This homemade Barbacoa Beef is fall-apart-tender, flavorful, and made with simple ingredients. Spice up your next taco night and blow your family’s mind with this recipe! This recipe comes complete with instructions on how to cook this 3 different ways!
What Is Barbacoa?
Some of you may be familiar with barbacoa beef from Chipotle’s menu, maybe that’s why you searched it up in the first place! This style of beef has been around for a long time, and for a good reason.
Cooked low and slow, barbacoa style meats are ultra tender and pull apart with ease. While barbacoa is traditionally cooked underground, the easiest way to cook barbacoa style meat for yourself is in a slow cooker or an instant pot. The low and slow method with lots of steam will give you perfectly succulent meat while the quick method by using an Instant Pot, will give you the same tender pull apart meat in a fraction of the time.
But don’t worry, if you don’t have either of those, I have provided you with instructions on how to braise it as well. So take your pick!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil – You can also use avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola, or vegetable oils.
- Chuck roast – Boneless.
- Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
- Onion – I used a white onion, but yellow will work too.
- Garlic – You can use more or less as you prefer.
- Chipotle peppers – Canned, in adobo sauce, a must in my opinion.
- Lime juice – Fresh is best.
- Apple cider vinegar – You can use regular white vinegar instead.
- Beer – Find a lighter type of beer like lager. Beef broth can be used instead.
- Spices – cumin, oregano, cloves.
- Brown sugar – Feel free to use more, less, or none at all.
- Bay leaves – Fresh or dried.
How To Make Barbacoa
Slow Cooker Barbacoa:
- Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed.
- Blend: Add the beef to your slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and stir to coat the beef. Secure the lid of your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and shred the beef with 2 forks. Taste for seasoning. Mix the beef with the sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Instant Pot Barbacoa:
- Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in you Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed.
- Blend: Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and stir to coat the beef. Secure the lid of your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and discard. Take the beef out of the Instant Pot and shred it with 2 forks. Add the beef back to the pot and mix it well with the sauce. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Braised Barbacoa:
- Sear the beef: Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or oven safe pot over high heat. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed. Transfer the beef to a large braiser.
- Blend: Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and pour in enough beef broth to just cover the beef cubes if not enough spice mixture. Stir to combine everything. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise for 3 – 3 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and discard. Transfer the meat to a cutting board or bowl and shred beef with 2 forks. Transfer the braiser to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Let the sauce reduce for 5-10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the beef back to the pot and toss well with the sauce.
Which Cuts Of Beef Can I Use?
Can’t find any chuck roast? Fear not! You can still enjoy barbacoa beef. Shoulder steak, brisket, rump roast, or bottom round will all work for you. This recipe is cooked low and slow, so tougher cuts of beef will be perfect.
Why Is It Called Barbacoa?
Believe it or not, barbacoa is actually the Caribbean word for barbecue! Who knew?
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, in my opinion they make they dish. They can be quite spicy but use as many or as few as you like, but do use at least one of them.
- Cut the chuck roast into even size pieces, this will ensure that they all cook evenly. Also cut against the grain, this will shorten the fibers, making the beef more tender.
- Doubling the recipe – if your slow cooker or instant pot are large enough to hold double the ingredients, go for it. Otherwise make it in two batches.
How To Serve Barbacoa
While I’m sure you’ll be doing your best not to scarf all this tender, flavorful beef right out of the slow cooker, there are so many great ways to enjoy your barbacoa beef.
My favorite way to serve this recipe is with fresh tortillas in tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas or burritos. Top with cotija, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, or these great recipes:
You can also serve up your barbacoa beef with these sides:
- 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
- Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Black Bean Corn and Avocado Salad
- Avocado Shrimp Salsa
How To Store Leftovers
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat either in the microwave, back in your slow cooker over low, or you can reheat in in a skillet over medium heat.
You can also freeze your barbacoa beef if you’d like. Make sure the beef has full cooled down to room temperature before sealing in an airtight container. It’ll last 4-5 months frozen. You can let the beef thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or put it straight from the freezer into the microwave or the slow cooker.
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Barbacoa
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast cut into 2" cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice 3-4 limes
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 6 ounce lager beer 1/2 bottle, or 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon cumin ground
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
Instant Pot Barbacoa
- Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in you Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed.
- Blend: Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and stir to coat the beef. Secure the lid of your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and discard. Take the beef out of the Instant Pot and shred it with 2 forks. Add the beef back to the pot and mix it well with the sauce. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Slow Cooker Barbacoa
- Sear the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed.
- Blend: Add the beef to your slow cooker. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and stir to coat the beef. Secure the lid of your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and shred the beef with 2 forks. Taste for seasoning. Mix the beef with the sauce and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Braised Barbacoa
- Sear the beef: Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or oven safe pot over high heat. Season the beef cubes generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef for 1-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed. Transfer the beef to a large braiser.
- Blend: Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, lager, cumin, oregano, cloves, and brown sugar to a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is smooth.
- Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and pour in enough beef broth to just cover the beef cubes if not enough spice mixture. Stir to combine everything. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Braise for 3 – 3 1/2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and discard. Take the beef cubes out of the pot and shred them with 2 forks. Transfer the braiser to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Let the sauce reduce for 5-10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the beef back to the pot and toss well with the sauce.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Recipe time is for the Instant Pot version.
- Don’t skip the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, in my opinion they make they dish. They can be quite spicy but use as many or as few as you like, but do use at least one of them.
- Cut the chuck roast into even size pieces, this will ensure that they all cook evenly. Also cut against the grain, this will shorten the fibers, making the beef more tender.
- Doubling the recipe – if your slow cooker or instant pot are large enough to hold double the ingredients, go for it. Otherwise make it in two batches.
- Leftovers: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat either in the microwave, back in your slow cooker over low, or you can reheat in in a skillet over medium heat.
- Freezing: Make sure the beef has full cooled down to room temperature before sealing in an airtight container. It’ll last 4-5 months frozen. You can let the beef thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or put it straight from the freezer into the microwave or the slow cooker.
I love recipes with alot of ingredients – seems as though they’re always more satisfying to us for some reason. Thanks for always giving alternatives for some of the ingredients. I look forward to making this very soon. It’s so colorful!
Let me know how you like it, Chris!
Would you please clarify this section of the braising directions?
Cook: Pour the mixture over the beef, add the bay leaves, and pour in enough beef broth to just cover the beef cubes if not enough spice mixture.
What do you mean by “if not enough spice mixture”?
For sure! By spice mixture I meant the mixture you prepare in step 2. You want to make sure there’s enough liquid to cover the beef. Hope this helps.
That’s what I thought you meant. Basically the statement “if not enough spice mixture” isn’t needed in the directions. Thanks!
Currently in the crock pot. OMG, the sauce smells AMAZING. I cannot wait to try this! Literally all I can think about us tonight’s dinner.
LOL Hope you like it!
The whole family loved this. A good amount of heat and very easy! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Hi Jamie,
So glad you all enjoyed it!!!
This was another winner. Insta pot success. Delicious. Followed recipe exact with exception of half of of the chipolte peppers because wasn’t sure how spicy it would make it. Next time I will use all 4 becuase there was just the tinest bit of heat in the background. While the recipe comes together quickly, don’t wait the full hour to prep the table by cutting up all the ingredients you would like to have in the your final taco.
This was so delicious! I made it in a crockpot and only used 1 chile. It still gave it some nice heat. I will make it again
What do you do with all the yummy sauce? I was thinking of making enchiladas.
The sauce is so good, you can make anything with it!! Enchiladas would be great!