Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe

This beef barbacoa recipe takes five minutes of hands-on time and will yield the best tasting, melt-in-your-mouth-tender tacos you’ve ever made at home.

If you could use a Mexican getaway, this slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe will take your senses straight to the land of palm trees, beaches, and white sand.

The tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef is slow-cooked to perfection in a super savory sauce. Lime juice, ground cumin, and chipotle peppers in adobo lend the authentic flavor and yield the best beef tacos you could possibly ever make at home.

This recipe takes only five minutes out of your day to prepare. For the next six to nine hours (depending on the heat level you choose), the beef will be doing its thang in the slow cooker until it’s ready to serve.

For serving, warm up some soft tortilla shells and add fresh cilantro, diced white onion and tomatoes, and avocado on top. The beef soaks up so much juice and flavor, you may not feel the need to add condiments, but feel free to bring out the hot sauce and extra green chilis.

Now all you need to do is blend up a margarita, and you’re ready for Cinco de Mayo any time of year. Also, this recipe is gluten-free if you use corn tortilla shells instead of white flour tortillas.

The beauty of barbacoa beef is that you can use it for any type of Mexican food or main dish, not just beef tacos. Use this beef for burritos or burrito bowls, Mexican rice bowls, quesadillas, taco salads, or beef dip. Toss it with noodles or put it in a soup. You could even do a DIY low-carb barbacoa bowl next time you’re cooking for guests, and assemble a variety of toppings such as fresh lettuce, black beans, red onion, cilantro, cauliflower rice, cheddar cheese, and a few jalapenos or green chiles.  

If you feel like going gourmet and doing a fancy date-night-in dinner, I’ve got just the recipe for you using this slow-cooked barbacoa beef. Check out this Chilaquiles Eggs Benedict Recipe—your date is going to be so impressed with your cooking!

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

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This beef barbacoa recipe takes five minutes of hands-on time and will yield the best tasting, melt-in-your-mouth-tender tacos you’ve ever made at home.

• Author: Sharon Chen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Main
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: Mexican
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3–4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 cup beef bone broth or low-sodium beef broth
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 bay leaves

For serving:

• Tortillas
• Chopped white onion
• Chopped tomatoes
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Chopped avocado

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Instructions

1. Cut beef into large cubes and place them in a slow cooker. Add onions.
2. Place chipotle peppers, broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, ground cloves, and lime juice in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Pour the mixture over the beef. Add bay leaves.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 6 hours. Shred the beef with two forks. Use tongs to serve the barbacoa in tacos with your desired toppings.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 646
• Sugar: 1.7g
• Sodium: 790mg
• Fat: 47.9g
• Saturated Fat: 18.9g
• Carbohydrates: 5.2g
• Fiber: 1.1g
• Protein: 46g
• Cholesterol: 175mg

About the Author

Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.