Barbacoa Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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Homemade Barbacoa Recipe | 1-Minute Video Barbacoa Description Ingredients Instructions Equipment Notes FAQs References

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This homemade beef barbacoa recipe is easy to make in the slow cooker, and it’s SO flavorful and delicious! Perfect for burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas and more.

What was the“cool” restaurant you begged your parents to take you to when you were a kid?

Growing up in Wichita in the 80s and 90s, I have to admit that my parents were way ahead of the whole “supporting local restaurants” trend, and we were regulars at our neighborhood Mexican and Chinese restaurants. But when we were ordering take-out on a busy evening, or going out to dinner with a bunch of family friends, or when we read enough books and earned enough stars on our purple holographic buttons….Pizza Hut was where it wasat. Or more accurately, where we were at. Yes, many a landmark occasion in my childhood was marked with a Canadian bacon personal pan pizza and an ice cold Pepsi and friends nearby to celebrate. And then a few days later my sister and I would beg our parents to take us back. Actually, just a few weeks ago, my aunt ordered Pizza Hut for a family reunion and my inner 10-yr-old came out and I inhaled three pieces of thin pizza like they were the best. food. ever. Because in my childhood, they pretty much were.

But it seems like times have changed. When I was teaching kids music lessons for years, I couldn’t help but notice that the to-go cup that most frequently accompanied students into the studio was from none other than…Chipotle. My students werecrazy about Chipotle. It seemed to be the place where their families went for a quick meal on the go, or where they would celebrate together with the team after the soccer game, and where (at age 9!) they could rattle off their preference for a chicken-burrito-bowl-with-black-beans-rice-corn-salsa-extra-cheese-no-lettuce by memory. And just like my sister and I years ago, they would beg their parents to take them there as often as possible.

Nowgranted, Chipotle will never have anything as cool as Book-It. (Sidenote: pleasetell me that you all read about this very important30th birthdayand the return ofBook-It for adults!) But I have to agree that I find myself popping in nowadays for a barbacoa salad bowl much (much) more than I order a pepperoni pizza. And I’m thrilled that — of all the fast food restaurants out there — Chipotle all the rage, and has become such a popular, affordable, fresh, generally healthy, and tasty place for a new generation of kids to eat. And, you know, all of those “kids at heart” too.

But as much as I love and always order the barbacoa salad there, I have to confess that it still doesn’t compare to the barbacoa recipe (a.k.a. shredded beef) I make homemade. It’s so flavorful, super tender, and perfect on just about anything. Also, it can be made simple in the slow cooker, and you can add as much of it to your tacos or burritos or salads or rice bowls as you’d like. Plus, the cost of making it homemade for a large family (or for leftovers) will probably only be a fraction of what you would pay eating out.

Homemade barbacoa, anyone?

Homemade Barbacoa Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Traditionally, barbacoa is cooked over an open fire, or in a pit dug in the ground that has been covered with maguey leaves. But I live in a loft building downtown where open fires and pits are, you might say, “frowned upon”. So I go for the next best thing — my slow cooker.

To keep things as easy as possible, this recipe basically just requires you to toss all of your ingredients in the pot and let the slow cooker do all of the work. It will definitely yield a shredded beef barbacoa that has a few chunks of onion and garlic and green chiles in there, which I don’t mind. But if you want to take an extra step, you can pulse all of the extra non-beef ingredients (minus the bay leaves) together in a food processor or blender beforehand so that there are no chunks. Your call.

Some people also like to sear the beef in a tablespoon or two of oil in a saute pan before adding it to a slow cooker, which will result in some crispier edges and slightly richer flavor. But I think this beef is plenty tender and flavorful cooked 100% in the slow cooker. So also, your call.

Barbacoa

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Description

This barbacoa recipe is simple to make in your slow cooker, and makes the most tender, flavorful, delicious barbacoa beef.

Ingredients

Scale

3 pounds beef chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or standard dried oregano)
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup beef stockor water

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Instructions

Slow cook. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the beef is tender and falls apart easily when shredded with a fork.
Shred and toss. Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Serve. Use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the barbacoa beef and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

Storage instructions: Any leftovers can be stored (with their juices) in a food storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

posted on October 8, 2014 by Ali

Main Dishes, Mexican-Inspired

633 Comments »

Barbacoa Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

How is barbacoa traditionally cooked? ›

Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

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What cut of meat makes barbacoa? ›

In the US, people typically make barbacoa with chuck roast, brisket and beef cheeks. However, any cut of beef that has a lot of connective tissue and takes a long time to cook until tender works well.

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How do you keep barbacoa from drying out? ›

Wrap the Meat

Traditional barbacoa cooking involves wrapping the meat with maguey or banana leaves for added flavor and moisture retention. Wrapping the meat traps steam and infuses the meat with a subtle, earthy tang. Some people use foil to accomplish this.

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What's the difference between birria and barbacoa? ›

Barbacoa is slightly more comparable to what we know as barbecue than birria is. Birria is has a thinner consistency than barbacoa, so it's a little soupy and traditionally served as a stew. These days, you'll find it in tacos and even on nachos as it's made its way through the United States.

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What is the English word for barbacoa? ›

Our English term barbecue comes from Caribbean Indian word barbacoa, but despite their common origins, these two words do not denote the same thing. Barbecue involves cooking food over a grill, while barbacoa is a steaming/baking process.

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Why is barbacoa healthy? ›

In addition to its delicious flavor, barbacoa is also a great source of nutrients. The slow cooking process helps to retain the meat's natural juices, which makes it moist and flavorful. The spices used to season the meat also have health benefits, such as helping to reduce inflammation and improve digestion.

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What is barbacoa seasoning made of? ›

Grind the toasted cumin and cloves into a powder, and place into a blender. Add the ancho chile powder, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, vinegar, and lime juice. Remove the chiles from the soaking water, and place into the blender along with 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Cover, and blend until a smooth paste forms.

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What is a good substitute for beef cheeks in barbacoa? ›

Alternatives: Beef chuck or boneless Short Rib

While beef cheeks produce the best result for this dish, you'll find most recipes call for beef chuck as a more accessible alternative. This cut of beef is not as well marbled, so it is not quite as juicy.

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What meat is similar to barbacoa? ›

The word “carnitas” means “little meats” in Spanish. These three dishes are very similar, but have some differences. Barbacoa can be either shredded or chopped, birria is usually shredded and served with a sauce or broth, and carnitas is usually chopped.

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Is barbacoa better with flour or corn tortillas? ›

Personally, I love using corn tortillas for barbacoa! Flour tortillas also have their own benefits when it comes to making tacos. Although they may not be quite as tight as corn tortillas, they hold together better and stronger once filled with juicy ingredients like beans or salsa.

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Why is barbacoa so greasy? ›

Why Is Barbacoa So Greasy? Barbacoa comes from beef cheek or cow head. This part of the body is already a fatty cut and with fat melting from the slow-cooking process, this can make barbacoa so greasy.