This crazy delicious beef barbacoa couldn’t be easier to make! Season, braise, simmer and let your oven do the rest!
If you love Chipotle, you’ll love this copycat recipe! Pair it with our copycat Cilantro Lime Rice and add some Restaurant Style Salsa while you’re at it.
Perfect Consistency!
I’ve always been a sucker for Chipotle’s beef barbacoa, so I finally decided to make a homemade version for dinner. It’s so incredibly easy and it comes out tender, juicy and extremely flavorful.
In order to achieve that perfect consistency, I use my dutch oven! Why a Dutch oven? Because it’s perfect for braising and oven roasting meat.
The enameled surface lends to crispy exteriors and and easy release. Plus you can braise, simmer, and transfer the pot directly to the oven. That’s huge. Although, If you don’t own one see my NOTES at the bottom of the recipe for an alternative method.
How to Make Barbacoa
BEEF. First, you’ll need a large piece of beef. I’m talking a 4-5 pound beef chuck-eye roast or short ribs (if you can find a roast), you know the ones that are nicely marbled with fat.
BRAISE. Cut it into about 8 large chunks and then braise in an oiled Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Transfer to a plate to rest.
SAUTE. Meanwhile, in that same pot, saute the onion and garlic. Toss in the seasonings/spices and let ’em go until they’re fragrant. Toasting the spices adds a whole new level of flavor to the beef, and trust me, it’s worth it! Then whisk in a cup of chicken broth, scraping the bottom to remove any browned bits that formed earlier.
SIMMER. Add in the braised beef chunks, and all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover and then transfer to the oven.
BAKE. Bake at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fork-tender. Just know that every oven and cooking vessel is different so the time will vary. The liquid will evaporate over time leaving just a tad bit at the bottom of the pot. That’s exactly what you want!
REDUCE. Remove from the oven, return to the stovetop and reduce the liquid if you have a lot left. I didn’t have very much, so I only did this for a few minutes. You want there to be a little liquid in there, that way after you shred the meat you can toss it back in and let it absorb it.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Glass pan: If you don’t own a Dutch oven, simply do everything in a large pot, then transfer to a 9X13 ceramic or glass dish. Cover with foil and bake according to the directions.
Slow cooker: Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours until the meat just falls apart.
Instant pot: Create your sauce in a different pot, then brown your piece of meat in the instant pot on the sear function. Combine the sauce and meat in the instant pot and cook on manual for about an hour. It should be able to be easily shredded at this point.
Serving and Storing
We made tacos with our beef barbacoa, but you could use it in a number of different dishes, like:
- Burritos
- Salads
- Tostadas
- Nachos
- Enchiladas
- Quesadillas
Keep leftover meat STORED in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. Reheat in the microwave or in the crockpot on low for a little bit.
To FREEZE, place leftover meat in an airtight bag or container and freeze for up to 6 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave, or on the stove, or in the crockpot.
For more Mexican style meat entrees, try:
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Instant Pot Carnitas
- Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Beef Barbacoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb beef chuck-eye roast - OR boneless short ribs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion - thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic - smashed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 cup chicken broth
- 3 chipotle chilies - seeded and minced + 1 tbsp. adobo sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 (10 oz. can) diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 2 limes - juiced
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven rack to middle lower position (so that your pot fits).
- Cut the beef into about 8 large chunks. You'll want the beef to remain marbled with fat, but if there are giant spots, it's ok to remove them.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef and braise. When the meat is crispy and brown flip and continue to braise the other side (I let mine go for about 4 minutes on each side). Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion, garlic and seasonings to the pan. Allow the onions to cook until translucent and the spices to become fragrant. Scrape up any browned bits while whisking in 1 c. of chicken broth, then add in the meat. Pour the remaining chicken broth over top, along with the minced chipotle chilies, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes with green chilies, lime juice and bay leaves.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then place the lid on and transfer to the preheated oven. Let the beef cook for 3-4 hours, stirring twice during that time. The meat should fall apart and be extremely tender. Remove from the oven and if needed, place over medium-high heat to reduce the liquid (I only did this for a few minutes). Remove the meat and place on a large cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks, then return to the pot to absorb any of the leftover juices. Discard bay leaves and serve warm.
NOTES
-You can find chipotle chilies in adobo sauce in the Latin isle of most grocery stores.
This looks really good. Can this be modified to cook in a crock pot? I would love to set it and forget it in my slow cooker instead of having the oven on in the summertime. Thanks!
Is the tomato amount half of a 10 oz can or half of a 20 oz and thereby i should add 10 oz?
Same question here – our markets only sell 14oz cans. But I looked on Amazon and a 10 oz can is a thing, whereas a 20 oz can is not. So I’m using 5 oz (half a 10 oz can) on the theory that I can add more later, but I can’t take any out. 😉 Great recipe!
No, just no no no no! Barbocoa is not a roast! It is cheek meat or the head. This is nowhere the same thing. Not even close. Barbocoa is super soft, fatty and rich meat that can not be duplicated without cheek meat. It also does not have all that stuff in ti. Really salt and comino maybe some beef broth or Mexican Oregeno if you must.
This isn’t a traditional barbacoa recipe, but my take on a local restaurant’s barbacoa 🙂
Traditional barbacoa is a lamb or kid roasted whole in an underground pit, tacos made specifically from the head or cheeks are “barbacoa de cabeza” or “barbacoa de cachete”
Hi, if I double the recipe will it take longer to cook in the oven? I have about 12 lbs chuck roast. Thanks!
Hi Maria, it will take longer. The best way to do this is cook the 3 hours and then check the internal temperature and tenderness. If it is not tender enough, then keep cooking and recheck every 30 minutes. When it gets to the tenderness you like, just make sure that the internal temperature is at least 145°F.
We’ve made this recipe now multiple times for multiple people and only get rave reviews! A local restaurant inspired me to put feta on something like this and it compliments it extremely well! Thank you for this!Â
Sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing that!
Made a variation of this recipe with some minor mods to spices for my capsaicin averse wife and kid, but it turned out extremely well. It’s a real shame the one star review is pulling this down, so people don’t try it. Particularly considering this lone review is completely off point, and that person clearly didn’t try the recipe, as evidenced by the lack of relevant critique.
Thank you for sharing that! I am glad you gave it a try!
Turned out great
So happy to hear that! Thank you!
Not sure how I came across this recipe but so glad that I did. For a first time, I followed the recipe pretty straight forward. The flavors were genuinely amazing. Nothing overpowering. Great textures. I will prepare this again. I look forward to experimenting with some different meats – cabrito and lamb. Thankful.
Good idea! I am so glad you let me know what you thought! Thank you 🙂
This beef is so flavorful and juicy. And super simple to make.
Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve always wanted to make beef barbacoa at home but I wasn’t sure I’d get the flavors right. Your recipe is spot on. Yum!
Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe was so delicious! We made it and reheated for lunches all week. We loved the flavor and it worked inside so many things!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the beef! It’s a great one for leftovers too!
Where did you find this recipe? I was born and raised in TEXAS. an Authentic Barbacoa recipe only uses meat cut from a steer’s HEAD. Why didn’t you use a shredded beef tongue?
Hi there, yes, the Mexican versions of Barbacoa use meat from the cow’s head. This is our version and like many other American beef barbacoa recipes, our recipe uses beef chuck-eye roast – OR boneless short ribs. But, feel free to make it your way with shredded beef tongue.