These barbacoa tacos are loaded with juicy, tender shredded beef that's been seasoned with chilies and spices, then cooked low and slow until the meat falls apart.
Barbacoa Tacos - the Best Beef Tacos
It's taco night in the Chili Pepper Madness household tonight, my friends! Grab yourself a plate!
We're making beef tacos, but not just any beef tacos. Tonight we're serving Barbacoa Tacos, and you're going to love them.
I'm using my favorite Barbacoa Recipe to make these tacos, which I've included below. The meat is seasoned with a flavorful chili puree and aromatic blend of spices, then seared and cooked low and slow until fall-apart tender.
I'm using beef chuck, which is a tough cut of beef, but becomes super tender when the connective tissues break down during the slow cooking process.
You can use other cuts of meat like this, particularly beef cheek, beef brisket, or lamb shoulder.
The result is meat that practically melts in your mouth, unbeatable.
Bust out the tortilla shells and all your favorite taco toppings. We're eating good tonight!
Let's talk about how to make barbacoa tacos, shall we?
Barbacoa Tacos Ingredients
- FOR THE BARBACOA
- Beef. Use beef chuck roast or use beef brisket, sliced into 2 inch chunks. Or, try it with lamb shoulder.
- Peppers. Guajillo peppers, ancho peppers, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Beef Stock. Or use beef broth.
- Apple Cider Vinegar.
- Lime Juice. 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup.
- Vegetables. Onion and Garlic.
- Seasonings. Mexican oregano, cumin, bay leaves, and salt and black pepper.
- FOR THE BARBACOA TACOS
- Tortillas. Use corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
- For Serving. Fresh chopped cilantro, chopped onion, chopped jalapeno, sliced radish, crumbly white cheese, Mexican crema, hot sauce, fresh lime juice, sliced avocado (choose your favorites).
How to Make Barbacoa Tacos - the Recipe Method
Rehydrate the Dried Peppers. First, remove the stems from the guajillo and ancho peppers and remove the seeds.
Place the dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with very hot or boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes, or until they become very soft and rehydrate.
Drain and discard the water. Add them to a food processor and process until smooth.
Rub the Beef. Add the beef chunks to a bowl. Add the ancho-guajillo paste and toss to even coat.
Brown the Meat. Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks a few minutes per side to get a nice coating.
Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot.
Deglaze the Pan. Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef broth, water or wine and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.
Remaining Ingredients. Add the chipotles in adobo, beef stock, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
Cook Low and Slow. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. It should easily break apart with a fork.
It could take a bit longer to cook, depending on your slow cooker.
I personally recommend cooking on LOW, as the beef will be more tender this way, though HIGH will save you time.
Tender barbacoa is the best.
Shred the Beef Barbacoa. Remove beef and shred with 2 forks. Set it back into the slow cooker to keep warm until serving.
Just look at how tender and juicy it is. I love barbacoa.
Make Barbacoa Tacos. When you're ready to serve, you can assemble your tacos and get to eating, or serve it all up family style, with plates of tortillas and bowls of all of your favorite toppings.
Let your guests make their own tacos as they wish.
So good! And easy! Make tacos bowls or taco salad, too! Serve barbacoa beef any way you'd like!
Boom! Done! These will be the best barbacoa beef tacos you've ever had. Takes a bit of cooking time, but they're so easy to make! You can't mess these up.
Barbacoa makes the perfect tacos!
Great Topping Ideas for Barbacoa Tacos
Try some of these homemade toppings for your next taco night.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Spice It Up. You'll get a good level of spicy heat from the chipotles in adobo sauce, but if you're looking to spice it up even more, add in a couple chopped serrano peppers to your barbacoa sauce mixture. Or, add in 4-5 dried chiles de arbol peppers.
- Milder Barbacoa. If you'd prefer a milder version of the recipe, use only half of the chipotles in adobo sauce.
- Start Early. I recommend getting this recipe going early in the morning so you can let it cook low and slow all day long. You can easily keep it warm in the crock pot until you're ready to serve.
Storage
This recipe will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Simply reheat it in a pan to warm it through, or warm gently in a microwave.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my barbacoa tacos recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear which cut of meat you used, and how you spiced up your tacos!
Try Some of My Other Taco Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Barbacoa Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE BARBACOA
- 3 pound beef chuck roast or use beef brisket, sliced into 2-3 inch chunks – try it with lamb shoulder
- 2 guajillo peppers
- 2 ancho peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 ounce can chipotles in adobo optional, for extra saucy and tangy-smoky flavor
- 12 ounces beef stock
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 1 large lime about 1/4 cup
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or use oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
FOR THE TACOS
- 8-12 tortillas lightly toasted (use corn tortillas or flour tortillas)
- For Serving: fresh chopped cilantro, chopped onion, chopped jalapeno, sliced radish, crumbly white cheese, hot sauce (choose your favorites)
Instructions
MAKE THE BARBACOA
- Remove the stems from the guajillo and ancho peppers and remove the seeds. Place the dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with very hot or boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes, or until they become very soft and rehydrate. Drain and discard the water. Add the softened peppers to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add the beef chunks (or lamb) to a bowl. Add the ancho-guajillo paste and toss to even coat.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks a few minutes per side to brown them. Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot.
- Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef stock (or water or wine) and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.
- Add the chipotles in adobo, beef stock, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste to the crock pot. Stir.
- Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. It should easily break apart with a fork. It could take a bit longer to cook, depending on your slow cooker.
- Shred the beef with 2 forks and serve as desired.
MAKE THE TACOS
- Serve the shredded meat onto lightly toasted tortillas, then top with your favorite toppings. Don’t forget the hot sauce!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Pat B says
I am not a fan of crock pot cooking, it may be my particular crock pot but this recipe looks phenomenal! Can you suggest any other way to cook it? I'm thinking perhaps low and slow in the oven or stove top? Like I said, this looks phenomenal and I would love to make it for Cinco De Mayo. Thanks for any advice, love your website!
Mike Hultquist says
Pat, you can cook this on the stovetop in a similar way. Everything goes into the pot and cooks on LOW (covered as needed) at least 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender to your preference.
Emma says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! You blog is wonderful!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Emma!
Miska Knezevic says
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!