Name: Barbacoa Beef
Yield: 4

Barbacoa Beef Recipe with slow-cooked, tender shredded beef made with spices, garlic, and lime for a rich, slightly smoky flavor.

Author’s Notes

My Latest Taco Night Favorite

For most of my life, I always went for pulled pork or chicken at Mexican spots, but lately I’ve been all about the beef. How did I miss this for so long?!

Barbacoa beef, specifically. I’m fully hooked and can’t stop ordering it when I go out, which is exactly why I had to create my own version at home.

This recipe hits everything I wanted. It’s packed with flavor, a little smoky, and evenly seasoned. It’s also surprisingly straightforward to make. Just add everything to the slow cooker and let it do its thing. The beef turns out super tender and shreds so easily.

There are so many ways to serve this Barbacoa Beef Recipe, but a reliable is tucked into a charred tortilla with thin cabbage, quick-pickled onions, a simple sauce, and ripe avocado. So good.

All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for straightforward assembly including the chuck roast, oil, seasonings, limes, chipotles, bay leaves, broth, and vinegar.

Ingredients In My Barbacoa Beef Recipe

Ingredient	Let’s Chat About It
Chuck roast	Use well-marbled meat for the most tender and juicy meat.
Salt & black pepper	Season generously before searing to build a strong base of flavor.
Vegetable oil	Use a high-heat oil to get a deep, golden sear on the beef.
Chipotle chiles & beef broth	Chipotles add smoky heat while broth keeps everything rich and saucy. Adjust chipotles to taste and heat preference.
Vinegar, lime juice, garlic & spices	This mix brings the flavor. A nice balance of tangy, savory, and warm spices is key so don’t skip anything!

Sauce for this Barbacoa Beef Recipe being blended, then beef being chopped and seasoned.

How To Make This Barbacoa Beef Recipe

Prep & season: Cut beef into chunks and season all over.
Sear: Brown on all sides in a hot skillet until deeply golden.
Blend sauce: Blend sauce until smooth.
Slow cook: Add beef, sauce, and bay leaves to slow cooker and cook until tender.
Shred & serve: Shred beef, toss with cooking liquid, and serve with favorite toppings.

Featured Comment

“Made this twice now and makes great taco meat, falls apart, super lively and straightforward recipe.”
– Rebecca

Searing the beef and then adding it to the slow cooker with the sauce and bay leaves.

How To Serve This Beef Barbacoa Recipe

Tacos: In tortillas with cabbage, pickled onions, cilantro-lime sauce, and avocado. Add a scoop of creamy macaroni salad or Mexican slaw on the side for a creamy contrast.
Burrito bowls: Layer over rice with beans, salsa, and toppings.
Burritos: Wrap with cheese, rice, and your favorite add-ins.
Nachos: Pile over chips with cheese, beans, and toppings.
Quesadillas: Melt with cheese and serve with salsa or crema.
Taco salads: Add over lettuce with beans and dressing.

the cook’s Notes

a reliable Toppings

Cabbage & cilantro: Thinly sliced cabbage adds the best crunch!
Pickled onions & lime: Tangy and fresh.
Avocado or guac: Creamy and helps balance the heat.
Crema or cilantro-lime sauce: Adds flavor.
Cotija cheese: Salty and crumbly!

Storage

Fridge: Store cooled barbacoa in an airtight container up to 4–5 days. Freeze: Add to freezer bags with a little liquid and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat: Warm on the stove over a low burner or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth if needed.