Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
on Apr 17, 2020, Updated Sep 10, 2024
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This is a monthly staple in our house, and perfect for tacos.
Barbacoa beef, pork, lamb, or goat is, by definition, slowly cooked meat. The word is Mexican, and originally, parts of an animal were wrapped in leaves and steamed and smoked simultaneously over fire. The dish came to America from Mexico by way of Texas and is very much a part of Mexican immigrant and Tex-Mex culture, as well as the cuisine of Mexico.
Therefore, the notion of making barbacoa beef in a slow cooker is simultaneously radical and obvious. And the resulting meat is flavorful and tender, and begging to be stuffed in a soft taco with toppings.
Table of Contents
This easy Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef recipe is a go-to staple. The flavorful and tender meat is perfect for soft tacos.
Inexpensive and Tender Beef
Eye of round is a very economical cut. It can be found for less than $3 per pound, which is very budget-friendly. And cooking it in the slow cooker means you will get very tender meat, from a cut that can be tough if not cooked properly.
Warming Tortillas on The Stove
One of the best ways to heat tortillas is in a skillet on the stovetop. You don’t need oil, either. Just place the tortillas in the pan, allowing them to warm thoroughly on each side until they brown a bit. It’s best to do it one tortilla at a time, then stack them on a plate and keep them warm with a towel.
You can re-warm tortillas in the microwave, but make sure to cook them in a pan on the stovetop first to bring out their best flavor. It takes only a few minutes, and it makes a big difference.
How to Use Leftover Shredded Barbacoa Beef
Leftovers might be used in chili, stews, enchiladas, burritos, or quesadillas; a couple of cups of shredded, cooked beef in the fridge are a springboard for any number of dinners later in the week. Serve some up as part of a nacho bar for a serious treat. This type of one-two-punch cooking is very rewarding.
And, there will be a lot of liquid, so what you might do is drain it into a container, put it in the fridge, and then when it is chilled, remove the fat that will have congealed on the top. The remaining liquid is a great springboard for a beef stew or soup. Note the seasonings you’ve already added as you plot out your soup. There is a bit of tartness from the vinegar and the lime juice, which is quite pleasing.
Sometimes I just add a quart or so of chicken broth, and then add some cooked grains like barley and some of the shredded meat, and that’s a soul-satisfying soup and a nice way to use leftovers. A cook once, eat twice thought, which is pretty valuable right now.
My friend Sarah recently told me she read a bit on Instagram about tacos. It went something like this: “If you had to choose between eating tacos your whole life or being thin your whole life, the question would be ….hard or soft tacos?”
Taco Night
So throw that big chunk of beef into the slow cooker or crock pot with a nice battalion of seasonings, shred up the soft meat, heat some tortillas in the microwave, oven, or skillet, and have yourself a delicious little winter taco feast.
Toppings are anything you like on a taco, from sour cream to salsa to avocados or guacamole, shredded cheese to scallions to fresh cilantro leaves. Pair this with Stewed Chayote with Tomatoes.
You could use hard-shell tacos if you prefer. Instagram told me so.
More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
- Slow Cooker Fall-Apart Braised Pork with Cabbage and Apples
- Fall Apart Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Lamb
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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 3-pound eye round of beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo puree
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- Juice of 2 limes
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 3 cups beef or chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- Warmed corn or flour tortillas (to serve; see Notes)
Optional Toppings
- Salsa (tomato or tomatillo)
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar (or crumbled queso fresco, goat cheese, or feta)
- Sliced avocado
- Slivered red onion
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large, heavy skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Sear the beef on all sides until browned.
- Meanwhile, combine the chipotle puree, onions, garlic, chili powder, cloves, salt, lime juice, and vinegar in a slow cooker. Add the broth and the bay leaves.
- Cook on low for 10 hours, until the meat is falling apart tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker, let it for about 20 to 30 minutes, then pull it apart using two forks. Drizzle the shredded meat with some of the cooking liquid, until nicely moistened but not dripping.
- Serve with warm tortillas and whatever toppings you like.
This was so delicious! So much flavor. My whole family loved it. It was so good last week, that I’m making it this week, too.
Barbacoa is made with cheek meat, that’s all, not chuck roast…you’re giving it a bad name!!!
oh, well, I wasn’t aware, so thanks (and now will have to search out cheek meat!)
In the ingredient list the directions say: (see Warming tortillas sidebar)…where is the sidebar?
In step 3 the directions say: Drizzle the shredded meat with some of the cooking liquid, until nicely moistened but not dripping (see Note)….where is the note?
6 hour left in the slow cooker…
Hi, and sorry this took so long! In some posts, links and sidebars went missing, so apologies for that. The part about the extra liquid is in the recipes into, and now the warming tortillas sidebar is back! That’s for noting all of this.