Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Street Tacos
Small tacos make it easy to keep reaching for one more. Warm barbacoa, tangy salsa verde and a little cheese are plenty to keep each bite interesting. Lay them out where everyone can get at them, with the cilantro scattered over the top.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 6 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- Mexican
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Tacos
A few quick notes
1. Heat the skillet first
Wait until the oil is hot before adding the tortillas for their brief toast on each side.
2. Leave the beef alone at first
Give the barbacoa its initial stretch in the skillet without stirring, then stir and finish heating it through.
3. Lay everything out flat
Arrange the toasted tortillas flat before dividing the barbacoa among them, which makes the final topping easier.
Get to know the ingredients
Street taco tortillas
Use the small corn tortillas called for here. The directions allow two or three at a time in the skillet.
Prepared barbacoa
The filling starts with beef barbacoa that is ready to heat. This set of directions covers warming it and assembling tacos.
Shredded Monterey Jack
The cheese goes on as a sprinkle over the beef and salsa, so have it shredded before assembling.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Slow Cooker Barbacoa Street Tacos
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
Cilantro goes on last
Top the beef with salsa verde and cheese, then scatter freshly chopped cilantro over each taco before serving.
A little more help as you go
Divide the oil between stages
Half the oil is for toasting the tortillas. Use the remaining half for the barbacoa in the same skillet.
Toast both sides
Turn each tortilla during its short stay in the skillet so both sides get their turn against the hot pan.
A few questions you might have
Does the barbacoa go into the skillet with the tortillas?
Toast the tortillas first and set them aside. The barbacoa goes into the skillet afterward with the remaining oil.
Do I need to cook a raw beef roast for these directions?
These directions begin with prepared beef barbacoa. They heat that filling through in the skillet before the tacos are assembled.
Which salsa is used?
Salsa verde is the listed topping. Spoon it over the barbacoa before adding the shredded cheese and chopped cilantro.
Should I melt the cheese in the skillet?
The directions add cheese during assembly after the beef is heated. There is no separate cheese-melting stage.
How do I finish heating the barbacoa?
After the initial undisturbed cook, stir the beef and continue cooking until it is heated all the way through.
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: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
