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Barbacoa Recipe

Name: Barbacoa Recipe (Beef Barbacoa)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 240 min
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

by Mike Hultquist · Dec 9, 2022 · 59 Comments

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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!

We're making Slow Cooker 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.

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.

What is Barbacoa?

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.

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.

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

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. Stem and seeds the ancho and guajillos, then also them in hot water for 15 minutes to soften.

Drain ,then add to a food processor 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.

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 with beef broth, water or wine and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is fork tender.

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 and Serve!

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.

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.

Serving Ideas for Barbacoa

You can't go wrong with barbacoa tacos. Use flour or corn tortillas and add your favorite toppings like black beans, fresh cilantro, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa roja, so many options.
Easy Beef Burrito Bowls. You'll love barbacoa for your huge burrito.
Beef Sandwich. Add some cheese and your favorite fixins!
Simple Salad. Toss the barbacoa with mixed greens and veggies and you're good to go!
Nachos! Pile it onto a big plate of cheesy tortillas. Yes! Try it on these Classic Nachos.

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.

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.

Storage & Leftovers

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 with a splash of oil. Add a splash of water to moisten it up, if needed.

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

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!)

Want More Mexican Recipes?

If you enjoy barbacoa, you'll love these Birria Tacos or Quesabirria Tacos. They're fairly similar with big flavor.

Carne Asada is always popular, as are Beef Enchiladas or amazing Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos).

Try Some of My Other Popular Beef 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 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!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: adobo, beef, beef tacos, chipotle, crock pot, shredded beef, slow cooker

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 4

Calories: 504kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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4.96 from 23 votes

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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

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.