Beef Barbacoa Recipe

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Beef Barbacoa is slow-cooked until fork-tender, with a smoky aroma and spicy taste. Shredded beef braised in a blend of chipotle adobo, cumin, cloves, garlic, and oregano…yummy!

Barbacoa, which means barbecue in Spanish, is a traditional Mexican method of cooking meat; it can also denote the meat prepared this way. While some barbacoa varieties include pork or beef, contemporary recipes often utilize a slow cooker, instant pot, or Dutch oven.

While the meat can be cooked in its natural juices without any seasoning, it is common to include marinades and spices while cooking. Once the meat is extremely tender, it is usually shredded or chopped and served with lime in tortillas or with a broth created from the meat drippings.

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Ingredients in Barbacoa

• Spices: Cumin, Oregano, Ground Cloves, Cayenne powder, Salt & Pepper, Onion powder, Minced Garlic
• Liquid: Apple Cider vinegar, Lime juice, Beef broth
• Chile: Chipotle in Adobo sauce

Add the vinegar, lime juice, chipotle chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, cayenne, broth, onion powder, and ground cloves, in a blender and process until Barbacoa sauce is smooth.

How to make Barbacoa Meat

1. Slow-cooker – Slow cooking takes beef cubes in barbacoa sauce to juicy melt-in-your-mouth perfection. 
2. Brown beef cubes in oil in a heavy bottom pan (cast iron skillet) for 5 minutes. 
3. Transfer cubes into a slow cooker, add bay leaf and barbacoa sauce and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.
4. When cooked, remove the bay leaf, and use 2 forks to pull apart the meat into bite-size pieces for tacos, burritos, or rice bowls

Instant Pot –  Brow beef cubes on Saute mode on Instant Pot, then add Barbacoa sauce, and bay leaf, and pressure cook for 50 minutes. When meat is done …follow step #4 on the above list.

Dutch Oven pot Instructions:

• Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. 
• Drizzle the Dutch oven with oil and sear the beef for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned
• Place beef cubes in Dutch oven, add bay leaf, and barbacoa sauce, and cook 5 minutes on medium.
• Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake in the oven for 3.5-4 hours. Once the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, take it out of the Dutch oven and shred it.

Ways to use the Beef Barbacoa meat:

On The side – Barbacoa meat, rice, beans, and flour tortilla with guacamole and pico de Gallo.

Rice Bowl– Barbacoa meat, layered in a bowl with cilantro-lime rice, then beans, cabbage, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Tostadas – Tostada shells topped with guacamole, barbacoa meat, cheese, and red onions.

Storing Beef Barbacoa Meat

• Barbacoa will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container
• Leftover barbacoa meat will be good in the freezer for around three months in an airtight freezer bag or container.

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Barbacoa Tacos

Eunice Huerta

Beef Barbacoa is slow-cooked until fork-tender, with a smoky aroma and spicy taste. Shredded beef braised in a blend of chipotle adobo, cumin, cloves, garlic, and oregano...yummy!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic cloves
• 4 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder Optional for spiciness
• 1/4 cup beef broth for the sauce
• 1/4 cup beef broth slow cooker 1 cup broth ( Instant Pot) 1 cup for (Dutch Oven)
• 3 pounds boneless chuck roast cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

 

• Add the vinegar, lime juice, chipotle chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, cayenne, broth, onion powder, and ground cloves, in a blender and process until Barbacoa sauce is smooth.
• Slow-Cooker - Brown beef cubes in oil in a heavy bottom pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cubes into a slow cooker, add bay leaf and barbacoa sauce and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.
• Instant Pot - Add oil and brown beef cubes on Saute mode on Instant Pot, then add Barbacoa sauce, beef broth, and bay leaf and pressure cook for 50 - 60 minutes.
• Dutch Oven -Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• Drizzle the Dutch oven with oil and sear the beef for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned
• Place beef cubes in Dutch oven, add bay leaf, and barbacoa sauce, and cook 5 minutes on medium.
• Place the lid on the Dutch oven and bake in the oven for 3.5-4 hours. Once the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, take it out of the Dutch oven and shred it.
• When cooked, remove the bay leaf, and use 2 forks to shred the meat
• Warm corn tortillas, place the meat into a tortilla, and top with cheese, diced onion, and shredded lettuce.
• Serve with rice and beans.
• Optional topping: guacamole

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