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Overhead shot of a bowl of barbacoa beef garnished with sliced radishes, a lime wedge, and cilantro with a fork resting in the bowl against a light blue background

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

This Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef is an insanely delicious take on the Mexican shredded beef you see in burrito bowls and tacos! It's unbelievably flavorful, easy to make, and it's super versatile! It's great for feeding a large crowd, or to make for meal prep to have on hand all week!

Course Beef, Main
Cuisine Crockpot, Mexican, Slow Cooker
Keyword barbacoa beef recipe, chipotle copycat barbacoa recipe, crockpot barbacoa beef, mexican shredded beef, slow cooker barbacoa beef
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 -8
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2-4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2'' chunks, any large pieces of fat trimmed and discarded
  • salt and pepper for seasoning the beef
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil or grapeseed oil, or other high heat friendly oil
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 of a large yellow onion, cut into chunks
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 chipotle peppers from a can of chipotles in adobo
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 cup beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  1. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, sear the beef for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and caramelized. Add beef to your slow cooker.

  2. While beef is cooking, add the garlic, onion, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, chipotle peppers, cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and cloves to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add mixture to the slow cooker along with the beef broth and bay leaves and stir to combine.

  3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 until beef falls apart. Discard any large pieces of fat and shred the beef with two forks (I just do this while it's still in the slow cooker, but you can remove the beef, shred it, and then stir it back in with its cooking juices). Serve in tacos, on a salad, or in a burrito bowl!