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Barbacoa

Tender, juicy shredded beef you can use in tacos or other meals.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword barbacoa, beef
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 586kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ pounds chuck roast
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • ½ white onion
  • 4 ounces green chiles
  • 3 limes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 beef bouillon cube

Instructions

  • Pat the cut of beef dry on both sides and generously season with salt and pepper.
  • Make a rub from one tablespoon of oil, the oregano, cumin and any other spices you like. Rub all over the meat. Place this in your slow cooker.
  • Roughly chop the onion. Add this over the top of the meat. Mince the garlic cloves and toss this in as well. Chop the peppers and add those, as well as the can of green chilies.
  • Now juice all three limes and add this to the slow cooker as well. Add in the water, beef bouillon cube and bay leaves.
  • Cook on low for 10 hours. Remove the meat from the slow cooker liquid, removing the bay leaves. Shred the meat with forks into small pieces, removing any large chunks of fat if needed.
  • Top the barbacoa with chopped fresh cilantro and more white onion and lime juice and serve however you like!

Notes

  • Beef chuck roast is also sometimes called blade roast, shoulder steak or even pot roast. If you can’t find this, another good option is rump roast or top round roast.
  • You can use beef stock or beef broth instead of water and bouillon.
  • You may also want to have some shredded cheese, refried beans or corn tortillas on hand to make this a meal. The recipe card below is simply to make the beef barbacoa.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least three days. I usually store the meat in the cooking juices, as this makes it easy to reheat on the stovetop or the microwave without drying it out.

Nutrition

Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 1731mg | Potassium: 1044mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 7mg