Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos
Crockpot barbacoa is a chuck roast cooked with chipotle peppers, lime, and warm spices until it shreds with a fork. It is a simple way to get taqueria-style beef without hunting for beef cheeks.
8
servings20
minutes9
hoursA chuck roast braised in a smoky chipotle and lime sauce until fork-tender, then shredded and tossed in its juices.
Ingredients
3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 4 large chunks
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 2 tbsp of the sauce
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cloves
2 bay leaves
Corn tortillas, diced white onion, and cilantro, for serving
Directions
- Season the beef chunks on all sides with the salt.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Sear the beef for 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned. This builds flavor but can be skipped if you are short on time.
- Place the chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic, broth, lime juice, and vinegar in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Stir the cumin, oregano, and cloves into the sauce.
- Put the beef and bay leaves in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours.
- The beef is done when it shreds easily with two forks and offers no resistance at the center.
- Remove the bay leaves. Shred the beef right in the cooker and stir it into the juices.
- Cook uncovered on HIGH for 15 minutes if the sauce is thin. Taste and add salt or lime if needed.
- Serve in warm tortillas with onion and cilantro.
Notes
- Use fewer chipotles if you want milder heat. Crisp the shredded beef in a hot skillet or under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes for edges. Leftovers freeze well for 3 months in their juices. Use them in burritos, quesadillas, or rice bowls.
Why barbacoa beef turns out best in a slow cooker
Real barbacoa is cooked low and slow until the meat is silky, and a slow cooker does exactly that. Nine hours on LOW breaks a chuck roast down until it shreds with a fork, while the chipotles, garlic, and cumin soak all the way through. The sealed lid keeps the braising liquid in the pot, so the beef never dries out. The result is beef you can pile on a tortilla without a knife.
This crockpot barbacoa is not a copy of the pit-cooked cheek meat, but it lands close. The vinegar and lime cut the richness, and the cloves and oregano give it that warm, earthy taste you recognize from a good taco truck. You sear once, blend the sauce, and the pot does the rest.
Ingredient notes for crockpot barbacoa beef
Chuck roast: Buy a boneless roast with good marbling. Cut it into four large pieces so more surface touches the sauce. Beef cheeks are the traditional cut, and if you can find them they make an even richer pot. Ask a butcher, since cheek meat is rarely on the shelf.
Chipotles in adobo: They bring smoke and heat. Four peppers give a medium kick, and the adobo sauce adds more depth. Use fewer for a milder pot.
Lime juice and cider vinegar: The acid tenderizes the beef and balances the fat. Use fresh lime, not bottled.
Cumin, oregano, cloves, bay: Whole spices are not needed. Ground cumin and dried oregano are fine, but go easy on cloves, since a little goes a long way. A fresh bay leaf is nice, but dried works well here.
Corn tortillas: Warm them on a dry skillet until they puff, and keep them wrapped in a towel.
Tips for juicy, shreddable barbacoa
Sear the beef: Brown each piece for three minutes per side in a hot skillet. It adds flavor the slow cooker alone will not build, and it makes the sauce taste richer. Use a heavy skillet so the pieces do not steam in the pan.
Do not drown the roast: The most common mistake is adding too much liquid. The beef releases plenty of juice as it cooks. Half a cup of broth plus the blended sauce is enough, and the meat should sit partly above the liquid.
Shred and soak: Pull the beef apart with two forks, then stir it back into the juices for fifteen minutes. That soak is what makes each bite wet and well seasoned.
Swaps and variations for barbacoa tacos
Use a beef brisket flat or bottom round if you cannot find chuck, though the result will be a little leaner. A pork shoulder works well too, cooked the same way. For less heat, use two chipotles and add a spoon of tomato paste, and for more heat, add a dried guajillo chile to the blender.
Do not use a lean cut like eye of round. It dries out and goes stringy over nine hours, even in a sealed pot, and no amount of sauce brings it back.
What to serve with barbacoa tacos
Set out warm corn tortillas, diced white onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and a few salsas, and let everyone build their own. Cilantro-lime rice, black beans, and a simple cabbage slaw round it out. The leftover meat also fills burritos, quesadillas, and rice bowls, so make a double batch for the week. Pickled red onions and a squeeze of lime finish each taco. Warm a stack of tortillas wrapped in foil in the oven while you shred the beef.
Storing, freezing and reheating barbacoa
Store the beef with its juices in the fridge for up to five days. The juices keep it moist and flavorful. Do not store the beef dry, since shredded meat loses moisture fast.
Freeze portions in the sauce for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of broth. Stir often so the meat warms through without drying.
Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 9 hours
- Servings: 8 servings
- Ingredients: 13, led by boneless beef chuck roast, vegetable oil, kosher salt, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Tips for Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos
Use fewer chipotles if you want milder heat. Crisp the shredded beef in a hot skillet or under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes for edges. Leftovers freeze well for 3 months in their juices. Use them in burritos, quesadillas, or rice bowls.
Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos FAQ
How long does Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos take?
Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos takes 9 hours of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos serve?
This recipe makes 8 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Barbacoa Beef Tacos?
13 ingredients, led by boneless beef chuck roast, vegetable oil, kosher salt, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
