Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Barbacoa Beef
Shredded beef with smoky chipotle flavor makes an inviting filling for warm tortillas. Lime brightens the cooking juices near the end, letting the rich beef pick up a fresh edge. Give it that final time in the broth, then drain and tuck into a generous serving.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 480 min
- Total
- 500 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Cooking method
- Roasting · Baked & roasted · Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Portion and dry the roast
Cut the roast into six portions, remove large fat pieces and dab dry before seasoning and browning in two batches.
2. Scrape the processor sides
Pause to scrape down the chipotle, garlic and broth mixture as it processes so the sauce becomes well puréed.
3. Use low for tenderness
Keep the slow cooker on low for the listed eight to nine hours. High heat isn't recommended for this beef.
Get to know the ingredients
Divided broth
Use a quarter-cup of broth to purée chipotle and garlic. Whisk the remaining broth with that mixture and spices before pouring over beef.
Whole bay leaves
Nestle bay leaves between the beef portions after pouring over the sauce, keeping the beef arranged side by side in its layer.
Fresh lime juice
Stir lime juice into the retained broth after removing beef to shred, then return the beef for its final low-or-warm stage.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Barbacoa Beef
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Drain before filling tortillas
After the shredded beef has spent its final time in lime-flavored broth, strain off liquid and serve in tortillas with desired toppings.
A little more help as you go
Brown in two batches
Use half the oil for the first three beef portions and the rest for the remaining three, browning all sides.
Warm shredded beef again
After shredding and returning beef to the broth, allow twenty to thirty minutes on low or warm before straining for serving.
A few questions you might have
Can I make it milder?
You can replace the chipotle chilies with four teaspoons of mild chili powder if you do not like spicy food.
Does the lime cook for the full slow-cooker stage?
It is stirred into the broth only after the beef is removed for shredding, before the final short warming stage.
Should I slice the roast before cooking?
Cut into six large portions at the beginning, then shred after the long covered low cooking rather than slicing it for serving.
When are cumin and cloves added?
Whisk them with oregano, remaining broth and the chipotle purée before pouring that sauce over the browned beef portions.
Do I discard broth when removing beef to shred?
Leave it in the slow cooker, stir lime juice into it and return the shredded meat before draining at the serving stage.
Any more cooking tips?
If you don't like spicy food replace chipotle chiles with 4 tsp mild chili powder instead. ** I don't recommend cooking on high heat for this recipe, low cooking will achieve the most tender results. Recipe first shared April 24, 2015, photos have been updated and recipe updated to include just 1/4 tsp cloves instead of 1/2 tsp.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: cookingclassy.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.