Barbacoa beef is a tender, flavorful and juicy meat that is slow-cooked until it is fall-apart tender. This Mexican-inspired dish is traditionally made by cooking a cow's head or other tough cuts of meat over an open fire or in a pit dug into the ground.
Today, many home cooks use a slow cooker to make this dish. Slow cooker barbacoa beef is a simple and delicious way to enjoy this tasty dish without having to spend hours tending to a fire or digging a pit in your backyard.
How To Make:
To make slow cooker barbacoa beef, you will need a few key ingredients. These include beef chuck roast, beef broth, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, and lime juice. You will also need a slow cooker and some time to let the meat cook low and slow.
To begin, season the beef with salt and pepper and sear it in a hot skillet until it is browned on all sides. This step adds flavor and helps to lock in the meat's juices. Then, transfer the meat to your slow cooker and add the beef broth, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, and lime juice.
Set your slow cooker to low and let the beef cook for 6-8 hours, or until it is tender enough to shred with a fork. After the meat has finished cooking, take it out of the slow cooker and shred it using two forks.
You can serve your slow cooker barbacoa beef in a variety of ways. It is deliciously wrapped in warm corn tortillas with fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of lime juice. You can also serve it over a bed of rice or mixed with black beans and corn for a hearty and flavorful burrito bowl.
Tips and Variations:
Tips:
For extra flavor, toast the cumin and oregano in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.
If you prefer spicier barbacoa, add more chipotle peppers to the recipe.
To make the beef even more tender, marinate it in the spice mixture overnight before cooking it in the slow cooker.
If you have any leftovers, use the shredded beef to make tacos, burritos, or quesadillas.
Variations:
Instead of beef chuck roast, you can use beef brisket or beef short ribs for a different flavor and texture.
If you don't have chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, you can substitute them with chili powder or red pepper flakes.
To make the recipe more keto-friendly, omit the corn tortillas and serve the beef over cauliflower rice or lettuce cups.
For a vegetarian option, you can substitute the beef with sliced portobello mushrooms or diced sweet potatoes.
If you want to add some sweetness to the recipe, you can add a tablespoon of honey or brown sugar to the spice mixture.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of beef chuck roast that have been defatted
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions:
In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, chipotle peppers, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
Rub the spice mixture all over the beef roast and place it in the slow cooker.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the beef broth, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and tomato paste. Pour the mixture over the beef.
Cook the beef in the slow cooker with the lid on for 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 6 hours on high, or until it is soft and readily shreds with a fork.
Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and mix it with the juices.
Serve the slow cooker barbacoa beef in tacos, burritos, or as a main dish with your favorite sides. Enjoy!