Anyone for ultra-juicy Mexican pulled beef tossed in a chipotle-spiced sauce? Use this Beef Barbacoa for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, taquitos – the possibilities are endless. This is a slow cooker version and is simple to put together. Which means … effortless. YES!
Beef Barbacoa
Hailing from Mexico and the Caribbean, Beef Barbacoa is a dish of meat that’s traditionally slow-cooked – often in pits – with seasonings or a light broth until very tender. As with many well-known ethnic dishes, Barbacoa made its way across borders into the Western world, where it has evolved into a dish of soft, shreddable meat that’s much more boldly flavoured.
Made famous by the Tex-Mex chain Chipotle in the US, Western-style Beef Barbacoa has got a fair kick of spiciness from chipotles, a subtle smokiness, hint of spices (the cloves really sets it apart from other pulled Mexican beef), and uniquely, a good amount of tang from vinegar.
The beef is cooked until fall-apart-tender, then prised apart gently with forks before being tossed with the full-flavoured braising liquid.
Moistened and flavoured by the sauce, the meat is rich and extremely versatile. Use it for filling anything from tacos to burritos, enchiladas to quesadillas. I’m a big fan!
What Beef Barbacoa tastes like
Beef Barbacoa is slightly tangy with a subtle but distinct spicing. It’s not too chilli-hot, though to be fair, sometimes chipotles vary in heat!
The unique thing about Barbacoa is the slight tartness of the sauce from vinegar and lime, which cuts through the rich meat, and the warmth from cloves. This is what sets it apart from other Mexican braised beef fillings like my other Mexican Shredded Beef and everybody’s favourite 80’s-style Beef Taco Filling (we will never let this go!).
What goes in Beef Barbacoa
Here’s what you need for the Barbacoa Sauce:
Chipotles in adobo – The key flavouring here! Chipotles are dried and smoked jalapeno peppers. In tinned formed, they usually come in a tangy and spicy red sauce called adobo. You get smoky flavour and heat from the chipotle along with a good kick of spices, garlic and other flavourings from the adobo.
Sometimes dishes use both the adobo sauce and the chilli. We’re just using the chipotle chilli today;
Dark ale/beer OR beef stock – The original recipe for this Beef Barbacoa from my friend Kevin at Kevin is Cooking is made using beef broth/stock. Usually I make it the original way but I gave it a crack using beer and loved the subtle extra layer of flavour it brings to the all-important-sauce, so I decided to offer that up as an alternative.
For a dish like this, you can’t really go wrong with the type of beer you use. Dark ales are a great match for the sauce colour and deep flavours going on here (I used an Australian brand called White Rabbit, pictured above), but even an everyday lager or other ale will work great. A stout such as Guinness which we use for say Beef & Guinness Stew, would make the sauce flavours even richer.
Bonus points if you can get Mexican dark beer like the excellent Negra Modelo. We used to be able to get this at Dan Murphy’s in Australia but I haven’t seen it for a while;
Cider vinegar and lime juice – Both give this dish the distinctive tang that makes it Beef Barbacoa rather than just a standard Mexican pulled beef (not that there is anything generic about any well-made Mexican shredded beef!);
Spices and herbs – Cumin, oregano, cloves and bay leaves for our seasonings. The cloves in particular give this dish a unique flavour;
Garlic – Because Mexican food loves garlic as much as I do.
Best beef for Beef Barbacoa: Beef cheeks
As mentioned earlier, this Beef Barbacoa is a Tex-Mex version which is more boldly flavoured than its traditional counterpart.
In addition to extra flavour, the other difference is the cut of beef used. The Tex-Mex version tends to use beef cheeks. This cut yields pulled beef that is outrageously tender but also remains succulent and juicy, thanks to the fine fat marbling and ample connective tissue that breaks down with slow cooking into rich, lip-sticking gelatin.
Alternatives: Beef chuck or boneless Short Rib
While beef cheeks produce the best result for this dish, you’ll find most recipes call for beef chuck as a more accessible alternative. This cut of beef is not as well marbled, so it is not quite as juicy. However the cut is a popular choice for pulled beef dishes, and I regularly use it for things like Italian ragu.
For chuck, look for a piece that’s nicely marbled with fat for the juiciest result.
Boneless beef short rib would make a terrific alternative that’s almost as juicy as beef cheeks, as long as you can find ones without overly thick layers of fat in the meat.
I recommend avoiding leaner slow-cooking beef cuts such as bolar blade, lean brisket. The meat will tend to be rather dry and ropey.
How to make Beef Barbacoa
Three simple steps:
Brown the beef;
Blitz the sauce;
Slow-cook until fall-apart tender!
And yes, I know I’ve shown EIGHT steps below!
Season & brown the meat – Sprinkle the beef with a generous amount of salt and pepper (we do not add any into the sauce), then brown aggressively. I use that word intentionally! Colour equals flavour in both the beef and the sauce, so don’t hold back here. (Well, don’t burn it, but seek a deep golden crust alllll over each piece!)
TIP: Don’t crowd the pan, or the beef will stew rather than brown. Work in batches. Meat also cooks faster when it has room;
Sauce – Place all the Sauce ingredients in a Nutribullet, blender, food processor, or other blending appliance;
Blitz until smooth – This is quick, maybe 10 seconds on high;
Slow-cook – Pour Sauce over beef in the slow cooker. Slow-cook for 8 hours on low to make the beef “fall-apart-at-a-touch” tender. (Alternative cooking methods: Slow cooker set on high – 6 hours; oven – 3 – 3.5 hours covered, Instant Pot/pressure cooker – 1 hour);
Remove beef from the sauce;
Shred meat using forks – Tip: Use the back rather than front of the fork so the meat doesn’t get stuck in the prongs. Yes, ignore the photos – follow the video!;
Sauce it! Toss the shredded beef together with the sauce from the slow cooker. How much to use is up to you. I usually douse it with 4 big ladles. Yes, the sauce seems somewhat watery but it’s meant to be. It’s got plenty of flavour in it so you don’t need lots when stuffed into tacos etc;
Use for tacos, stuffed into burritos, taquitos, enchiladas, quesadillas, make burrito bowls! I’ve provided some easy adaptable recipe links and a bit more guidance on this below. 🙂 Click here to jump to this section.
How to serve Barbacoa Beef
Barbacoa is a Tex-Mex meat filling you can use for almost any Mexican Dish. Here are just a few ideas, including links to recipes where you can switch out the protein with this Barbacoa.
1. Barbacoa Tacos
Pictured in this post! I’ve included:
Flour tortillas – Given a quick char in hot, dry skillet;
Pickled red cabbage from this Fish Tacos recipe;
Lime crema – Crema is a slightly tangy, creamy Mexican condiment. My lime crema version is made with sour cream, lime zest and juice, a tiny amount of garlic and a touch of water for thinning (to make it drizzle-able, if that is a word!); and
Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves – Rarely does a taco get made in this household without it!
Or go the retro version like in these old-school Beef Mince Tacos: iceberg lettuce, tomato, sour cream, shredded cheese and CRISPY corn tortillas!
2. Burritos
Switch out the beef in my Beef Burritos recipe with this Beef Barbacoa.
3. Enchiladas
Add 1 can of black beans + 1 can of corn (drained) to the meat, plus some extra Barbacoa sauce. Toss well and use to make Beef Enchiladas. ie replace the ground beef filling in that recipe.
4. Quesadillas
Use as the protein in Quesadillas. Follow this recipe here. Mix and match fillings!
5. Burrito Bowls
Make Burrito Bowls with:
Pickled red cabbage from this Fish Tacos recipe or even just plain sliced iceberg lettuce (there’s nothing 80’s about that! 😂);
A big scoop of fresh Pico de Gallo;
Avocado – Diced, sliced or else go the whole way and make it Guacamole;
Lime Crema – per #1 (Barbacoa Tacos) above, or even just plain sour cream; and
Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
That’s just a few ideas to get you started. For some more inspiration, have a browse through all my Mexican recipes!
My standard fallback use: Mexican Sliders!
Then of course, there’s the good ol’ fallback that I always mention: stuffing into warm rolls, melt some cheese on top under the grill. It’s sliders, Mexican-style. SO GOOD! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Beef Barbacoa – Mexican Pulled Beef for Tacos and everything!
Ingredients
- 2kg / 4 lb beef cheeks , or chuck beef(see Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt , kosher/cooking
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil , for searing
- 4 bay leaves
Barbacoa Sauce:
- 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (Note 2)
- 3/4 cup dark ale (beer), or low sodium beef broth/stock (Note 3)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp lime juice
- 6 garlic cloves
- 4 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Cut beef: Cut large cheeks in half so you have around 12 – 15 pieces cheeks. If using chuck, cut into 12 or so pieces.
- Season: Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Brown beef: Heat oil in a large pot or skillet over high heat. Sear beef in batches, browning aggressively all over. Place beef in slow cooker.
- Blitz sauce: Place Barbacoa Sauce ingredients in a blender, food processor or similar (I use a Nutribullet). Blend until smooth – it shouldn't take long.
- Slow cooker (see Note 4 for alt. cooking methods): Pour sauce over cheeks in slow cooker. Add bay leaves. Arrange cheeks so they are submerged as much as possible. Don't worry, they will release juice as they cook and raise the liquid level.
- Slow-cook for 8 hours on low. The beef should be effortless to shred when done.
- Shred: Remove cheeks from slow cooker into a pan. Shred using 2 forks.
- Sauce: Pour over 3 or 4 ladles of the sauce, then toss.
- Serve: Use in tacos with taco fixings of choice! Pictured with Mexican Red Rice, Pickled Red Cabbage for Tacos (in this Fish Tacos recipe) and Lime Crema (Note 5).
Recipe Notes:
- Slow cooker on high: 6 hours
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker: 1 hr on high
- Oven: 160°C/320°F (140°C fan) for 3 to 3 1/2 hours (cover tightly with foil)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (full fat)
- 2 tsp lime juice (adj to taste)
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1/8 tsp garlic, finely grated using microplane (or garlic crusher)
- Pinch of salt
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
OMG Dozer! Whatever you do, DO NOT LIFT YOUR HEAD!!!!!!😱😱😱
Love this recipe! So so easy to make and plenty for leftovers. My local Woolies only had diced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and I didn’t know how much to use so started with 1 tablespoon to be on the safe side. I think next time I’ll double it to give it a bit more of a kick.
I used Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter for the beer and it was amazing. The beef on its own has a bit of a kick to it but when paired with guacamole, fresh homemade salsa, plain greek yogurt, and queso fresco, it was perfect. I soaked the tortillas in the beef juice and put them on the camal which maintained the softness while adding a crispness.
They vary a lot in heat. You can always add more as you go…good job Lauren! N x
I could only find diced chipotle in Adobe sauce. How much should I use?
I found this recipe to be very subtle in flavour, though since going to Mexico I do I high Mexican food standards
I used chuck steak and it was cooked/shredded perfectly.
I accidentally bought chopped Chipotle chilli’s in adobo, I guestimated 1 small dessert spoon = 1 chilli, but I probably could have used a bit more
This was the absolute best recipe I have ever made. Followed it closely, and served on warm tortillas with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole and onion. So delish!!!!!
Is it okay to use a flank steak for this?
You can although I prefer flank for other cook methods as it’s lean and better for quick sear recipes. N x
Hi Nagi, would a stick blender work for blitzing the sauce??
What is the best way to reheat after freezing the barbacoa?
Hi MD, I like to reheat gently in the microwave. N x
I made the Beef Barbacoa last night in the instant pot and it was amazing. It seems like a real shame to throw out the juice left over though. Have you used this on the past or just gotten rid of it? I used beef cheeks.
I like to use extra juices to cook up instant pot dried black beans and freeze for a rainy day.
Absolute winner, thanks Nagi! Will add to our regular rotation. We used the coles bakery freshly made wraps, heated a little in the frypan with a smidge of oil, so so good! The pickled cabbage made it. Added some grated Colby because cheese makes everything even yummier. Everything I make from your website is a+++, thank you!
Would Guinness be an alright beer to use in this recipe
I’ve made versions of barbacoa for years and find Guinness is too bitter. I’d recommend a sweeter ale type of beer. If you’re in the UK, try Old Peculiar
I can only get a chipotle paste in my supermarket how much do you suggest I use?
Hi Alleasha, what are the ingredients in the paste? Without knowing, I would just use about 1-2 tbls depending on how spicy you like things! N x
If I halve the recipe amount to 1kg meat, should the cooking time in the oven be halved as well?
No, beef cheeks are stubborn and require time to break down the collagen in them.
If you undercook beef cheeks it is like eating a rubber band.
I have been looking at this recipe, drooling over it for months. I live where beef cattle are everywhere… unfortunately I called all the local and not so local butchers and not one had beef cheeks! WTH??
So I ordered some online. They came in yesterday and I made this today. It was beyond delicious! Thank you Nagi for another great recipe.
Hugs to Dozer!
Hi Nagi and Dozer,
I will be using an instant pot for this recipe. Do I just set it on high? No other settings?
Hi Kim – yes 1 hour on high, as per the recipe notes. I hope you love it! N x
Yes Nagi, I already tried it once and my husband and I loooooved it. We also raved about it to our friends and family. We’re making it again tonight in the instant pot!!!!! We’re using grass fed beef chuck roast and it came out pretty tender. Couldn’t find the other type of beef. Can’t wait to have some more!!!! Been thinking about it ever since I first made it. Thank you thank you thank you so much for caring about us enough to share all of your tips and tricks and extra food info and videos, Nagi. I don’t see that much thought with most food bloggers. God really set you apart and gave you a special gift, so thank you for sharing it instead of keeping it to yourself.
Hi Nagi & Dozer! This was great! I browned meat in cast iron, then added sauce, deglazed, and braised in oven at 325 covered. Needed additional ale and stock to keep moist-my oven issue, and I think that using chuck, even though well marbled, didn’t throw enough juices. The rice, slaw, and Crema were perfect and the tacos were amazing! xo
I am very excited to try this, as it was my go to at Chipolte. We don’t dine out a lot and enjoy recreating at home the meals we do go get. There is a butcher nearby that I was able to by Beef Cheeks, however, I’ll be cutting it in half as there are only two of us. I will let you know how it goes, once the food coma passes!! 😉
Nagi, I just love, love, love your delicious recipes, I enjoy flavour and your recipes deliver +++ I also enjoy your diversity. A BIG THANK YOU!!!
I precooked this last night for a camping trip. Was in a hurry, woolies had no beef cheeks and boneless pork shoulder was on special. The pork shoulder works really well with this sauce also.
Hi Nagi,
Bit of a strange thought, but could you use this for a pie filling ? Is the sauce thick enough to be a gravy or what would you do to turn it into a gravy ?
So glad to read this comment as I couldn’t find beef cheeks either so I brought pork shoulder! Can’t wait to try it x
This was amazing! Made Birria Tacos by dipping the tortillas in the sauce from the slow cooker and frying then filling with the meat and some cheese. Flip in half and added pickles red cabbage and sour cream and tomato and guacamole. Best recipe ever and I’ve tried so many of your recipes and loved all of them but this one takes the cake 🥰
I 💓 this recipe. Made it today using Guinness and ox cheeks. Served it with plain boiled rice and an onion and lime salad. Thought there would be some leftovers but no all gone, too delicious. Thank you Nagi
I’d tried another recipe without success and should have known to look for a similar recipe from you! We’re addicted to a few of your entrees. This turned out amazing even with less cumin and a hit of dried ancho which gave it a little kick ☺️ Yum!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Karen, thanks so much for the great feedback!! N x