Barbacoa Recipe (Beef Barbacoa)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Servings
6
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Calories
504 kcal
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Course
Main Course
Barbacoa Recipe (Beef Barbacoa)
Description
This recipe begins by soaking dried guajillo and ancho peppers until soft, then blending them with chipotles in adobo sauce to create a thick, flavorful paste coating the beef chunks. The meat is seared to develop a crust before slow cooking with broth, vinegar, lime juice, chopped onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to deepen the flavors. The extended cooking time tenderizes the beef thoroughly, making it fork-tender and easy to shred.
The resulting Barbacoa delivers a balance of smoky, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors from the combination of peppers and citrus. Its tender texture makes it ideal for tacos, burritos, or as a main dish served with sides. The slow cooking method ensures all flavors meld and fully infuse the meat.
The recipe notes that the heat level is mild to medium but can be adjusted by adding hotter peppers or chili flakes, allowing customization according to preference.
Ingredients
- 3 pound beef chuck roast or use beef brisket, sliced into 2 inch chunks
- 2 guajillo pepper
- 2 ancho peppers
- 7 ounce chipotles in adobo optional, for extra saucy and tangy-smoky flavor, can
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- lime juice about 1/4 cup, juice from 1 large lime
- 1 onion chopped, large
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano or use oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the guajillo and ancho peppers and remove the seeds. Place the dried chiles in a large bowl and cover with very hot or boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes, or until they become very soft and rehydrate. Drain and discard the water. Add them to a food processor with the chipotles in adobo sauce, and a bit of salt. Process until smooth.
- Add the beef chunks to a bowl. Add the ancho-guajillo paste and toss to even coat.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks a few minutes per side to get a nice coating. Transfer to a slow cooker or crock pot.
- Deglaze the pan with a bit of beef stock, water or wine and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour it into the crock pot.
- Add the beef stock, vinegar, lime juice, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Stir.
- Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. It should easily break apart with a fork. It could take a bit longer to cook, depending on your slow cooker.
- Shred the beef with 2 forks and serve as desired.
Notes
- This Barbacoa has a mild to medium heat level by default, which can be increased by using hotter peppers or adding chili flakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 504 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 504kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 45g | 90% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 156mg | 52% |
| Sodium | 720mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 966mg | 21% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 2324IU | 46% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 70mg | 7% |
| Iron | 7mg | 39% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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