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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.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes
If you’re looking for more delicious Mexican dishes like my shrimp skillet, yummy street tacos, and Mexican chicken corn chowder, you’ve come to the right place! Make these tasty recipes and let me know your favorites!
Anyone who thinks this is bland is not making it right. This has so much flavor and is my go-to recipe. I use the chipotle sauce in a can (which is basically blended adobo peppers) instead of peppers in adobo so then I don’t have to use a food processor. This is a hit every time and my husbands absolute favorite way to eat tacos.
I’m excited to make this tomorrow but how much of the Chipotle sauce did you use? I bought the small can but not sure if I should use the whole thing.
I used Chuck Roast and put it together the day before and storing in fridge. Next morning turned my crock pot on and 10hrs. later, magic. Best at home tacos ever.
Good to know, thanks!
This is a go-to for our family when we are craving tacos. Idk how anyone could call this recipe bland; ours is FULL of flavor. Thank you!
Could this be made in an enamel cast iron Dutch oven? If so what temperature and time would you suggest?
Great recipe,
We made a cilantro lime Crèma to drizzle over the top….we turn it into a Barbacoa pizza which is absolutely delicious.
Yum! What a great idea!
Dunno what the previous poster thinks Mexican flavor is but maybe they just didn’t understand oregano or chipotles en adobo?? The ground cloves mixed wonderfully with the chipotle to give a chocolatey molé suggestion and the cumin and lime juice gave it a zest that was even more pronounced with leftovers. We went with a chuck roast and the fat turned to butter although heart healthy folks could always refrigerate to separate the fat. W also seared the cubes in bacon drippings because…well…bacon. They don’t sell lard anymore(?) and Crisco just don’t cut it. I also added a bay leaf and half of a white onion to the crockpot. The only thing I would do differently is maybe add another 1/4 cup of broth and water as needed to fully submerge the meat, my slow cooker’s 8 hr low setting is quite aggressive and the exposed meat darkened quite a bit. This barbacoa didn’t even need guac or pico to be amaazing, just a bed of rice on a corn tortilla and a dollop of sour cream. It was paired with Dos Equis amber, becuse anything less would have seemed uncivilized. Will definitely be making this again! We also loved the Mongolian beef recipe, but used the green onions in that less as a garnish and more as a vegetable in the sauce. Sigh…now I’m hungry again 🙂
Hey there!
You probably know this already but “Manteca” is lard (the blue or green & white boxes neat Crisco in grocery store).
Kroger also has Private Selection jarred Beef Tallow, Duck Fat, and Bacon Drippings (can’t remember what they call it)… any would work.
Also near crisco in grocery store.
Blessings!!
Personally I thought this turned out soooo bland!! We buy super high quality meat from a local butcher and it just tasted like plain brisket that had been cooked in beef broth. Didn’t have ANY type of Mexican flavors regardless of everything we put in. I tried another recipe previously but can’t remember where I found it, thought it might be this one, but I was so wrong. Obviously we aren’t going to waste brisket at $10/lb!!!! But very disappointed when I was looking for barbacoa flavors! What a shame.
You clearly missed some ingredients when you made this. Bland….. lol or maybe you lost your sense of taste bc the flavor there ingredients provide are insanely good!
I’ve read 2 comments that gave substitutions for the chipotles in adobo sauce, but are there any other ones you think would be good? I just can’t tolerate heat?. Thank you!
You could leave out the chipotle chilies altogether! Let me know how it turns out.
I’ve had it in San Antonio Texas it wasn’t spicy. I’d leave out all the spicy. Or just cut spicy ingredients in a quarter.
Haven’t made yet, but wondering what your measurements would be for only a 2 person, and 1 year old would be?
Would hate to buy 4lbs of meat, when we usually consume 1lb typically. (With extra for lunch packed next day)
You can adjust the ratio on the slider on the recipe card if you want to make the portions smaller! Just click on the number of people that it serves and slide that down to 3. It will change all of the measurements for you!
Great recipie will make it again! I subbed out the 4 chillies in abodo for 4 teaspoons of chipotle paste and beef stock cube instead of broth.
Has anyone done this in an instapot and for how long?
Love this recipe and the base is absolutely versatile.
I’ve made this with beef cheeks, chuck roast- and I actually used it as a base for shredded chicken for tacos and it was LIGHTYEARS better than most of the chicken Tinga recipes I’ve seen out there.
Every time I make it, someone asks for the recipe and I always refer them to this site.
This is THE best barbacoa recipe. Hands down, perfection. I’ve been making this for years now.
FANTASTIC! I didn’t change anything in the recipe except I used stew meat and it was SO TENDER and DELICIOUS! This was as good as any authentic Mexican restaurant in the Southwest! This is definitely a keeper!
This is a go-to for us! So delicious and tender.