You’re in love with barbacoa salad or tacos but you got tired of the same old Mexican restaurant dishes, where the meat is never enough! Sometimes, I even think they should pay me for eating their poor tacos not the other way around! Pff… Anyway, all of my problems found their piece when I discovered the easiest and most affordable way of cooking homemade barbacoa!
My whole family and group of friends love when I make this flavorful Mexican recipe because you can guarantee I’ll be stuffing sandwiches, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and even salad bowls with this tasty melt-in-your-mouth beef! Beef barbacoa that’s juicy, wonderfully tender, and seasoned with flavorful peppers and spices is the key to any of your future Mexican dishes. The secret is to cook it low and slow in order to meat that falls right apart!
What Is Barbacoa?
Mexican Barbacoa is typically made out of tougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times. When prepared traditionally, barbacoa is made with large cuts of meat or even whole animals. Here, in the United States, we usually associate barbacoa with beef.
However, in Mexico, barbacoa can be made from beef, goat, lamb, or mutton (sheep that are brought to market when they are one year old or older. Before that, they’re referred to as lambs.). Traditionally, barbacoa is a preparation of meat that is steam cooked in an underground oven until very tender and succulent. Oh, how delicious it sounds! Today the term is also sometimes used for a similar preparation made on a stovetop or in a slow cooker.
How to Make Barbacoa Beef in the Slow Cooker
This is an easy recipe that will impress any meat lover out there. With affordable ingredients, an easy step-by-step recipe, and also a deliciously tender barbacoa final result, you can’t find a reason not to try it out!
The best Barbacoa Beef recipe (and believe me, I searched for some)! This flavorful juicy meat is deliciously seasoned and cooked low and slow until perfectly tender. You can just layer it in tortillas with all your favorite toppings and serve it right away! I know you won’t be able to refrain for too long!
Simple Ingredient List
Now, that you know a little more about this Mexican recipe we all love so much, it is time to gather all the necessary ingredients. Keep in mind that the ingredients below are necessair in order to achieve the authentic Mexican flavor of beef. However, if you want to change the taste, adapt the li
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast (cut into 2-inch chunks);
- 4 cloves garlic (minced);
- 2 chipotle peppers in sauce (chopped);
- 1 small white onion (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano;
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt;
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
- 1/2 cup beef/vegetables stock or water.
Barbacoa Step-by-Step Recipe
Now that you gather all the ingredients you need, next, you should read this step-by-step recipe, before actually preparing it. In my opinion, is best to know a little about the steps you are going to follow, before actually preparing a recipe. In this way, you would be prepared for everything. No matter how easy a recipe is, being prepared and knowing your next steps is an essential benefit!
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine.
- Next, cover them and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, (or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork).
- Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside the slow cooker. Then, toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes.
- Also, don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.
- Finally, use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to add the barbacoa beef to your favorite Mexican dishes and enjoy while hot.
Barbacoa Beef Recipe (Slow Cooker)
- Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This flavorful juicy meat is deliciously seasoned and cooked low and slow until perfectly tender. You can just layer it in tortillas with all your favorite toppings and serve it right away! I know you won’t be able to refrain for too long!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast (cut into 2-inch chunks);
- 4 cloves garlic (minced);
- 2 chipotle peppers in sauce (chopped);
- 1 small white onion (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar;
- 3 bay leaves;
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano;
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt;
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;
- 1/2 cup beef stock or water.
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine.
- Next, cover them and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, (or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork).
- Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside the slow cooker. Then, toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes.
- Also, don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.
- Finally, use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to add the barbacoa beef to your favorite Mexican dishes and enjoy while hot.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: main dish
- Method: slow cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Enjoy Your Mexican Dishes!
All in all, it’s your time to give me a little insight from your kitchen. I’m a bit curious how you serve Barbacoa beef in your family, as my husband always desires some new Mexican dish to add it to. So, help me a little and tell me in the comment section below how to serve this Mexican beef to my greedy meat lover in order to impress him. In addition, as you could already notice, it is one of the most versatile recipes I know. You can add all sorts of extra seasonings and flavors and adapt the traditional recipe to your own taste. Just, please, don’t forget to share with all of us how you changed it!
Finally, if you have a new slow cooker and want to get it to work, I prepared for you three of my favorite slow-cooking recipes. You don’t have to worry; they are super easy to make and still very versatile! Impress your loved ones with these tender and delicious dishes!
