Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Barbacoa refers to the cooking method that is used to prepare this dish, where goat or beef is cooked for a long period of time in a man-made oven in the ground.
This is done by digging a hole in the ground that’s then lined with hot stones where the meat is placed, after carefully being wrapped in maguey leaves. The oven is covered, and the meat is left to cook slowly overnight. The result is meat that’s very tender and juicy, and normally served with tortillas and salsa.
This Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef recipe is easy to prepare at home. By using a slow cooker, or the oven, you can achieve succulent and tasty Mexican barbacoa with the use of a few simple ingredients and a touch of Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste!
If that wasn’t enough, to make your barbacoa beef tacos taste even better try serving them with a few spoonfuls of Gran Luchito Salsa Macha, the best condiment, and an ingredient that will become a new favourite in your home.
If you enjoyed this beef barbacoa, be sure to check out our other slow cooker Mexican recipes.
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Prep time
20MINS
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Cook time
6HRS
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Total time
6HRS 20MINS
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Ideal for
Dinner -
Make it
Mexican -
Serves
4
Nutrition: Per serving
kcal 114 fat 4.5g saturates 1.2g carbs 8.1g sugars 1.7g fibre 0.6g protein 9.7g salt 0.48g
Found in the
Mexican Section
Ingredients
Barbacoa:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb beef brisket
- 1 white onion, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 handful of coriander, roughly chopped (stems and leaves)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
- 125ml / 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 250ml / 1 cup of IPA beer
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
To Serve:
- 1 packet Gran Luchito Soft Taco Wraps
- 1 handful of coriander, finely chopped
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 jar Gran Luchito Salsa Macha
- 3-4 limes, cut into wedges
How to make it
- If you’re cooking in the oven, preheat it to 180˚C/350˚F. Heat up a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, and once your oil is smoking hot, sear your meat until it gets a good colour on both sides. When ready, remove the meat from the pan and place it in the slow cooker or in an ovenproof dish.
- Then add all of the barbacoa ingredients into the slow cooker, place the lid on, and cook slowly for 6 hours. If cooking your barbacoa in the oven, place all the ingredients in a baking dish and cover tightly with tin foil, then place it in the middle of your oven for 4 hours at least. Make sure the liquid doesn’t dry completely during the cooking time. Add water or a bit of chicken stock if necessary, then recover and keep cooking until it’s tender and easy to shred.
- Once your barbacoa is ready, remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred it with the help of two forks. Place the shredded beef back into the slow cooker and combine it with the meat juices. Serve on a nice platter that you can bring to the middle of the table.
- Warm up the Soft Tacos over a hot pan, wrap them in a tea towel to keep them warm, and serve them alongside your barbacoa. Prepare a few bowls with the coriander and the onion, and don’t forget the Crunchy Salsa Macha and limes.
- To make your tacos, add a good amount of barbacoa into a warm tortilla wrap, then garnish with the coriander and raw onion. Drizzle with our addictive Salsa Macha and finish with a squeeze of lime. Enjoy!
What To Serve With Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
Serve the Barbacoa Beef on tortilla wraps with a side of Mexican Corn and a large dollop of Homemade Guacamole.
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FAQs
What is barbacoa beef?
Barbacoa is an authentic Mexican method of cooking meat. It involves cooking beef, goat or lamb, in a flavorful marinade of dried chillies and spices, and results in very tender and juicy meat that's then shredded before being served.
How to serve barbacoa beef?
Once the meat is shredded, it's traditional to have it served warm on a big platter that is put in the centre of the table. Serve it alongside warmed soft tortilla wraps and other various garnishes. You could also serve it another way in barbacoa beef bowls, with all of your ingredients arranged nicely inside a bowl. Another popular way is a spread of tacos, and have the beef already filled into the tortilla wraps.
What kind of beef for barbacoa?
We've used beef brisket in this recipe because it's super tender beef that will soak in all the seasonings and spices making this barbacoa irresistible. But you can also use chuck, short rib, or stewing steak.
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