Here’s a delicious recipe for you. Barbacoa is a popular Mexican and Caribbean dish of meat (in this case beef) that cooks low and slow along with a variety of flavorful ingredients.
Traditionally it’s cooked in a pit, but this version uses my trusty crock pot. So good and so easy.
We love some good, authentic Mexican food. Barbacoa is certainly near the top of the list. Just about five years ago we posted our Barbacoa Pork, and have been making different variations ever since. Once you taste these flavors, you’ll see why.
Ingredients
- Beef – I typically use chuck roast. You can also use other well marbled cuts like short ribs, shank, or oxtails.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce – A staple for barbacoa, you can find this in the Latin section in your grocery store. Chipotle peppers are dried and smoked jalapeno peppers. In this canned form, these peppers are mixed in with a tangy, spicy and smoky red sauce called adobo. We use both chilies and a little of the sauce to get the good flavor kick going.
- Garlic – Always fresh.
- Onion – Whatever variety you prefer.
- Spices – Cumin, oregano, cloves, bay leaves.
- Cilantro – A handful.
- Beef broth – I use Better than Bouillon.
- Lime juice – Freshly squeezed.
- Apple cider vinegar – For a touch more acidity.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Oil – If you are searing the meat first. We highly recommend this step, as it adds tons of flavor.
Barbacoa Beef Recipe
First, I heat some oil in a pan and sear the chuck roast on all sides until it gets brown all over. I make sure to get a bit of caramelization, as that adds some nice flavor.
Next, I blend onion, garlic, cilantro, chipotle peppers, all the spices except bay leaves, beef broth, lime juice, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Then I place the chuck roast in the crock pot, pour the sauce all over the meat so it’s covered nicely, and add the bay leaves.
I cover and cook it on low for 8-9 hours. When the meat is fork tender, I remove the bay leaves and shred the meat with a couple of forks and mix it well with the braising liquids in the crock.
Serving Suggestions
For a traditional Mexican platter, we sometimes serve it up with rice and Refried Beans. Or get more elaborate and make a bowl meal with a variety of other topping like Pico de Gallo, corn and avocado.
For a low-carb option, you can even make our Barbacoa Lettuce Wraps.
We usually just warm up some tortillas and make barbacoa beef tacos. They’re so easy, delicious and fun.
What are you waiting for? Go buy the biggest chuck roast you can find and make a huge batch of my Barbacoa Beef. It’s great as leftovers, so no need to skimp. It’s also a perfect choice for those big football games coming up!
If you try it, please leave a star rating and comment, we love to hear from you. And be sure to stay in the loop by subscribing to our newsletter or following us on Pinterest.
Barbacoa Beef, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More can’t miss Mexican recipes:
Caldo de Res
Beef Birria
Birria Tacos
Chile Colorado
Pozole Rojo
Carne Molida
Carnitas
Barbacoa Beef
Our restaurant quality (or better!) Barbacoa Beef is the perfect filling for tacos, burritos or bowl meals. You're gonna love it!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil
- 4-5 pounds chuck roast
- 6-7 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce + 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 1.25 cup beef broth
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 8-9 cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- cilantro, handful
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat. Season the chuck roast generously with salt and pepper, then sear chuck roast on all sides until it gets brown all over.
- Blend all the remaining ingredients, except bay leaves, in a blender.
- Place the chuck roast in crock pot and pour the sauce on top. Add in bay leaves.
- Cover and cook 8-9 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high.
- Remove some of the excess liquid and discard, leaving about 2-3 cups in the crockpot. Shred the beef with a couple of forks and mix well with remaining juices.
- Serve in tacos, burritos, bowl meals, or just alongside rice and beans.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 596Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 188mgSodium 544mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 57g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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