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Home » Barbacoa Recipe

Barbacoa Recipe

by Mike Hultquist · Dec 9, 2022 · 31 Comments

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Beef Barbacoa Recipe

This beef barbacoa recipe is cooked low and slow with chilies and spices until juicy and fall apart tender, perfect for barbacoa tacos, burritos, sandwiches, bowls and more!

Beef Barbacoa Recipe

The Best Beef Barbacoa

We're making Beef Barbacoa in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. Care to join? If you've never had beef barbacoa before, this is a recipe you'll want to print and save in your recipe box.

Beef barbacoa is tender shredded beef that has been seasoned with ancho peppers and guajillo peppers along with chipotles in adobo sauce and other seasonings. The beef is cooked low and slow for hours in a slow cooker until it becomes so juicy and tender it melts in your mouth.

It's huge on flavor for my spice loving friends, and you can easily up the heat levels by adding spicy chili flakes, powders, or even fresh chili peppers into the mix.

Never heard of barbacoa?

Beef Barbacoa in a bowl

What is Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is a technique of cooking that originated in the Caribbean where meat is steam cooked low and slow in an underground oven until it becomes very tender.

It was adapted by Mexican and American cooks, usually to cook meat from cattle heads and other cuts of beef, goat or lamb. The technique has evolved to cooking meats with a crock pot, slow cooker or instant pot, or in a pot on the stove top. 

The word "barbacoa" translates to "barbecue" in English, though the two cooking method are quite different, which barbecuing done on a hot grill.

Time to get cooking! It's the best barbacoa beef recipe around.

Let's talk about how to make barbacoa, shall we?

Beef Barbacoa in a slow cooker with garnish

Beef Barbacoa Ingredients

  • Beef. Use beef chuck roast or use beef brisket, sliced into 2 inch chunks.
  • Peppers. Guajillo peppers, ancho peppers, and chipotles in adobo sauce (optional, for extra saucy and tangy-smoky flavor)
  • 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 leaf, and salt and black pepper.

How to Make Beef Barbacoa - 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 along with the chipotles in adobo sauce and a bit of salt. 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 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 and Serve. Remove beef and shred with 2 forks, and serve as desired. It's ready to eat once you've shredded the meat.

Serve them up as barbacoa tacos or a burrito bowl! Add some black beans or other fixins. Garnish with fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice. So good!

Beef Barbacoa shredded in a slow cooker

Boom! Easy enough, isn't it? It is quite an easy recipe. It's really just some quick seasoning and searing, then waiting for the crock pot or slow cooker to do its job.

The only issue is smelling that wonderful slow cooked beef in the house, driving you crazy with hunger. The meat is super tender and flavorful. Perfect for my spicy foods lovers.

Serving Ideas for Barbacoa

  • Beef Barbacoa Tacos. Use flour or corn tortillas.
  • Easy Beef Burrito Bowls.
  • Beef Sandwich. Add some cheese and your favorite fixins!
  • Simple Salad.
  • Nachos! Pile it onto a big plate of cheesy tortillas. Yes!

Recipe Tips and Notes

Stove Top Barbacoa. If you'd prefer to make this on the stove rather than in your slow cooker, no problem. Just use a dutch oven or large pot.

Sear the seasoned meat in the pot, then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork.

Pressure Cooker Barbacoa. You can make beef barbacoa in the pressure cooker. Simply follow the recipe, but instead of placing everything into the crock pot, place it into the pressure cooker.

Then, pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes, then use natural release. Shred the beef and enjoy. 

The Chilies. I am using ancho peppers and guajillo peppers along with chipotles in adobo sauce for this recipe, though you can use other dried Mexican peppers.

Pasilla peppers are a nice addition, as are chile de Arbol peppers for more heat or chipotle peppers for an even smokier quality. The chipotle chiles in adobo are optional.

You can make this recipe with only the ancho-guajillo paste, though the adobo sauce is commonly used.

Best Meats for Barbacoa? Traditionally, barbacoa was made with meats from cattle head, such as the cheeks, or with lamb or goat in Mexican cooking.

Today we mostly use tougher cuts of beef that benefits from low and slow cooking to become tender and succulent.

Brisket is very popular, as is chuck roast, which is what I normally use.

Time Saver. You can make the chili paste ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator up to a week to use later. Or use my adobo sauce recipe.

The Seasonings. I used cumin, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, salt and pepper here, but feel free to incorporate your own favorites.

Try it with ground clove, chili powder or other dried herbs for great, flavorful meat.

Storage

Beef barbacoa will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Simply warm it in a pot or pan to enjoy again.

You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer. It freezes nicely.

A Beef Barbacoa Bowl with Mexican Rice

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my beef barbacoa recipe. I love this recipe! Spicy shredded beef, anytime for me. They're super popular served up as barbacoa beef tacos. So good!

Cookbook Recommendations

If you love traditional Mexican cooking, I love these cookbooks with recipes from all over Mexico. Definitely recommended.

  • Authentic Mexican, by Rick Bayless (affiliate link, my friends!)
  • Mexico: The Cookbook (affiliate link, my friends!)

Try Some of My Other Popular Beef Recipes

  • Birria Tacos Recipe
  • Ropa Vieja - Cuban Shredded Beef
  • The Best Carne Asada
  • Beef Enchiladas
  • Mississippi Pot Roast
  • Slow Cooker Pot Roast
  • Braised Brisket with Ancho Gravy
  • Spicy Beef Vindaloo Curry
  • Pepper Steak
  • Beef Rendang
  • Tacos al Carbon

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Quesabirria Tacos
  • Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos)
  • Cochinita Pibil
  • Chicken Tinga - Chipotle Shredded Chicken
  • Easy, Juicy Shredded Chicken
  • Homemade Sofritas
  • Bean Burritos
Beef Barbacoa Tacos on a plate

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.

Beef Barbacoa Recipe
Print

Barbacoa Recipe (Beef Barbacoa)

This beef barbacoa recipe is cooked low and slow with chilies and spices until juicy and fall apart tender, perfect for barbacoa tacos, burritos, and more!
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: adobo, beef, beef tacos, chipotle, crock pot, shredded beef, slow cooker
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Calories: 504kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 6
Tap or hover to scale
4.91 from 11 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 3 pound beef chuck roast or use beef brisket, sliced into 2 inch chunks
  • 2 guajillo peppers
  • 2 ancho peppers
  • 7 ounce can chipotles in adobo optional, for extra saucy and tangy-smoky flavor
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 cups beef broth
  • 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

Instructions

  • 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 with the chipotles in adobo sauce, and a bit of salt. Process until smooth.
  • Add the beef chunks 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 get a nice coating. Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot.
  • Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef stock, water or wine and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.
  • Add the beef stock, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. 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.

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium, though you can easily spice things up with hotter peppers or spicy chili flakes.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 504kcal   Carbohydrates: 11g   Protein: 45g   Fat: 31g   Saturated Fat: 12g   Cholesterol: 156mg   Sodium: 720mg   Potassium: 966mg   Fiber: 5g   Sugar: 4g   Vitamin A: 2324IU   Vitamin C: 3mg   Calcium: 70mg   Iron: 7mg
Beef Barbacoa 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.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 12/9/22 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 1/29/20.

Categories: Beef Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, chipotle, game day and superbowl parties, mexican, tailgating

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    Recipe Rating




  1. John K Rutherford says

    January 20, 2023 at 10:50 am

    5 stars
    I made these barbacoa tacos last night for dinner. They were delicious! We liked it so much that I served some of the leftovers as a topping for scrambled eggs this morning for breakfast. Even better the second day! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      January 20, 2023 at 2:00 pm

      Nice! Glad you enjoyed them, John! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  2. Lyndal Fisher says

    December 18, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    5 stars
    Making it right now. My sous chef had a question about the cumin. The recipe called for cumin but didn't specify seeds or powder. We thought the powder might have been too much in the amount specified and used the seeds instead. Which did you intend to use?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 18, 2022 at 5:47 pm

      Lyndal, I toasted and ground seeds, but wound up with 2 tsp ground cumin. You can definitely use less if you have a concern.

      Reply
  3. godric clark says

    December 18, 2022 at 2:43 pm

    5 stars
    did not have any beef so i used lamb and it was delicious

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 18, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      Wonderful!

      Reply
  4. Greig McKinnon says

    December 12, 2022 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    I have had barbacoa a few times in Southern Texas. It has great flavor but the beef cheeks they use make it very greasy.
    Made your recipe today and very impressed with how tasty it turned out. On a fresh corn tortilla with some fixings and it's pretty hard to beat.
    Another good one, Mike. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 12, 2022 at 3:00 pm

      Thanks for sharing, Greig. So many people swear by beef cheeks, but you can absolutely make it with chuck or other cuts for GREAT barbacoa. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  5. Jim Hopfer says

    December 11, 2022 at 11:30 am

    4 stars
    This Barbacoa Recipe really intrigued me. Looked over the recipe and noticed that there is nowhere in the recipe the amount of beef broth to use. In the ingredients section it says 1.5 ounces cups. Can you tell me how much to use?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 11, 2022 at 12:15 pm

      Jim, it's 1.5 cups beef broth. Ugh. Sorry, I missed that when I made my update. Thanks for alerting me to my error.

      Reply
  6. Dale Olstinske says

    December 09, 2022 at 10:01 am

    5 stars
    Got everything needed to make, can’t wait. Curious why you don’t toast the chili’s first, which you seem to do in other similar preparations.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 09, 2022 at 12:33 pm

      Enjoy, Dale! Actually, I usually DO toast the peppers before rehydrating. I did that in the video portion. Definitely adds a layer of flavor.

      Reply
  7. Anton says

    January 19, 2021 at 6:22 am

    5 stars
    Nice! Not all that spicy, but tasty! That said, I've made this twice now. The second time came out a bit more tangy/sour than the first. The only difference was that I used La Costeña chipotles in adobo sauce in the latter batch, and the La Morena brand in the first one.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 19, 2021 at 6:40 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Anton! I appreciate the comments. Have a good one!

      Reply
  8. Scott K says

    August 13, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    Mike, Thanks for the this - a big help. I'll let you know how it comes out.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 14, 2020 at 6:24 am

      Absolutely!

      Reply
  9. Scott K says

    August 13, 2020 at 1:48 am

    Hi Mike, Your recipe looks great! I bought all the ingredients and am planning to make your Adobo sauce instead of using the Adobo from the can of Chipotles. I read your comments to Jimmy C about the same thing but wanted to double check a couple things. Since both the Barbacoa recipe and Adobo sauce recipe include onion, garlic, cumin and oregano, when using your Adobo sauce (instead of sauce from the can), should I omit (or reduce) the quantity of onion, garlic, cumin and oregano listed for the Barbacoa recipe? Also, for the Barbacoa recipe how many Chipotle peppers from the can do you suggest I use (a weight would be great if you have it) and how much Adobo sauce? For the Chipotle peppers, I don't mind high heat, but for this I'm going for a medium kick and I can add more heat from toppings. Can't wait to make this! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 13, 2020 at 6:09 am

      Scott, you don't have to use the additional onions, garlic, etc, if you don't want to, though they will add more flavor, so that is really up to you. If you're going for a medium kick, I would go for 2-3 chipotle peppers, possibly more. Not sure of your heat level tolerance. Use 7 ounces adobo sauce (about 1 cup), though you CAN use more for a saucier version. Let me know how it turns out for you.

      Reply
  10. Jimmy C says

    May 14, 2020 at 12:25 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Mike, I did barbacoa recipe using your adobo: 1/2 recipe adobo+ 1t sugar for 2/3 barbacoa recipe without any other adjustments. It came out fantastic, some might say dy-no-mite! Excellent broth, which was hard not to just drink. Going to try making tacos per Claudia Zapeda in April 2020 Food and Wine, in which you dip tortillas in broth, cook on griddle with barbacoa on top, and use remaining broth for dipping. Man!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 14, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      Awesome, Jimmy! I love it! Sounds like the perfect plan for it. Enjoy, and cheers!!!

      Reply
  11. Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

    May 08, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Hey, Jimmy. You can skip making the paste and just use the adobo recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you!

    Reply
  12. Jimmy C says

    May 08, 2020 at 10:49 am

    Hi Mike, thanks for this excellent-sounding barbacoa recipe! I am about to make it and am planning to use your adobo sauce recipe instead of the ancho/guajillo paste. Do I need to adjust any of the other ingredients in the barbacoa recipe if I do this?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 08, 2020 at 2:46 pm

      Hey, Jimmy. You can use equal amounts of adobo instead. Let me know how it turns out for you!

      Reply
  13. Johnny Capers says

    April 30, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    I don't know if I made a mistake in the recipe, but I do believe that is the hottest food I have ever made. Or maybe I just can't take the heat anymore.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 30, 2020 at 2:20 pm

      Hey, Johnny. The only "hot" item in this recipe is the chipotles in adobo sauce. I wonder if you got a hot batch? Did you add any other spicy peppers or hot chili flakes? Otherwise, I'm not sure what could make it that hot for you. Some people do think the chipotles are hot, about jalapeno heat level. Let me know. If that is the culprit, you can either use half of the chipotles in adobo, or use only adobo sauce (which you can get from the store in the same section, or use my homemade adobo sauce recipe - https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/adobo-sauce/). Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  14. Damien C. says

    January 30, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    I made this step by step for the crew and got a standing ovation. Your tips for the peppers and the sauce were just what I needed. I've made beef barbacoa before and it was okay, but not nearly as good as this version. It's a keeper for me. Thank you for sharing this.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 30, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      Thanks, Damien! I appreciate the great comments! Super happy you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  15. Jeremie says

    January 29, 2020 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    I fell in love with this Beef Barbacoa recipe and wanted to cook it right away (like most of your recipes, Mike!) ... But I didn't have an Instantpot! So I just ordered one, and now I plan to make a lot of those recipes for which you recommend slow cooking! I am thinking in particular of your Pressure Cooker Corned Beef Recipe...

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 29, 2020 at 12:09 pm

      That's great, Jeremie. I think you'll love your instant pot. So many wonderful things you can make with the slow cooker or pressure cooker. The pressure cooker corned beef is excellent!! Nice and tender. I hope you like it.

      Reply
      • Jeremie says

        February 07, 2020 at 2:44 pm

        5 stars
        That was an easy recipe, but full of flavors! I used my fresh new Instant Pot to make it: long slow cooking to get a very tender meat that I put in tacos with Monterey Jack, homemade hot sauce and raw onion. Thank you Mike, this was a gorgeous recipe!

        Reply
        • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

          February 07, 2020 at 3:03 pm

          Excellent, Jeremie! Thanks! I agree, it's quite easy, and HUGE on flavor. Perfect for the Instant Pot. Perfect for tacos!!

          Reply

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