Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef is a tender Mexican shredded beef that you can use in shredded beef tacos, and beef rice bowls. Crock pot Barbacoa Beef is super flavorful and easy to make!
Servings: 10 - 14
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3-4 lb Beef Chuck Roast*
Spices (mix these together)
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano (Mexican, if you have it)
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Cloves, ground
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt)
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
Add These After Spices
- 1 7-ounce can Diced Green Chiles, mild (I like fire roasted)
- 2-3 Chipotles in Adobo, chopped (canned)
- 2-3 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce, from the can
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 Bay Leaves
Liquid
- 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2-3 Tablespoons Lime Juice, fresh (about one lime)
- 1 cup Beer, Mexican dark beer (or beef broth)
Garnish (after cooking)
- Diced Onion
- Cilantro
- Avocado
- Sour Cream
Instructions
- Prepare all of your ingredients first. Cut the meat (brown it in a little oil if you wish), dice the onion, mince the garlic, measure the spices and liquids, etc.
- Add the meat to the slow cooker and sprinkle the spices over it. Mix it well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir.
- Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, until meat is very tender. When done cooking, use a large spoon to skim off some of the fat before removing the meat.
- Then use tongs to remove the meat to a bowl, and use two forks to shred it.
- Place the shredded meat back into the crock and stir it well. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve with warm tortillas and rice, chopped onion, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, or whatever you like!
Notes
- *The number of servings will depend on the size of your roast. I usually use a 3 lb chuck roast and get about (10) 5 oz servings.
- Browning the chunks of meat in a skillet with a little oil before adding to the slow cooker will add depth of flavor. This isn't necessary, but some folks like to do this step, if they have time
- 2 Chipotles from the can will make this dish a little spicy, and 3 will give it a good kick. Also, using the adobo sauce from the same can really adds a nice subtle smoky flavor.
- If you don't want to use beer, just use beef or chicken broth. The idea is to add a liquid that has some flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal
