If you are looking for a rich flavorful meal that practically cooks itself, you’ve come to the right place! This slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe features tender chunks of beef slowly simmered in a bland of spices, chilies and aromatics, infusing the meat with smoky flavors and irresistible aroma.
As a Brazilian, beef has always been a central part of my cooking heritage. I grew up around bold flavors that filled the house with delicious aromas. The food was always prepared in the mornings, since lunch was our biggest meal. This Barbacoa Beef is one of those dishes that instantly brings me back to that comforting familiar place.
As the beef simmers low and slow in the crockpot, the meat becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, perfect for stuffing tacos, burritos and grilled cheese, or served in a bowl over rice.
Similar to my Classic Pot Roast Recipe, which has earned hundreds of five-star reviews from readers who trust my cooking techniques and ability to create incredibly flavorful and tender meats, this Barbacoa recipe is no different, It’s packed with smoky flavors, warm and fragrant spices and designed to turn out juicy, flavorful beef every single time, whether it’s your first slow cooker recipe or your fiftieth.
What’s the best meat for slow cooker barbacoa
The best meat for cooking barbacoa is chuck roast. I prefer this cut of meat for its ability to turn tough meat into tender juicy meals, especially when cooked slowly. The balance between tenderness and marbling, allows the beef to melt beautifully and absorb the flavors really well. Other options are;
👉🏻 Beef Cheek (Cachete de Res) – this is the most traditional cut used in the Mexican Barbacoa. It’s super rich in collagen and becomes incredibly silky and succulent when slow cooked, similar results as you’d get from slow cooker oxtail recipe, with very beefy intense flavor.
👉🏻 Brisket – is a popular choice for beef barbacoa. It is a fattier cut so it breaks down really well over longer slow cooking period. The result might turn out more like a sliceable version as opposed to “pull apart beef” but nonetheless a stunning smoky meat similar to my slow cooked oven roasted beef brisket recipe.
👉🏻 Beef Short Ribs – very tasty but a bit pricier compared to the options above. The short ribs cooks slowly absorbing the flavors and become tender after a few hours of cooking, as you can see in this slow cooker bourbon beef short ribs recipe.
Ingredient list
- Chuck Roast – cut into large chunks for better browning and flavor.
- Olive Oil – or avocado oil that has a higher smoke point.
- Onion, garlic – are the base for a delicious gravy. Cut onions into chunks and mince the garlic. They will practically disappear after cooking for hours and add so much flavor, don’t skip it! Okay to use up to a whole head of garlic.
- chipotle chilies in adobo sauce – Give the barbacoa it’s distinct flavors, however I have made barbacoa without this traditional ingredient and it was still a home run. If you can’t find it use a small can of tomato sauce and Fresno or jalapeño peppers. Use fresh, dried or preserved.
- Beef broth – or use homemade bone broth for a rich gravy. Substitute for bouillon. Option to add more liquid for extra gravy to dip barbacoa grilled cheese in it (our favorite) or use in soups.
- Lime Juice – to balance all the flavors. Optional to add the zest of the lime for extra brightness.
- Spices – cumin, oregano, cloves, chili powder and smoked paprika along with bay leaves will give the meat the distinct flavors we crave in barbacoa beef.
👩🏻🍳 Silvia’s tips for the best slow cooker barbacoa
After making this recipe countless times, here are a few things I’ve learned that will take your barbacoa to the next level
✓ Brown the meat
Don’t skip this step! I know it can be tempting to toss everything in the crockpot, but taking just 15 minutes to sear the meat adds depth of flavor and better texture. It will be totally worth it!
✓ Adjust the heat to your taste
I know everyone has a different tolerance to spiciness and since this is YOUR barbacoa dial it up or down based on your preference. Use chipotle chilies in adobo for the signature smokey meat. For a milder experience use just one chipotle and for a spicer version add jalapeños and crushed red pepper flakes.
✓ Flavor deepens with time
This barbacoa is even better the next day, once the flavors settle in. I aways make a big batch to enjoy the leftovers all week.
💬 Real Kitchen Feedback
The last time I served this, my stepson took a bite and said, “This is way better than Chipotle.” That’s the kind of praise that makes all the prep worth it!
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 lbs chuck roast cut into chunks
- 2 cups beef or bone broth
- 1 large onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 7 oz chipotle in adobo sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 fresno pepper sliced in half
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- PREP THE MEAT. Cut the chuck roast into chunks, pat them dry and season generously with salt and pepper. You get better depth of flavor from browning the meat in chunks versus the entire piece.
- SEAR THE MEAT. Heat oil in slow cooker on sauté mode. If your slow cooker or crockpot doesn't not include this feature, use a heavy pot and do this step on the stovetop. Once the oil is super hot, add the seasoned meat and brown on all sides until the meat has a nice sear and a crust begins to form. Work in batches. Do not overcrowd the pot and do not cover the pot. Is your meat not searing or retaining too much moisture? See notes below 👇🏻
- ADD THE FLAVORFUL BASE. Add the seared meat to the slow cooker, if you worked in batches add them all back in, and if you browned the meat on stovetop add to the slow cooker now along with the remaining ingredients. All of them! I like to start with the dry seasoning to make sure the meat is generously covered by all the flavorful spices. Finish with the liquid of choice, that's beef or bone broth, or bouillon dissolved in water. Give everything a good stir. Place the cover.
- COOK LOW AND SLOW. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Some recipes might suggest 4-6 hours but I do not. From my experience the best results come from cooking on high heat for 6 hours or low for 8-10 hours.
- SHRED THE MEAT. Once that's done cooking, remove the bay leaves and any chunks of whole pepper if you used any. You can shred the beef right in the slow cooker or transfer to a large bowl or baking dish with raised sides. Use two large forks to shred it. What to do with all that extra liquid from the cooking? See notes below 👇🏻
- GARNISH AND SERVE. I like to finish my barbacoa beef with a handful of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
- Do not cover the slow cooker / pot while you are browning the meat. Covering the pot will retain moisture and the meat will not sear.
- If the pot is overcrowded and the meat is not searing, instead it’s releasing too much moisture, don’t worry. Simply remove the extra meat, make sure all the chunks of meat is freely touching the bottom of the slow cooker/ pot, crank up the heat and wait a few minutes for the liquid to evaporate.
- You’ll likely end up with a lot of liquid in the pot. You’ll know this because the meat looks like it’s swimming in brown juice (and that’s a good thing!). Once you remove the meat to shred, transfer some of the liquid to a mason jar. Remove as much as you like to use later (see ideas on how to use the extra beef broth, below the recipe card). However, leave some liquid left in the slow cooker. Barbacoa is a moist dish, served with some of the liquid it was cooked in.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Serving suggestions
You will want to make enough barbacoa to eat all week. The longer it sits in your fridge, the more flavorful it gets! Here are our favorite ways to serve barbacoa;
Bowl – serve it in a bowl with brown rice (Brazilian) or Mexican rice. Our favorite lately is this cilantro lime rice and pinto beans, always.
Tacos – stuffed in a warm yuca tortilla, that you can make at home with 1-ingredient!!
Lettuce wrap – wrapped in romaine lettuce for a low-carb lunch.
Meal-prep bowls – make extra barbacoa beef to eat all week in these meal-prep bowls!
Ways to use the extra broth or gravy from the barbacoa meat
I call that liquid gold! Okay, it’s brown but you get the point.
The amount of flavor in the liquid that’s left from cooking barbacoa in slow cooker is something you can’t buy at the store. We love making barbacoa grilled cheese with sourdough bread and dipping into the barbacoa gravy. It’s an elbow dripping situation you will want to repeat for the rest of your life!
Add to soups! This barbacoa sauce has all the right flavors to add to your Oxtail Soup, Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe, this Dutch Oven Beef Stew and my Brazilian Black Bean Soup!
If you saved extra barbacoa sauce, add to these soups and you’re more than half way to a mega flavorful soup too!
Silvia’s tips on storage (it’s a game changer!)
Beef barbacoa is one of those dishes that you can (and should) make enough to last a while. I have made my barbacoa meals last longer than I can admit because I follow this one trick that my Mom taught me.
✨ Store barbacoa beef in separate individual glass containers with air tight lid. Think of it this way, each storage container is one day’s worth of a meal. Put the containers in the back of the fridge, and only take out the one you need each day.
✨ Never heat the barbacoa and put it back in the fridge. Only heat up what you need. Heating up, then reheating another time will shorten its life significantly.
✨ Avoid taking it out of the fridge and poking around it. The exposure to air and room temperature will also make the barbacoa go bad faster.
