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Beef Barbacoa

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Beef barbacoa with slow cooked chuck roast, chipotles in adobo, lime juice, and cumin, shredded back into its own juices.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker 8 to 9 hours on low for this one, so it wants a cooker you can start and walk away from.
  • Instant-Read Thermometer Done here is 205°F, which is well past safe. That is where the connective tissue gives up and it pulls apart with a fork.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs boneless beef chuck roast cut into 3-inch chunks
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp adobo sauce from the can
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice about 2 limes
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 16 corn tortillas for serving
  • 1/2 cup diced white onion for serving
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for serving
  • 1 lime cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

  • Cut the beef: Trim any thick pads of fat off the chuck roast and cut it into rough 3-inch chunks. Big pieces hold their moisture over a long cook far better than small ones do.
  • Load the slow cooker: Put the beef in a 6-quart slow cooker along with the onion, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, ground cloves, and beef broth. Toss with tongs until every piece is coated, then tuck in the bay leaves.
  • Cook it low and long: Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, or on high for 4 to 5. Leave the lid alone until the last hour, because every peek lets out enough heat to cost you about 20 minutes.
  • Check for doneness: The beef is ready when a fork twists through it with no resistance and an instant-read thermometer reads 195-205°F in the thickest chunk. That is well past the 145°F the USDA sets as the minimum for whole cuts of beef, and it's the point where the connective tissue finally turns to gelatin.
  • Shred it: Move the beef to a cutting board or a big bowl and pull it apart with two forks, discarding the bay leaves and any tough fat you find along the way.
  • Return it to the juices: Stir the shredded beef back into the cooking liquid and let it sit on the warm setting for 10-15 minutes. This is the step people skip, and it's where the beef goes from good to glossy.
  • Serve: Pile the barbacoa into corn tortillas and top with the diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

Everything goes into the slow cooker raw, with no searing. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours (or high for 4 to 5) until the beef shreds with a fork and an instant-read thermometer reads 195-205°F in the thickest chunk. That is far above the USDA's 145°F minimum for whole cuts of beef and is the point where the connective tissue turns to gelatin. Stir the shredded beef back into the juices for 10-15 minutes before serving.