Home » Courses » Main Course » Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe
posted by Sharon Chenon Jan 8, 2019 (updated Aug 19, 2020) 36 comments »
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5 reviews
This beef barbacoa recipe takes five minutes of hands-on time and will yield the best tasting, melt-in-your-mouth-tender tacos you’ve ever made at home.
If you could use a Mexican getaway, this slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe will take your senses straight to the land of palm trees, beaches, and white sand.
The tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef is slow-cooked to perfection in a super savory sauce. Lime juice, ground cumin, and chipotle peppers in adobo lend the authentic flavor and yield the best beef tacos you could possibly ever make at home.
This recipe takes only five minutes out of your day to prepare. For the next six to nine hours (depending on the heat level you choose), the beef will be doing its thang in the slow cooker until it’s ready to serve.
For serving, warm up some soft tortilla shells and add fresh cilantro, diced white onion and tomatoes, and avocado on top. The beef soaks up so much juice and flavor, you may not feel the need to add condiments, but feel free to bring out the hot sauce and extra green chilis.
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Now all you need to do is blend up a margarita, and you’re ready for Cinco de Mayo any time of year. Also, this recipe is gluten-free if you use corn tortilla shells instead of white flour tortillas.
The beauty of barbacoa beef is that you can use it for any type of Mexican food or main dish, not just beef tacos. Use this beef for burritos or burrito bowls, Mexican rice bowls, quesadillas, taco salads, or beef dip. Toss it with noodles or put it in a soup. You could even do a DIY low-carb barbacoa bowl next time you’re cooking for guests, and assemble a variety of toppings such as fresh lettuce, black beans, red onion, cilantro, cauliflower rice, cheddar cheese, and a few jalapenos or green chiles.
If you feel going gourmet and doing a fancy date-night-in dinner, I’ve got just the recipe for you using this slow cooker barbacoa beef. Check out this Chilaquiles Eggs Benedict Recipe—your date is going to be so impressed with your cooking!
If you like this recipe, find more than 50 slow cooker recipes just like this one in StreetSmart Kitchen’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.
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Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star5 from 5 reviews
- Author: Sharon Chen
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main, Gluten Free, Paleo, Keto
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican
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Description
This beef barbacoa recipe takes five minutes of hands-on time and will yield the best tasting, melt-in-your-mouth-tender tacos you’ve ever made at home.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3–4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 cup beef bone broth or low-sodium beef broth
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 3 bay leaves
For serving:
- Tortillas
- Chopped white onion
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Chopped avocado
Instructions
- Cut beef into large cubes and place them in a slow cooker. Add onions.
- Place chipotle peppers, broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, ground cloves, and lime juice in a food processor. Pulse until blended. Pour the mixture over the beef. Add bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 6 hours. Shred the beef with two forks. Use tongs to serve the barbacoa in tacos with your desired toppings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 646
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Sodium: 790mg
- Fat: 47.9g
- Saturated Fat: 18.9g
- Carbohydrates: 5.2g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Protein: 46g
- Cholesterol: 175mg
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About the Author
Sharon Chen
Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, an author and a sous vide fanatic who believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she's on a mission to help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.
4th of July Cinco de Mayo Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Low-Carb Main Course Meat No Added Sugar One-Dish / One-Pot / One-Pan Meals Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes Super Bowl Whole30
originally published on Jan 8, 2019 (last updated Aug 19, 2020)
36 commentsLeave a comment »
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36 comments on “Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe”
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Sandra —Reply
Made this yesterday for company and they raves about it! The best part was how easy it was to make!! Definitely a keeper. Thank you
Sharon Chen —Reply
Awesome, Sandra! So glad that it worked out for you. Thank you for taking the time to make this recipe. 🙂
kim weigand —Reply
In the crockpot now, smells delish, can’t wait to try!!
Sharon Chen —Reply
YAY!!! Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Sherri —Reply
Five minutes of prep? Sounds good to me! These tacos are STUNNING! My family would love them! 🙂
Patty —Reply
This barbacoa beef looks awesome, I’m always on the look out for recipes in my slow cooker, adding this recipe on meal plan, thanks!
Beth Neels —Reply
I love easy slow cooker meals! I wish I had one of those tacos, right now!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood —Reply
My family are mad for anything they can stuff in a tortilla but this is a new dish for me. It looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Sues —Reply
This looks just perfect!! I don’t use my slow cooker nearly enough, but this is just the excuse I need to pull it out and get cooking!
Morgan @ Host the Toast —Reply
Your book sounds like it’s going to be great– don’t be nervous! And those tacos overflowing with beef barbacoa? Girl, you’re talking my language there. I’m drooling.
Sharon Chen —Reply
Awwwweee… Thank you for your kind words, Morgan! It’s so encouraging. 🙂
Kim Rostberg —Reply
Just set this up in the crockpot now. I’ve never had the chiles in adobo before. Very flavorful! Thanks for sharing!
Sharon Chen —Reply
You are welcome, Kim! I am so glad that you are willing to try the chiles in adobo for the first time with my recipe. 😀 I hope you enjoy the barbacoa.
Monika Dabrowski —Reply
This is a really great idea, my whole family is mad about wraps and these would go down a treat in my house. I love your photography too!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Oh, this barbacoa will be great in wraps! Thanks, Monika! I hope your family loves this recipe.
Nichole Snellgrove —Reply
I love finding recipes for the slow cooker! We get so busy during the week, that sometimes I just don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I will save this recipe and thank you for sharing. Your photos are stunning!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Thank you, Nichole! I agree. Slow cooker helps so much when you don’t have the time to cook during the week. Hope you enjoy this recipe when you get a chance to make it.
Faythe —Reply
I made the Barbacoa. It was amazing. I served it over brown cilantro lime rice and then a few black beans. On the side I made a japelano lime cilantro corn salsa, sour cream, pico,quac. It was great. I love you recipes. They are all so good. Thank you. I look forward to your book! Happy New Year!
Sharon Chen —Reply
AMAZING!! So glad to hear you enjoyed the barbacoa! The sides you made to pair with it were really what made it a wholesome meal. Thank you for trying out the recipe. Happy New Year to you too! 🙂
Alesia —Reply
What a great recipe! Tacos are a huge hit in my home; and as a working mom, my crockpot is my best friend. I cannot wait to try these. Mmmmm! Great post and thanks for an awesome recipe!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Thank you so much for your kind words, Alesia! Hope you get a chance to try this recipe.
Krysten —Reply
I agree with your book designer, your photos are amazing!
Your first book sounds interesting, I would like to read it and do the smoothie cleans.
This cookbook sounds amazing too, I love slow cookers! Are you still in San Francisco? That’s where I am right now!
Good luck!Sharon Chen —Reply
Hi Krysten! Thanks for your interest in my books. I am currently in Austin, TX. I was in SF from May 2013 to Jan 2015. We will likely move back to SF in a couple years. 🙂
Vicki @ Babies to Bookworms —Reply
This looks so good! I love shredded meat from the slow cooker. So easy!
Sane Mama —Reply
I am excited for your book, I’d love to read it for both your story and the recipes 🙂
Sharon Chen —Reply
Thank you! 🙂
Amy —Reply
I absolutely love your story behind your cookbook, Sharon. The fact that you’re dedicating it your your sister-in-law and eating healthier – i love it! Im also a fan of the show, Fresh Off the Boat – too funny! Congrats on your cookbook and thank you for sharing this mouth-watering recipe 🙂 My husband also thanks you! lol yum!
Sharon Chen —Reply
I watched the show as well. So funny, especially the wife. haha…Wish my stories were that funny. Thanks to you and your husband for reading and commenting. I really appreciate it. 🙂
6 MINUTES?! That’s awesome. I just got a bunch of meat from a local butcher so this will be a perfect recipe to try. Pinning!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Awesome. I hope you enjoy it!
Kim —Reply
I’m drooling!! We are having chicken tacos tonight – from the crock pot – but these look so much better! YUM. Pinned to make soon!
Sharon Chen —Reply
Oh, chicken tacos sound yummy! Hope you like this barbacoa recipe.
Heather —Reply
These look delicious, and I was incidentally just looking for a recipe like this! I can’t wait to try these out – my little guy just loves soft tacos these days. 🙂
Sharon Chen —Reply
Perfect! Hope your little guy enjoys these barbacoa tacos. I am pretty sure he will. 🙂
