Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
40aprons.com/slow-cooker-mexican-pulledbeef-barbacoa/Make the most flavorful beef barbacoa almost entirely hands-off in your slow cooker! Let the Crockpot do all the heavy lifting to make the best Mexican pulled beef to add to tacos and tostadas.
Recipe Makes (Approximate):
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
- ⅓ 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.
Recipe Notes
Judging the cooking time: 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.
Storing leftovers: 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.
Nutrition Information (Approximate)
Calories: 473calProtein: 45gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1119mgPotassium: 894mgTotal Carbs: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gNet Carbs: 7gVitamin A: 496IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 6mg
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