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Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
5 from 69 votes

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa uses a cilantro-based marinade with vinegar, lime, chipotle peppers, and spices blended into a paste to infuse a chuck roast cooked low and slow until tender. The beef is browned before slow cooking with beer and this flavorful mixture. The result is fork-tender shredded meat with smoky, tangy, and herbal notes, suited for tacos, bowls, or hearty meals.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
8 hrs 15 mins
Total Time
8 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • ½ cup cilantro leaves packed
  • ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
  • lime juice juice of 2 limes
  • 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cumin ground
  • 1 tablespoon oregano dried
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cloves ground
  • 1 beef chuck roast 4-pound boneless, excess fat trimmed and cut into 6 pieces
  • salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup beer such as Modelo

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. CILANTRO MIXTURE: Combine cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder and cloves in the bowl of a food processor until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  2. Season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
  3. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  4. Place beef into a 6-qt slow cooker; stir in beer and CILANTRO MIXTURE.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-9 hours, or until meat is fork-tender.
  6. Remove beef from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks before returning to the pot with the juices; season with salt and pepper, to taste, if needed. Cover and keep warm for an additional 30 minutes.
  7. Serve warm.