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Home » Recipes » Cuts of beef

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa: Tender, Spicy & Easy

Published: Oct 2, 2016 · Updated: Apr 15, 2024 by Marye

Succulent, spicy, butter tender beef, barbacoa is a classic Mexican dish. Use it in tacos, burritos, over mashed potatoes... you name it. This is super easy and extremely delicious!
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 10 hours hours 19 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe
Easy slow cooker beef barbacoa can be used for tacos, enchiladas, tortas, and many other dishes. from RestlessChipotle.com

Slow cooker beef barbacoa (Barbacoa de Res) is an easy recipe that can be made with any meat you have on hand. Use it for tacos, enchiladas, tortas, or on top of mashed potatoes, rice, grits, or bread. The variety of chiles and the bone in roast make it extra flavorful.

For this recipe you'll need: bone in roast, cider vinegar, lime juice, dried chipotle chiles, dried mulato chiles, dried guajillo chiles, canned chipotle in adobo, onion, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, garlic powder, roasted cinnamon, beef stock

Slow Cooker beef barbacoa recipe is super easy and totally yummy! From RestlessChipotle.com

Slow cooker beef barbacoa is one of the top recipes in my book, Mexican Slow Cooker Cookbook. That's not surprising since this particular dish has tons and tons of flavor plus it's super easy to make. You just dump all the ingredients in your handy-dandy slow cooker and 10 hours later dinner is ready. It's simple to double the recipe and freeze the beef barbacoa in meal sized portions, too.

The other thing I really like about this recipe is that it is versatile. It's  just about deer hunting season in many parts of the country, right? This recipe works beautifully with venison. You can even use buffalo, goat, or mutton if you're so inclined.

Personally, I like to stick with beef. I just wanted you to know there are options.

Living in Texas means that I am surrounded by Tex-Mex food and that suits me just fine. Honestly, I am kind of addicted to it. My mom was from the midwest and, bless her heart, her idea of making Mexican food for dinner was to pull out a couple of boxes of frozen El Chico dinners and heat them up in the oven.

Over the years I've learned how to make my favorite Mexican street foods. It's a good thing too. I can't afford eating out at my favorite restaurants as often as I'd like. You know -- three times a day.

Barbacoa was originated in Barbados where natives, Tainos, made their dishes with green fig branches for smoky, slow cooking of their meats. This method was called barabicu which means sacred fire pit. The practice eventually made it's way to Mexico where meat was slow roasted in a fire pit covered with agave leaves.

Considering most of us in Texas consider good Mexican food almost a religion, definitely a miraculous gift of God, I'd say that sacred fire pit was a pretty good name for the stuff.

I don't know that this slow cooker beef barbacoa is particularly sacred but I do know it's good. Real good. Moment of silence good. Enjoy.

Slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe is easy! From RestlessChipotle.com

Nutrition Information for Beef Barbacoa

Easy slow cooker beef barbacoa can be used for tacos, enchiladas, tortas, and many other dishes. from RestlessChipotle.com

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe

📖 Recipe

Easy slow cooker beef barbacoa can be used for tacos, enchiladas, tortas, and many other dishes. from RestlessChipotle.com

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa: Tender, Spicy & Easy

4.50 from 4 votes
Print Rate Recipe
Succulent, spicy, butter tender beef, barbacoa is a classic Mexican dish. Use it in tacos, burritos, over mashed potatoes... you name it. This is super easy and extremely delicious!
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 hours hours 14 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 hours hours 19 minutes minutes
Servings:8
Calories:250
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds lean, bone in beef roast
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 dried chipotle
  • 1 dried mulatto chile
  • 2 dried guajillo chiles
  • 1 in chipotle adobo sauce, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon roasted cinnamon
  • 1 cup beef stock or beer

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
  • Transfer the beef to a cutting board, remove the bones and shred the meat with 2 forks.
  • Add the shredded meat back to the slow cooker for 15 minutes to soak up some of the juices.
  • Remove the meat to a serving dish, taking out the chiles.
  • Strain the broth, spoon some over the meat, and serve the rest as an au jus.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

 

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    4.50 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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  1. Flo says

    December 13, 2023 at 12:38 pm

    Marye, I also make barbacoa but I go the easy way. I buy Cheek (beef) and use my pressure cooker and I set the timer for one hour fifteen minutes (1hr 15 min).
    You have your chilito, cilantro, avocado and tortillas ready, great breakfast anytime.

    Reply
    • Marye says

      December 14, 2023 at 9:32 am

      That is a great idea!

      Reply
  2. Cathy says

    April 12, 2023 at 5:16 pm

    What can I substitute for the dried chiles, which are very hard to find?

    Thanks

    Reply
  3. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    October 03, 2016 at 10:02 pm

    What a great dish! Love Tex-Mex and all the great flavors that come with it. Such a great recipe.

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 04, 2016 at 12:04 pm

      Thanks Patricia!

      Reply
  4. Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says

    October 03, 2016 at 8:57 am

    Anytime I can use my slow cooker, I'm in! This sounds like the perfect dish on a cool autumn day!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 04, 2016 at 12:00 pm

      I totally agree! I love using the slow cooker.

      Reply
  5. Aimee @ShugarySweets says

    October 03, 2016 at 7:52 am

    This is my husband's favorite dinner. SO so good!! Your photos make me want to make it again 🙂

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 04, 2016 at 11:54 am

      🙂 thanks Aimee!

      Reply
  6. Michelle says

    October 03, 2016 at 7:11 am

    I am addicted to Mexican food! I make it often...can't wait to try your recipe! I know my family will love it!

    Reply
    • Marye Audet says

      October 04, 2016 at 11:52 am

      Oh we love it too, Michelle. Enjoy!

      Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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