Barbacoa In A Slow Cooker

published: Apr 15, 2020 updated: Apr 6, 2021

slow cooker beef barbacoa pinterest image

This Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is cooked low and slow all day to get the perfect Mexican flavors and tenderness. It's rich, spicy and perfect on tacos with cilantro and lime wedges!

My Favorite Beef Barbacoa Recipe

Taco night is kind of a big deal in my house. I love tacos, the hubs loves tacos, and the kids love tacos, too. We have our favorite go-to taco recipes and this Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is definitely one of them! The meat is spicy and rich with a burst of brightness from the lime juice.

And best of all, it's made right in your crock pot – so no fuss and crazy easy. Mom's happy, dad's happy, and the kids are happy. What's better than that?! CHIPOTLE! 😁 I digress…

What is Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is an authentic Mexican recipe usually made with beef, lamb, or goat. I like to compare Barbacoa to a Mexican shredded pot roast. You use the same, or a similar cut of meat, you cook it in the same way, but you throw some authentic Mexican spice into the mix and it's dang amazing!

Then, to finish it off, you shred it and add it back to those spicy and rich juices to sop up all the goodness. I love using it for everything from tacos and tamales, to enchiladas and quesadillas.

beef in slow cooker with green chilies, onions, and bay leaf

Why Make Barbacoa in the Slow Cooker?

Like any tougher meat, you'll want to cook this chuck roast low and slow. Cooking a tough meat this way makes it incredibly tender.

The simplest way to cook something "low and slow" is in your slow cooker. Of course, you could do this using a dutch oven, but it's so easy to pop the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away rather than having to keep an eye on it.

Not only is using your slow cooker almost completely hands off, but you can also head outside for a walk or to play with the kids without any worry. When you come back, the aroma will knock your socks off!

Barbacoa Recipe Ingredients

For your slow cooker Beef Barbacoa, you'll need beef and lots of Mexican flavors.

This is what you'll want to grab:

chuck roast, cut into 6 to 8 chunks
yellow onion
garlic
green chilies
chipotles in adobo sauce
cumin
dried oregano
salt and fresh ground black pepper
lime juice
apple cider vinegar
beef broth
bay leaves
fresh cilantro or parsley

beef in slow cooker

How to Make Beef Barbacoa

Prep: In the bowl of your slow cooker combine prepped chuck roast, onions, garlic, green chilies, chipotles, ground cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Mix: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, vinegar, and beef broth; pour broth mixture over ingredients in slow cooker.
Add bay leaves.
Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Cooked beef should be tender and should fall apart easily when shredded with a fork.
Remove beef from slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board.
Shred: Using two forks, shred the beef into bite size pieces. Even better if you have a pair of these shredder claws. Makes the shredding so much easier.
Transfer shredded beef back into the slow cooker; stir everything together until completely incorporated.
Serve: Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve.

pulled beef barbacoa served in a bowl with lime wedges

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to serve Beef Barbacoa is in tacos with low carb flour tortillas. I like to top them with a sweet corn salsa, sliced avocado, and cilantro. You could also simply top your tacos with sliced radishes and fresh parsley. It's also great as the meat in a rice and bean filled burrito or a cheesy enchilada.

You can also serve it over rice or coconut lime riced cauliflower, quinoa, or mashed sweet potatoes. If you're in the mood for more Mexican recipes, barbacoa makes an amazing tamale filling! I've even used it as an enchilada filling or added it to quesadillas.

Don't miss the opportunity to have it over a salad with your favorite taco toppings for a yummy and filling beef taco salad meal!

barbacoa beef tacos with radishes

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

If you end up with leftovers of this slow cooker Beef Barbacoa, let it come to room temp and then place it in an airtight container with the juices. Then, you can refrigerate the beef and juices for up to 5 days, or freeze them for 3 months!

More Slow Cooker Beef Recipes

Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Slow Cooker Balsamic Pot Roast

ENJOY!

Tools Used in this Recipe

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is cooked low and slow all day to get the perfect Mexican flavor and tenderness. It's rich and perfect on tacos with lime wedges!

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 10

Calories: 262

Author: Katerina | Diethood

Ingredients

▢ 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 6 to 8 chunks
▢ 1 large yellow onion, diced
▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1 can (4-ounces) green chilies
▢ 2 chipotles in adobo, diced
▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
▢ 1 ½ teaspoons salt
▢ ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
▢ ½ cup beef broth, (try to use low-sodium beef broth whenever possible)
▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
▢ juices from 2 limes
▢ 2 bay leaves
▢ 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

In the bowl of your slow cooker combine prepped chuck roast, onions, garlic, green chilies, chipotles, ground cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
In a small bowl whisk together beef broth, vinegar, and lime juice; pour broth mixture over ingredients in slow cooker.
Add bay leaves.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Cooked beef should be tender and should fall apart easily when shredded with a fork.
Remove beef from slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board.
Using two forks, or shredder claws, shred the beef into bite size pieces.
Transfer shredded beef back into the slow cooker; stir everything together until completely incorporated.
Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve.

Notes

NET CARBS: 2 g

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Amount Per Serving

Calories 262 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 94mg 31%

Sodium 559mg 23%

Potassium 514mg 15%

Carbohydrates 3g 1%

Fiber 1g 4%

Sugar 1g 1%

Protein 27g 54%

Vitamin A 184IU 4%

Vitamin C 3mg 4%

Calcium 41mg 4%

Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keywords: barbacoa recipe, beef taco meat, beef tacos, mexican food

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