, shredded meat. This home version braises beef chuck in a blended sauce of chipotle peppers, garlic, lime, cumin, and cloves until it is dark, tender, and juicy.
Why you'll love it
Blending the sauce takes a few minutes, and the slow cooker turns an inexpensive cut into a rich, flavorful taco filling.
When to serve
Serve it for taco nights, parties, or as a make-ahead filling for burrito bowls and nachos during the week.
Quick tips
Blend a bold sauce, use chuck, cook on LOW, and let the shredded beef soak in its juices before serving.
Ingredient Highlights
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
Smoked, dried jalapenos packed in a tangy tomato sauce. They give barbacoa its smoky heat and dark color.
Lime Juice and Vinegar
The acidity balances the rich beef and keeps the sauce bright.
Pickled Red Onion
Quick-pickled onions add a sharp, crunchy contrast to the tender, rich meat.
Substitution Options
Chuck can be replaced with brisket or beef cheeks. Apple cider vinegar can be swapped for white vinegar. Corn tortillas can be replaced with flour tortillas (not gluten-free). Mexican oregano can be replaced with regular dried oregano. Check that your chipotles in adobo and broth are labeled gluten-free if that matters for you.
Chef's Tips
Techniques that separate good from great
Crisp in a Skillet
Before serving, fry portions of the shredded barbacoa in a hot cast-iron skillet with a spoonful of the cooking fat until the edges crisp.
Reduce the Juices
If the cooking liquid is thin, pour it into a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced by a third, then pour it back over the shredded beef.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving · Estimated values
* Estimated per serving based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Equipment Needed
- Slow cooker (6-quart / 5.7 L)
- Blender
- Jar or small bowl (for pickled onions)
- Cutting board and knife
- Two forks
- Slotted spoon
Kitchen tools for this recipe
The equipment this recipe is cooked with.
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Quick Tips
- Chuck roast is the most widely available cut for barbacoa; beef cheeks are traditional if you can find them.
- Keep the sauce concentrated. Too much broth dilutes the chipotle and lime flavor.
- Nutrition is calculated for barbacoa with three corn tortillas per serving.
Recipe Variations
Different ways to make this dish your own
Barbacoa Burrito Bowls
Serve over cilantro-lime rice with black beans, corn salsa, and guacamole.
Barbacoa Quesabirria Style
Dip tortillas in the cooking juices, fill with barbacoa and cheese, griddle until crisp, and serve with a cup of the juices for dipping.
Barbacoa Nachos
Layer tortilla chips with barbacoa and cheese, bake until melted, and top with pickled onion and sour cream.
What to Serve With
Perfect pairings to complete the meal
Street-Style Tacos
Corn tortillas, barbacoa, pickled onion, cilantro, and lime.
Mexican Rice and Beans
Classic sides that round out the meal.
Salsa Verde
A tangy tomatillo salsa on the side complements the smoky beef.
Storage & Reheating
Keep it fresh and plan ahead
Refrigerator
Store the barbacoa with its juices in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Pickled onions keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer
Freeze the barbacoa with some juice for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead
Blend the sauce and make the pickled onions the night before. The barbacoa can also be cooked a day ahead and reheated.
Reheating
Reheat in a covered skillet over medium heat with a splash of juices until steaming hot, or crisp it in a hot pan.
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