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Rich, juicy, deeply savory beef barbacoa made almost entirely hands-off in the slow cooker. This is the kind of recipe where the slow cooker does the heavy lifting, but the flavor tastes like you fussed all day — perfect in tacos, wraps, tostadas, on nachos or salad bowls!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Is My New Favorite Taco Recipe
- This is a classic, authentic shredded beef barbacoa recipe, but made in the slow cooker for maximum flavor, but minimum effort! I love using it to make tacos, but it also is a great addition to tostadas, quesadillas, burritos, salads, rice bowls and trays of loaded nachos. It’s such a versatile Mexican-style protein!
- A can of chipotle peppers in adobo take us most of the way there to rich, Mexican-flavors and adjustable spicing, with some dry spices added in for a classic-yet-complex flavor. This barbacoa tastes familiar but really packs a punch. You can adjust the number of chipotle you use to adjust the heat level.
- While you can make this as a dump-and-go Crockpot recipe and it will still taste great, I’ve added in two extra steps to level-up this beef barbacoa: searing the beef chuck first for super rich, complex flavors, and cooking the shredded beef in the cooking sauce, uncovered, for up to 30 minutes in the slow cooker to thicken up those juices so you’ll never get soggy tacos that fall apart.
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What I Learned Developing This Recipe
- I’ve written this with optional steps to make it as simple to make as possible, but for my best-ever version, sear the beef first and do the final uncovered reduction. Those two steps take very little active time but make the barbacoa taste much richer — really worth the extra steps if you have time for them.
- Cutting the beef into three pieces allows the flavor to permeate right the way through the beef. It will also fit better into your slow cooker!
- Every piece of chuck roast is different. The beef is done when it easily shreds with two forks, and if you can’t do this at the end of the cooking time it needs a bit longer. It is why I’ve written a two-hour window of ‘doneness’ in both the low and high cooking instructions to allow for this.
- For the juiciest tacos, always mix the cooking sauce back into the shredded meat. I’ve written it into the recipe card below but this is worth saying twice! Without the sauce this beef still tastes great, but it’s the cooking sauce mixed with the shredded beef that has that signature, amazing barbacoa flavor. But, if you have a lot of cooking juices left (this might happen if you’re using a slow cooker bigger than the 6-quart one I’ve suggested below) you might not want to add them all as it will result in soggy tacos!
Ingredients
Chuck roast – Chuck roast is ideal because it gets tender and juicy without drying out, but brisket also works beautifully.
Chipotle peppers in adobo – For more heat, use 5 to 6 chipotle peppers. For a milder version, use 2 to 3.
Yellow onion – Yellow onions are sweeter, but brown onion will also work.
Garlic – Fresh garlic is best here as it provides the main flavor base note for the beef.
Fresh lime juice – We’ll be using this both in the cooking sauce for acidity, and to finish the final dish for an extra burst of freshness. Fresh is non-negotiable here as it’s also a finishing ingredient, not bottled!
Apple cider vinegar – Alongside the lime juice, apple cider vinegar is great in Mexican dishes for adding acidity to balance out rich, meaty flavors.
Beef broth – This will help give your barbacoa a rich, deep flavor but chicken would also work if you’ve already got a carton open in the fridge.
Ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder & ground cloves – These are the classic combination of barbacoa spices. Make sure you measure the cloves carefully as too much can really overpower the meat making it taste slightly medicinal.
Dried oregano – Mexican oregano is my preference here for both flavor and authenticity, but regular oregano will also work.
Brown sugar or honey – I’ve tested this recipe with both to add a bit of a balancing sweetness, and you really can’t taste the difference. Obviously honey is the better option if you’re avoiding refined sugar.
Bay leaves – Along with the dried oregano dried bay leaves add a classic, herbal flavor common to a lot of Mexican dishes that really lifts the barbacoa.
Cilantro – Regardless of how you plan to serve this beef barbacoa, a scattering of chopped cilantro at the end adds color and freshness, giving everything a little lift!
Serving & Storage Notes
My favorite way to serve this crockpot beef barbacoa is piled into warm corn tortillas with diced onion, chopped radishes, cilantro, lime, avocado, and a little cotija. I sometimes also add pickled red onions to make it it to feel restaurant-level with almost no extra work! You can also use it to top salads, stuff sweet potatoes, and leftovers would be amazing added to chilaquiles. Burritos are another great idea for the beef, as are loaded nachos, quesadillas, or even just over cilantro-lime rice for a simple dinner.
Leftovers can be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator and reheated either in the microwave, or on the stovetop with a splash of water if it is looking a little dry. Leftover beef can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve not personally tested it but mathematically you should be able to pressure cook on high for 1 hour, followed by a natural release for 15–20 minutes. If you give this a go, please let me know how you got on!
I prefer corn tortillas, but both will work — use whatever you fancy!
Yes! It should be naturally gluten-free unless there has been gluten snuck into your carton of beef broth. Remember to make sure what you’re serving them with is also gluten-free, e.g. corn tortillas instead of flour ones.
I usually find this serves 4-6, with 3-4 tacos per adult.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
Beef
- 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast cut into 3 large pieces
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil optional, but recommended if searing
Sauce
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 small yellow onion roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- â…“ cup fresh lime juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano preferably Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 2 bay leaves
To Finish
- Salt to taste
- Extra lime juice to taste
- Chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.
- For maximum flavor, sear the beef in a hot skillet with oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deeply browned. Alternatively, if you have a sear-and-stew slow cooker, sear the beef directly in the slow cooker insert. This step is optional, but it adds a lot. For true minimum effort, skip it and go straight to the slow cooker.
- Blend together the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, onion, garlic, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, chili powder, cloves, and brown sugar until mostly smooth.
- Place the beef in the slow cooker, and pour the sauce over the beef. Then add the bay leaves.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender and can easily be shredded with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaves. Shred the beef directly in the slow cooker using two forks. Toss the shredded beef in the juices.
- For the best texture, leave the lid off and cook on high for another 15 to 30 minutes to let the sauce reduce slightly into the meat. This step is optional but recommended, especially if your barbacoa is super-saucy! Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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