Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Chunks of chuck roast slow-cooked with smoky chipotle, ancho, cumin, cloves, lime and vinegar until they shred into juicy, deeply spiced beef for lettuce tacos and bowls.
Nutrition per serving
about ¾ cup beef with toppings- Net carbs
- 5g
- Calories
- 476kcal
- Protein
- 35g
- Fat
- 34g
- Total carbs
- 7.2 g
- Fiber
- 2.1 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Goat barbacoa: Goat is the traditional barbacoa meat in much of Mexico. It is leaner than chuck, with a deeper, slightly gamy flavor that suits the chiles.
- Brown and season the goat the same way. It needs a little longer to turn tender: 9–10 hours on low. Because goat is lean, keep the meat well moistened with the juices when you shred it.
Burrito bowl (cauliflower rice): The shredded beef goes over lime-scented cauliflower rice instead of into lettuce cups — the copycat burrito bowl, and easy to pack for lunches.
- Cook the riced cauliflower in the oil in two batches in a wide skillet over medium-high heat, uncovered, 5–6 minutes, until tender. Toss with the lime juice and a pinch of salt, then divide among bowls and top with the barbacoa, onion and salsa.
- Barbacoa
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Barbacoa
- To serve
- Nice to have (optional)
- Barbacoa
- To serve
-
16 leaves butter lettuce leavesleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $37.42 for 8 servings ($4.68 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chunks in two batches, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a 6-quart (6 L) slow cooker.
-
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, both chile powders, cumin, oregano and cloves for 30 seconds, then the tomato paste, vinegar, lime juice and broth, scraping up the browned bits. Pour over the beef and tuck in the bay leaves.
-
Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours (or high for 5–6), until the beef falls apart when pressed with a spoon — well past the 145°F (63°C) safe point.
-
Discard the bay leaves. Shred the beef right in the pot with two forks and stir it into the juices, then let it soak for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
-
Lift the beef out with a slotted spoon and serve in lettuce cups with the onion, salsa, cilantro and lime wedges. It is also excellent over Mexican cauliflower rice or in coconut flour tortillas.
Tips for success
-
Canned chipotles in adobo are the classic choice, but the adobo sauce is usually sweetened. Ground chipotle gives the same smoky heat with no added sugar. - Traditional barbacoa is slow-cooked beef cheeks or goat. Chuck roast is easy to find and has the marbling to stay juicy over the long cook.
- For crispy edges, spread the sauced beef on a sheet pan and broil 3–4 minutes, like carnitas.
Nice to have, not needed
- No slow cooker? Braise covered in a Dutch oven at 300°F (150°C) for 3½–4 hours.
- A pressure cooker cuts the cook to about 60 minutes on high pressure with a natural release.
- Crumbled cotija or queso fresco on top is a nice salty finish — fine without.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm in a covered skillet with a spoonful of the juices, 4–5 minutes, or microwave 1½–2 minutes.
Prep tip: Freeze the shredded beef with plenty of its juices in flat bags so it reheats without drying out.
Refrigerate the shredded beef in its juices up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosGoat barbacoa
ProteinGoat is the traditional barbacoa meat in much of Mexico. It is leaner than chuck, with a deeper, slightly gamy flavor that suits the chiles.
- boneless beef chuck roast → boneless goat shoulder or leg
5 g net · 237 kcal · 37 g protein · 6.2 g fat · ≈$5.27 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Burrito bowl (cauliflower rice)
SwapThe shredded beef goes over lime-scented cauliflower rice instead of into lettuce cups — the copycat burrito bowl, and easy to pack for lunches.
- + 8 cups riced cauliflower
- + 2 tbsp avocado oil
- + 2 tbsp extra lime juice
- no butter lettuce leaves
8.3 g net · 532 kcal · 37 g protein · 38 g fat · ≈$5.01 per serving (+3.3 g net carbs vs the original)
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