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Slow cooker barbacoa beef simmers all day in smoky chipotle, tangy lime, and warm spices until it falls apart. It’s perfect for tacos, burritos, bowls, or nachos, all with that taquería-style flavor at home.
Why I’m Obsessed with This Barbacoa
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Tender: The slow cooker does all the work, turning beef into juicy, fall-apart perfection. Dry, chewy beef? Not on my watch.
- Better Than Chipotle: My hubby swears this recipe beats his go-to Chipotle order (I agree). It’s restaurant flavor without leaving home.
- Locked in Flavor: I sear the beef before it goes in the slow cooker to give the barbacoa a rich, smoky depth you can’t get by tossing it straight in raw.
Barbacoa Beef Ingredients
How to Make Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Taking the time to get that perfect sear and then cooking low and slow all day pays off big with the most tender, delicious beef barbacoa recipe. Serve this beef barbacoa in tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, the possibilities are endless.
- Sear the Beef: Cut the beef chuck roast into 2 or 3 large pieces. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil and sear the meat on each side, then transfer it to the crockpot.
- Blend: In a food processor or blender, combine adobo chilies, beef broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice. Pulse or blend until smooth, then pour the mixture over the meat.
- Cook and Shred: Cover with a lid and then cook on LOW for 8-9 hours or HIGH for 6 hours. Shred the meat with two forks and serve in a tortilla. Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, and lime wedges.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Low & Slow: For the most tender, fall-apart barbacoa beef, cook it on low. The slow heat breaks down the beef and gives you that melt-in-your-mouth texture and great taste.
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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 – 4 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 cup beef broth
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Cut 4 pounds chuck roast into 2-3 pieces. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and sear the beef on each side. Transfer to your slow cooker.
- In a food processor, add 3 – 4 chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 cup beef broth, 4 teaspoons minced garlic, 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, and 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Pulse until blended and pour on top of the meat.
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 6 hours. Shred the meat with two forks and turn on warm.
Video
Notes
- In the Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In the Freezer: Place in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Microwave the beef barbacoa until it is heated through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Does 4 pounds really only serve eight people or do you find it makes plenty more??
It makes plenty more but I just like to be on the safe side.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I make it just the way you suggest and it is always delicious! It is a favorite of my friends and family. Your site is one of my favorites. I always check here first.
Those peppers are very spicy!!! I made this a while back and it was fairly inedible. Tasted pretty good but the heat was killing me…and I love spicy food! I’m trying again but only putting 2 peppers in this time. I’m just remembering last time sweating profusely trying to eat it.
I made this recipe with the same ingredients listed, except I made it in an instant pot for 2 hours. Meat shredded easily and looked very appetizing.
But, I found the flavor to be quite bland. I can taste the cumin, and some heat and smokiness from the peppers, but that is about it. So while the meat is perfectly tender, it lacks a flavor punch I was expecting from it.
Going to try sauteing some onions and adding more salt as I fry the meat to get the burnt ends and hopefully that will save this.
Just mastered making carnitas, so making barbacoa seems like a logical progression. Anyone try doing this on a pressure cooker?
Awesome recipe, always a hit. I’ve shared this recipe shamelessly. =)
Made this yesterday for friends who came over for dinner. Got to say, it’s the most flavorful and amazing meat I’ve had in quite a while!
The only amendments I made were that I only used 2 of the chiles out of the adobo sauce since I don’t like anything too spicy and added 3 packs of Sazon seasoning to the marinade to help temper it a bit.
Cooked it in the flow cooker on high for 6 course and it was a huge hit! The house smelled absolutely wonderful!
Made a salsa with pineapple, red bell pepper, a squeeze of ginger paste, salt, and lime juice to put on tacos with the meat. So delicious!
We will be making this again soon!
Any advice on how to make this insta-pot savvy?
We made this in an instapot tonight. I just reduced the broth to 3/4 cup and everything else the same for the most part. I only used 2 peppers to keep the spice in check for the kids. It was perfect but too spicy still of the youngest (2yrs old). I think we cooked it for 60 min. It was so good. Not a single shred of beef was left over.
I Basically followed the recipe but only used half the stock in the puréed sauce. I seared meat then added 1/2 the beef stock to deglazed the pan. I made the sauce with the other half of the stock and chillies and poured the sauce over the meat. cooked on Manual high pressure for 1hr30 minutes with a 15 min natural release. I then shredded it in the pot on sauté in order to cook off some of the remaining liquid. Turned out pretty good
I just put it in the crockpot, with half the Adobe peppers. Wished me luck!
I bought some brisket meat to make the recipe this weekend and I can’t wait! Has anyone used chuck roast? I’m considering making a large batch for a party and want to save a little money if I can.
You sure can use chuck roast!
Wow. We did this last night using 3lbs of cheek meat and 1 whole cow tongue. Simply amazing. This recipe is perfect. Thank u so much!!!
Rather tongue n cheek wouldn’t you say.
Loved this! Wait to add more salt after it’s done cooking, the chipotle reduces to add a lot of flavor and you won’t need much more salt. This was my boyfriends favorite and my son loved it. I made tacos and added small chopped onions , sour cream and cilantro! The cilantro adds a great freshness! Such an easy recipe thanks to the slow cooker!
Buying the ingredients right now.. making tomorrow… With all of the comments of m really excited to eat this tomorrow
Delecious barbacoa!!!
Hi, just checking if I really need to use 1 1/2 tbsp of ground cumin, I’m not an expert Cheff, I just want to check if this wasn’t a typo.
Yes! Use more if you like. Cumin adds a citrus and smoky flavor. Close your eyes and smell inside the container. There is no other spice that compares.
Very flavorful! I used 3 chipotle peppers – not too spicy. Served with corn tortillas, cilantro, sour cream and green onions.