Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa (Printer-friendly)

Slow-cooked shredded beef with chipotle, cumin, and lime — ideal for tacos, burritos, or bowls.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 3.3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large chunks

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large white onion, chopped
03 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
05 - 1 lime, juiced

→ Spices & Seasonings

06 - 1 tbsp ground cumin
07 - 1 tbsp dried oregano
08 - 2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 2 tsp salt
10 - 1 tsp ground black pepper
11 - 2 bay leaves

→ Liquids

12 - 1/2 cup beef broth
13 - 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

# How to Make It:

01 - Spread the chopped onion and minced garlic evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker.
02 - Place the trimmed beef chuck chunks on top of the onion and garlic bed.
03 - In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chopped chipotle peppers, lime juice, ground cumin, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and beef broth until well combined.
04 - Pour the seasoning mixture evenly over the beef chunks and tuck the bay leaves into the liquid.
05 - Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender and shreds easily with a fork.
06 - Discard the bay leaves. Using two forks, shred the beef directly in the slow cooker and stir thoroughly to absorb all the cooking juices.
07 - Serve hot with warm tortillas, over steamed rice, in burrito bowls, or as desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced onions, lime wedges, and pickled red onions for a classic presentation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The spice blend creates layers of flavor that taste like you spent all day hovering over the stove when really you just dumped everything in a slow cooker.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, making this the ultimate make ahead meal for busy weeks.
02 -
  • Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking because every peek adds roughly thirty minutes to your cook time.
  • The meat will look tough and unpromising around hour five but trust the process because the final transformation happens in the last two hours.
03 -
  • Let the shredded beef rest in its juices for at least fifteen minutes before serving so it reabsorbs moisture and the flavors settle.
  • Half a teaspoon of ground cloves added to the spice mix adds an authentic Mexican depth that will have everyone asking for your secret ingredient.

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