Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

This smokey crockpot barbacoa is packed with chipotle, garlic, lime, and clove flavor in every bite! It’s a set-it-and-forget-it meal that’s great for meal prep, put the barbacoa in tortillas, over rice or on a sandwich!

This spicy crockpot barbacoa recipe will bring bold, smokey Mexican flavors to your dinner table. Slow-cooked, tender beef is cooked to perfection in a zesty chipotle sauce infused with red onion, fragrant garlic, and bay leaves. Once shredded, it’s amazing in tacos, burritos, or on rice bowls for a simple, hearty dinner.

Why I Love Slow Cooker Barbacoa

If tacos are a weeknight favorite for you, this easy crockpot barbacoa with traditional Mexican spices will be your new go-to.

• Pull-apart tender. It’s cooked in the crockpot for at least 5 hours for the best melt-in-your mouth, pull-apart tender bite.
• Authentic. Chipotle, cloves, cumin, and paprika are the most common flavor base ingredients in authentic barbacoa recipes.
• Beginner-friendly. The crockpot does most of the work for you!

What is Barbacoa?

Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican dish and cooking method. It’s typically made in an earth oven with hot stones and the meat is wrapped in banana leaves. The oven is also covered with banana leaves to trap the steam inside. Barbacoa can be made with beef, lamb, or goat. The meat is slow-cooked for 8-12 hours until it’s ultra tender and easily pulls apart. It’s served for breakfast with corn tortillas and is garnished with fresh cilantro and diced onions, but it can also be enjoyed for dinner.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you’ll need to make the most drool-worthy beef barbacoa. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card where the amounts are specified.

• Beef chuck roast – Cut it into 2-3″ chunks for even cooking.
• Chipotles in adobo sauce – These are canned Mexican peppers. Don’t discard the sauce because it’s also needed for the recipe.
• Cilantro – Remove any yellow or brown leaves to prevent bitterness.
• Red onion – White or yellow onion works too.
• Garlic – It’s a good opportunity to use up leftover small and medium garlic cloves. You’ll need about 1/4 cup of garlic cloves.
• Lime juice – Freshly-squeeze orange juice is a great swap.
• Apple cider vinegar – Go for white vinegar or red wine vinegar if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
• Cumin – I don’t recommend using any substitutes, but taco seasoning will provide the most similar flavor profile.
• Ground cloves – If you use whole cloves, you need 5-6 of them.
• Smoked paprika – You can swap it for 3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
• Onion powder – Feel free to use garlic powder instead.
• Salt and pepper – Sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper are best.
• Beef bone broth – Try to use a low-sodium version.
• Bay leaves – If they’re very broken, use two halves or three pieces per leaf in the recipe.

How to Make Barbacoa in Your Slow Cooker

Preparing a meal on a busy weeknight is easier than ever thanks to this hearty chipotle crockpot barbacoa. Scroll to the bottom of the post for more detailed step-by-step instructions, but here’s how it’s made:

• Season the meat. Toss the beef, cumin, cloves, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl until completely coated. Add it to the crockpot.

• Prep the sauce. In a food processor, add the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime juice, and vinegar. Pulse it 5-6 times or until slightly chunky. You don’t want it to be completely smooth.
• Cook it. Pour the sauce and broth over the beef. Add bay leaves. Stir gently to combine. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on HIGH for 5-5.5 hours.

• Shred it. Carefully remove the beef from the crockpot and place it on a large cutting board. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes. Use two forks to pull the meat in opposite directions until completely shredded.
• Serve. Return the shredded beef to the crockpot. Stir gently to combine it with the cooking juices. Serve and ladle with 1/4 cup cooking juices on top. Enjoy!

Tips & Variations

This effortless crockpot barbacoa with hints of sweet honey only gets better if you follow my tips for marinating it, broiling it, and making it spicier.

• Broil it. Spread the shredded beef on a baking sheet and broil it for 2 minutes, stir, and broil for another 2-3 minutes or until crispy. Remove it from the heat.
• Make burritos. Heat up flour tortillas and fill them each with 1/4-1/2 cup barbacoa, 2-3 tablespoons shredded cheddar, and 2-3 tablespoons refried beans. Roll them up and serve.
• Crank up the heat. Slice a small jalapeño or serrano chili in half and add it to the crockpot. Cook as usual for a spicy variation.
• Brown the beef. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and sear it for 1-2 minutes per side or until browned. You don’t want to cook it fully. Place it in the crockpot and continue with the recipe as usual for a stronger beef flavor.
• Go slow. If you want to set the crockpot around noon so the barbacoa is ready for dinner, cook it on LOW for 7-8 hours.
• Marinate it. Season the meat and prep the sauce a day in advance. Add everything to a large Ziploc bag. Seal it and shake well until completely coated. Refrigerate it overnight and then add the marinated beef and sauce to the crockpot the next day.

Serving Suggestions

This crockpot barbacoa is an easy weeknight dinner. I love it with warm corn tortillas to make tacos. Top them with Roasted Tomato Salsa or Avocado Salsa Verde. You can also serve it with Creamy Bacon Guacamole or Pico de Gallo on the side. For a bowl-style dinner, serve it with some Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican red rice.

How to Store and Reheat

Always allow leftovers to cool completely before storing them to prevent spoilage. This barbacoa is too good to go to waste!

• Fridge: Place it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Transfer it to freezer bags in serving-size portions. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• To reheat it: Sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon water and microwave it in 15-second increments until warm. You can also use a pan over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

More Mexican Inspired Recipes

• Chicken Pozole Rojo
• Chicken Mole
• Chicken Street Tacos with Mexican Street Corn
• Mexican Chopped Salad

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