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Home » Recipes » Barbacoa Tacos

Barbacoa Tacos

by Mike Hultquist · Dec 19, 2022 · 5 Comments

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Barbacoa Tacos Recipe

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 Recipe

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 on toasted corn tortillas with garnish

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).
Barbacoa Tacos on a platter

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.

Making the chili paste for our Texas chili

Rub the Beef. Add the beef chunks to a bowl. Add the ancho-guajillo paste and toss to even coat.

Chunks of seasoned meat in a bowl

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.

Chunks of seasoned meat seared in a cast iron pan

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.

Beef Barbacoa shredded in a slow cooker

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!

Barbacoa Tacos on toasted corn tortillas

Great Topping Ideas for Barbacoa Tacos

Try some of these homemade toppings for your next taco night.

  • Pico de Gallo
  • Salsa Roja
  • Salsa Verde
  • Chiles Toreados (Mexican Blistered Peppers)
  • Spicy Guacamole
  • Homemade Queso Fresco
  • Try My Hot Sauce Recipes

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.
Mike grabbing one of the plated Barbacoa Tacos

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

  • Birria Tacos
  • Quesabirria Tacos
  • Carnitas
  • Chorizo Tacos
  • Tacos al Carbon
  • Carne Asada Tacos
  • Street Tacos
Barbacoa Tacos in flour tortillas

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
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Barbacoa Tacos Recipe

These barbacoa tacos are loaded with tender shredded beef that's been seasoned with chilies and spices, then cooked low and slow until the meat falls apart.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: beef roast, beef tacos, shredded beef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours hours
Calories: 470kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 8
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 2 votes
Leave a Review

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

Nutritional information does not include taco toppings.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 470kcal   Carbohydrates: 23g   Protein: 36g   Fat: 26g   Saturated Fat: 10g   Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g   Monounsaturated Fat: 13g   Trans Fat: 1g   Cholesterol: 117mg   Sodium: 447mg   Potassium: 762mg   Fiber: 5g   Sugar: 4g   Vitamin A: 505IU   Vitamin C: 2mg   Calcium: 98mg   Iron: 6mg
Barbacoa Tacos Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Pat B says

    April 30, 2024 at 8:11 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 01, 2024 at 5:14 am

      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.

      Reply
  2. Emma says

    January 29, 2023 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! You blog is wonderful!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      January 29, 2023 at 9:02 am

      Thanks, Emma!

      Reply
  3. Miska Knezevic says

    December 19, 2022 at 8:11 am

    5 stars
    Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply

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