Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef (Barbacoa) (2024)

ByStarPosted on11/13/202211/13/2022

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Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef, inspired by Beef Barbacoa, is fall apart tender, rich, and juicy shredded beef that’s been slowly cooked in an incredible sauce full of chipotles, onion, garlic, and spices. Use it for tacos, taco bowls, nachos, enchiladas, or salads for the ultimate meal!

This slow cooker shredded Mexican beef has become an absolute favorite in my house and is so much better than take out! The recipe requires a handful of ingredients to make a mouthwatering marinade/sauce that a roast cooks in all day long. It’s primarily inspired by the traditional Mexican Barbacoa. The results are magically delicious and totally impressive with a minimal amount of work. Love when that happens!

If you’re a fan of Chipotle you have to try out my better than Chipotle Chicken Bowl! Instead of the Chipotle Skillet Chicken– Use this recipe for Mexican Shredded Beef. It’s a welcomed change and incredibly delicious.

What is Mexican Shredded Beef or Barbacoa?

Barbacoa (or Mexican shredded beef) is made out oftougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times with flavorful chiles and seasonings. It’s usually hand shredded and used for tacos, burritos, etc. Traditionally in Mexico, Barbacoa is made with lamb, goat, or beef and is cooked in a large pit in the ground then covered in agave leaves (sort of like the cooking style of Kalua Pork in Hawaii).

Here in the US it’s primarily made from beef (chuck roast or brisket are commonly used). And this recipe calls for the slow cooker instead of a large pit to make it a super easy and totally doable Tuesday night dinner- which I’m quite thankful for because it’s super delicious!

Ingredients

This Mexican Shredded Beef recipe does NOT shy away from flavor in any way shape or form. The list of ingredients are mostly pantry staples and they all provide almost effortless epic flavor.

• Chuck Roast
• Chipotle Peppers (from a can)
• Lime Juice
• Red Onion
• Adobo sauce (from the same can you get the peppers from)
• Better than bouillon (plus water, but you can use beef broth or a beef bouillon cube instead)
• Apple cider vinegar- aids in helping the roast becoming fall apart tender
• Bay leaves
• Dried oregano
• Kosher Salt
• Ground cumin
• Chili powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Garlic cloves

How to make shredded Mexican beef in the slow cooker:

1. Make the marinade. In a blender (or you can also use an immersion blender) add all of the ingredients except for the beef and bay leaves. Puree until smooth and you have a bright and beautiful red-orange marinade/sauce.
2. Prepare the meat. Cut beef into large chunks and trim off any excess fat. Although keep a little, it’s the right thing to do with this recipe. Note: for additional depth of flavor you can sear the chunks of beef in a skillet. This does deepen the flavor, but I think its still totally delicious without this step.

3. Combine the meat and marinade. Pour the marinade/sauce over the beef chunks in the crockpot. Stir to make sure it’s combined well and then toss two bay leaves on top.
4. Slow Cook. Cook on low for at least 10 hours. If when you go to shred the meat it doesn’t effortless shred with a fork. I would continue cooking for another hour at least and check again. I do not recommend a high cook temp for this recipe. You can, but the results will not be the same.

5. Shred the beef. When the beef has finished cooking. Shred the beef. It should be able to be pulled part easily with one fork it’s so stinkin’ tender! After you finish lightly shredding the meat- switch the crockpot to warm and let it sit in the juices and soak up extra flavor for at least 15-20 minutes.
6. Bonus/optional: Not a necessary step, but if you’ve tried my chicken carnitas or my crockpot salsa chicken you know that I love doing just one small extra step when it comes to shredded meat in the slow cooker.
Grab a sheet pan and spread shredded beef onto it, take care not to overcrowd the pan. Broil in the oven for about 5-8 minutes until you can see some crispy brown bits and the liquid will reduce. This adds an insanely yummy level of caramelization that is not authentic for Beef Barbacoa, but it sure is delicious.

How to serve Mexican Shredded Beef:

• Burrito Bowls- Serve with Cilantro Lime Rice, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, or Cauliflower Mexican Rice for a low carb/keto friendly option. Add my quick chipotle pinto beans or refried beans to bulk up your bowl just like an order at Chipotle!
• Salads– A big salad with crunchy romaine fresh Pico De Gallo, sour cream, cheese, black beans, guacamole or avocado slices.
• Shredded Beef Tacos- Always a super easy idea. No one can ever go wrong with tacos! Warm tortillas, chop up lots of lettuce, cilantro, tomato, and onion and pile them high! Squeeze of lime and sprinkle with some shredded cheese or Queso Fresco for perfection.
• Quesadillas- Pile thin slices of avocado, shredded Mexican blend cheese or mozzarella, and Mexican Shredded Beef in on one side of a taco shell then fold. Cook over medium heat in a frying pan.

How to store, reheat, and freeze:

• Storage: If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, Place them in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat: Preferred method: Heat a large skillet on the stove-top, spray with some avocado oil spray, then place beef in pan and let it cook until warmed. You can also reheat in the microwave 45-60 seconds or until warm.
• Freezer friendly: Freeze cooked and shredded beef in a freezer friendly container or storage bag for up to 3 months. Don’t forget to label! Let thaw in refrigerator and reheat the same as above instructions.

Top Tips

• Choose a cut of beef that has good marbleization throughout the cut. Use fresh high quality beef for best results. I recommend chuck roast, but know that some people enjoy it with brisket. I don’t recommend a super lean roast for this recipe.
• Let it cook low and slow in the crock pot. If you’re short on time, you can do high, but you won’t get the same fall apart tender perfection that you deserve.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know how it went! =)

More Slow Cooker/Crockpot recipes to love!:

• Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Chili
• Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing
• Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili