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    You are here Home » Recipes » food

    By: Melissa

    Mexican Barbacoa

    This Mexican beef barbacoa recipe is a delicious and really easy to make tender and delicious Mexican shredded beef. It starts with an inexpensive chuck roast and then the most delicious barbacoa seasoning is added to the meat and slow-cooked in a Dutch oven. This beef barbacoa makes a great filling for barbacoa tacos, burritos, or a main dish on its own served with a side of rice. Once you see just how easy this delicious Mexican shredded beef dish is to make, you will be making it often.

    Mexican barbacoa
    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

    Living here in Austin, TX, tacos are really popular because of the large Mexican population. Barbacoa tacos are found at every taco joint and Mexican restaurant in the area.

    I only recently decided to make this Mexican shredded beef at home and I am sure glad I did. It is really easy to make and really big on flavor. It's perfect for a small group or a larger crowd.

    I love making shredded beef dishes since the shredded meat picks up the flavors of pan juices so well. If you've tried my pot roast sandwich or Cuban ropa vieja, you already know what I mean!

    This barbacoa recipe is similar to my authentic Texas chili since they use chuck roast and dried chile peppers. This Mexican barbacoa pairs well with quick Spanish rice or with corn tortillas and is made into barbacoa tacos (more on the tacos below.)

    For an entire meal with drinks and dessert, I like making my watermelon margaritas , Mexican horchata, and watermelon popsicles since they are both light and pair so well with the Barbacoa.

    Jump to:
    • Beef Barbacoa Ingredients
    • The best cut of meat for beef barbacoa
    • How to make barbacoa
    • How to serve Mexican Beef Barbacoa
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Using the slow cooker for this Mexican barbacoa
    • Equipment
    • Time-Saving Tip
    • FAQ
    • What to serve with beef barbacoa
    • More traditional Mexican recipes
    • Mexican Barbacoa
    barbacoa tacos
    Barbacoa on corn tortillas.

    Beef Barbacoa Ingredients

    barbacoa ingredients
    • Beef Chuck Roast.
    • Dried Guajillo chile peppers. This is for the barbacoa seasoning portion of the recipe. If you cannot find these peppers, substitutes are listed below.
    • Garlic.
    • Kosher salt and pepper.

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    The ingredients are very simple for this delicious Mexican beef barbacoa recipe. Guajillo chiles are actually very easy to find in the spice section of your grocery store.

    They are sold in bags and they come dried. I have always had luck finding them at Whole Foods Market.

    barbacoa top view
    Mexican beef barbacoa.

    The best cut of meat for beef barbacoa

    This Mexican barbacoa uses a beef chuck roast, which is a tougher cut of meat that is perfect for cooking low and slow until tender. Traditionally, goat or lamb would have been used and both require long cooking times to produce tender meat.

    Over the years, beef chuck roast began to be used which also requires longer cooking times.

    To keep this beef barbacoa traditional, if you cannot find chuck roast, try to use a large beef roast that is somewhat tough and needs a few hours to cook up tender.

    Other great options to look for at the store are brisket (flat cut cooks up the fastest) or beef cheeks.

    How to make barbacoa

    Making this beef barbacoa only involves making a quick chile pepper sauce, searing the chuck roast then adding it all together to cook in the oven for a couple hours.

    Barbacoa seasoning

    guajillo chile for Mexican barbacoa

    Soak the chile peppers in hot water.

    ingredients for barbacoa in blender

    Add re-hydrated chile peppers, hot water and garlic to blender.

    blending barbacoa seasoning

    Blend until smooth.

    cooking down barbacoa seasoning

    Cook the sauce in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes.

    The first thing you want to do is make the barbacoa seasoning (barbacoa sauce). This is what the chuck roast simmers in and the flavor in this beef barbacoa recipe.

    This does not take too long. From start to finish, this sauce is ready in under 30 minutes.

    Pro-tip: This barbacoa sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a couple days.

    Barbacoa beef

    chuck roast for Mexican barbacoa

    Add salt and pepper to the chuck roast.

    searing chuck roast for barbacoa

    Sear chuck roast in a heavy bottom pot with a lid.

    meat and seasoning for Mexican barbacoa

    Now pour barbacoa sauce over the top.

    shredding Mexican barbacoa

    After it is done cooking, shred the meat and mix in the sauce.

    How to serve Mexican Beef Barbacoa

    The most traditional way I have seen beef barbacoa served is as barbacoa tacos. This traditional way to make beef barbacoa tacos looks like this:

    1. Stack two corn tortillas on top of one another.
    2. Pile on a good portion of the barbacoa meat.

    Toppings for Barbacoa

    1. Top the meat with finely chopped white onion and fresh cilantro.
    2. Serve with a lime wedge which is squeezed over the taco before eating.

    When I first moved to Texas I didn't understand why there were two corn tortillas served with the barbacoa. I thought I could just make two tacos out of the one that I would buy at taco stands.

    Then you realize when you are eating the barbacoa tacos that the corn tortillas fall apart very easily, especially with moist and tender barbacoa meat.

    So this traditional way of using two corn tortillas gives the taco strength so make sure to use two. You also want to make sure you warm the corn tortillas for about 30 seconds a side in a small saute pan over medium heat.

    This softens up the tacos.

    Mexican barbacoa

    Substitutions

    If you cannot find guajillo chile peppers, you can use canned chipotle peppers. You can use one small can of chipotle peppers and their juice to replace the guajillo chile peppers.

    Variations

    This Mexican barbacoa recipe is not spicy since it uses guajillo chiles. Guajillo chile peppers are full of flavor but not spicy. Here are variations and ideas to change things up a bit.

    • Spicy - add dried Arbol chiles or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
    • Veggie packed - add sliced onions and peppers during the last hour of cooking.

    Using the slow cooker for this Mexican barbacoa

    This Mexican barbacoa is made in the oven but you could easily adapt this recipe to use your slow cooker. To use the slow cooker, follow the recipe all the way through searing the meat.

    Then place the seared chuck roast and pureed chile peppers in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until tender.

    Equipment

    I like to use a cast iron Dutch oven for this Mexican shredded beef recipe. It retains heat well and has a tight-fitting lid. You can use any oven-safe pot with a lid if you do not have a Dutch oven.

    Time-Saving Tip

    Make the sauce for the barbacoa ahead of time so when you are ready to cook the barbacoa, all you have to do is sear the meat and then add the sauce before going into the oven.

    FAQ

    What is the difference between barbacoa and carnitas?

    Barbacoa is made usually from beef or goat and is slow-cooked before it is shredded. Carnitas is made from pork and is shredded and then crisped up before serving.

    What is traditional barbacoa?

    Traditional barbacoa is a method of slow-cooking various cuts of beef, goat or mutton. The meat is slow-cooked until it is tender and can be easily shredded. The meat is slow-cooked with chile peppers and spices making it very flavorful and a great addition to tacos, burritos, or as a side to Spanish rice.

    What to serve with beef barbacoa

    These are my favorite sides to serve with Mexican barbacoa. If you are looking to make traditional barbacoa tacos, see how to do this above in the post.

    • tuna ceviche
      Ahi Tuna Ceviche
    • poblano cream sauce
      Poblano Cream Sauce
    • closeup of burrito
      Spanish Rice and Bean Burrito
    • creamy cilantro dressing top view
      Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce

    You can also browse through our pulled pork side dishes post for more inspiration.

    More traditional Mexican recipes

    • mexican-lentil-stew
      Mexican Lentils with Fruit
    • Mexican Horchata
      Mexican Horchata (A Mexican Rice Drink)
    • queso fundido
      The Best Queso Fundido
    • Mexican Refried Bean Tostadas
    Mexican barbacoa
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Mexican Barbacoa

    This easy and really delicious Mexican shredded beef dish is the perfect slow cooked meal and makes a great addition to tacos, burritos, or rice.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time3 hours hrs
    Total Time3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 servings

    Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

    Author: Melissa

    Equipment

    • 1 dutch oven with lid or heavy bottom oven safe pot with lid

    Ingredients

    • 2 lb Chuck roast
    • 4 Guajillo chile peppers (seeds removed) (or see substitutions list in post)
    • 3 Cloves garlic
    • 2 cups Hot water
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt plus more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • 8 corn tortillas optional
    • 1 chopped white onion optional
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    Instructions

    • Pe-heat your oven to 325 degrees.
    • Cut stems off the top of the Guajillo peppers.
    • With a thin sharp knife, scrape out seeds from peppers.
    • Place Guajillo chile peppers and garlic into a bowl and add hot water.
      4 Guajillo chile peppers (seeds removed), 3 Cloves garlic, 2 cups Hot water
    • Let steep for 10 minutes to soften chile peppers
    • After 10 minutes, add the peppers, garlic and the water they steeped in to a blender.
    • Blend until smooth.
    • Pour pureed pepper mixture into a small sauce pan and lightly simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
    • Set aside.
    • Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels.
      2 lb Chuck roast
    • Add salt and pepper to both sides of roast.
      1 teaspoon Kosher salt, ½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
    • Pre-heat a large oven safe pot over medium heat.
    • Add olive oil.
      1 teaspoon olive oil
    • Add chuck roast and sear both sides.
    • Once the chuck roast has been seared on both sides, pour chile pepper puree over the top.
    • Place the lid on top and place in the oven for 2-3 hours.
    • Once the meat is fully cooked and is tender, take two forks and shred it in the pot with the pureed chile peppers.
    • Mix the shredded meat into the sauce in the pot so all of the meat is coated evenly.
    • Serve with fresh corn tortillas and chopped white onion or alongside Spanish rice.
      8 corn tortillas, 1 chopped white onion

    Notes

    Slow cooker method:

    To use the slow cooker, follow the recipe all the way through searing the meat.
    Then place the seared chuck roast and pureed chile peppers in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until tender.
     
    To re-heat:
    Place shredded beef in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add a little beef broth or water (about â…› cup) and mix well. Heat gently until meat is warmed all the way through.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 796mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 6mg

    Nutrition Values are estimates only.

    See full nutrition disclaimer here
    Course :entertaining, holidays, Main Course

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sue says

      January 28, 2023 at 10:22 pm

      5 stars
      This was my first time making barbacoa and it turned out amazing! I can’t believe how easy it was and how much flavor comes from the Chile peppers. Such a great recipe and I’ll definitely be making this again.

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        January 29, 2023 at 12:58 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    2. Jill says

      January 20, 2023 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      This barbacoa recipe was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. I will be making this often!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        January 20, 2023 at 6:21 pm

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply

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