Similar to Chipotle's® barbacoa. Great over nachos, in tacos, and burritos.
This is the real deal. I used my Instant Pot Electric Pressure cooker / slow cooker. I trimmed the beef, cutting along the muscle and removed any grizzle and any large hunks of fat. Seared the beef as directed in the Instant Pot using the saute feature. Once the beef was seared, I deglazed the pot with the vinegar and broth. Added the meat and seasoning and cooked under pressure for 30 minutes, then switched to slow cook until you are ready to eat. The meat is very flavorful, not overly spicy. Perfect for tacos, taquitos or burritos. I made this a day ahead of time, cooled and packed into mason jars. The next day I skimmed the fat and re-heated the meat. Fried taco shells and dinner was ready. Perfection!
Read More This is the real deal. I used my Instant Pot Electric Pressure cooker / slow cooker. I trimmed the beef, cutting along the muscle and removed any grizzle and any large hunks of fat. Seared the beef as directed in the Instant Pot using the saute feature. Once the beef was seared, I deglazed the pot with the vinegar and broth. Added the meat and seasoning and cooked under pressure for 30 minutes, then switched to slow cook until you are ready to eat. The meat is very flavorful, not overly spicy. Perfect for tacos, taquitos or burritos. I made this a day ahead of time, cooled and packed into mason jars. The next day I skimmed the fat and re-heated the meat. Fried taco shells and dinner was ready. Perfection!
I am rating this recipe because it deserves more reviews so people won't be scared to try it. Muy simple y muy delicioso. My BF, el taco snob, absolutely loved this! I recommend making some spicy pickled red onions to top these bad boys off. This recipe is definitely a keeper and will be my go-to from now on.
I made this for homemade "street style" taco filling. My family and I loved this! The meat was super tender, juicy - melts in your mouth .. just awesome! I will definitely be making this one many times in the future! A week later, I made this again, but used 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts and chicken broth instead of the beef. The chicken tacos were just as awesome as the beef tacos of last week! This is a keeper! Thanks for sharing your recipe, Jack!
We have made this many times. It is a staple in our home! What really makes a difference and gets the meat so tender is to prepare it beforehand. Take out the chuck roast, put on a plate, pat dry with a paper towel and season both sides generously with salt. Leave it on the counter in room temperature for an hour (do this with steaks also, it makes meat so tender and juicy). I cut it in large chunks and sear it before putting it in the slowcooker. It is torture smelling it all day, but so worth it!!
Great recipie.... Very flavorful and beef just fell apart!! My husband loved it, but be careful using 4 chipotle peppers even though very small ... They are very POTENT and makes for a very spicy meal! We definitely will make again but may try to use just 2-3 peppers instead of 4!!
1/16/18 - Very good recipe for Barbacoa! Excellent flavor! Made as written and this will be our go to recipe for shredded beef for tacos, tostadas, taquitos, etc. I was a little concerned when I removed the beef and tasted the liquid alone. Once you put the shredded meat back in the slow cooker, everything comes together. I did not notice a strong vinegar taste and it was not too spicy for us with the amount of chipotles called for in the recipe. If you are hesitant to try this because of the peppers, reduce the amount by half should be ok, but we felt it was on the mild side as is. The only change I will make next time is to add more salt towards end of cooking. Thank you for the recipe! UPDATE 6/27/18 - Made this in the Instant Pot with 2 lb chuck roast, fat trimmed (Meat/Stew option for 45 min let natural release for about 15-20 min, then quick release). So delish and shredded nicely This time I used 5 + 1 really small pepper in adobo sauce (6 total) and the meat had a slight kick to it, but not overpowering. Slight vinegar taste did come through more, but not overwhelming at all. Might reduce the amount a little next time. Excellent recipe!
This was delicious! The aroma overtook my husband, and he had a taste before it was done cooking. My only edit...It cooked in about six (6) hours instead of the amount listed for the slow cooker on low. We also added bell peppers and onions for the last hour and it was perfect for us.
Holy Toledo! This was one of the most amazing dinners I've had in a long time!! Thank goodness I have some left for tomorrow!
Amazing and easy! I don't have a slow cooker so covered it with foil in a glass baking dish, oven at 250 for 6 hours. Took it out to shred, recover and cook for 1 more hour. Can't handle too much spice so I scraped out the seeds and it has a nice kick without making my mouth sad.
Let's start by saying I don't care for the chipotle flavor much but my husband and brother said hands down the best tacos they have ever had! And not to brag but I make some fire pork tacos. My mom doesn't even eat spicy stuff and she ate a ton! It's definitely got some spice to it! So it's a hit here and will make it for many more dinners with friends!
This was fantastic! I made a double batch of this for street tacos this weekend and my friends and family ate it up in no time. When it was done, I was worried that the beef was too spicy, but once you put it on a tortilla with a little cabbage, sour cream and pickled red onions, they were perfect. The only changes that I made to this recipe were: 1. I added a chopped up bell pepper to the meat mixture in the crockpot to give it a little texture, and 2. I used a cast iron pan to braise the beef, so the amount of oil listed was really not necessary. Other than that, I would say this is perfect. My friends and family raved that they were the best street tacos that they had ever had.
Easy and fantastic. Used only one chili since my kids don't like things too spicy.
I make this all the time. It is definitely my favorite meal. I use dried chipotle peppers instead of canned, but leave everything else the same. Perfect.
I doubled the recipe because I was making it for a crowd. It was extremely moist and just fell apart (in a good way!) when shredding. Very flavorful!
Holy tacos! Used a regular crockpot to make this recipe... easy to toss together my only complaint is that it took too long to cook and I thought I was going to starve smelling it all day. Must get a faster crockpot! Meat was tender, juicy and had just enough kick to it. Will be making this one again!
To shred the beef easily, use beaters. (Yes, as in regular old beaters that you use to make cake mix.) Awesome taste!
WOW! This is good! It smelled just like Chipotle but in my opinion its wwwayyyy spicier than Chipotle! I will make it again for sure but use less chipotles in adobo. I also made cilantro lime rice.
Delicious!! A little spicy, but we love food with a little kick. Cut back on the amount of peppers if you don’t like too much spice. We added it to brown rice, pinto beans, fresh Monterey Jack cheese, and sliced avocado. Yum!
It turned out great! A lot of times slow cooker recipes taste the same to me but this one definitely did not. The whole family loved it.
I made this in my electric pressure cooker. Browned the meet according to recipe, and cooked it on high pressure for 30 minutes as advised by Baking Nana. Meat was nice and tender with plenty of flavor but it was a little too spicy for me; edible, but had a kick!!! Next time I'll add 1/2 the chipotle peppers.
Awesome dish - but if you don't care for spicy food or have kids that would prefer something more mild, I would cut the peppers in half.
I made this recipe in my pressure cooker. It took about 35 minutes to cook the meat once I seared and browned it in a skillet. The meat was flavorful and tender. I over used the chipotle peppers on my first batch and thus my taste buds were dancing. I made a second batch according to the recipe and the heat was drastically reduced. I like Tex-Mex dishes and this recipe certainly fit the bill for me.
I just ate some chicken I made using this recipe like another person commented . Tasted exactly like Chipotles Barbacoa. I was afraid the 4 chipotles would be a little too spicy but it was just the right amount. You should really try this recipe. You wont regret it.
Made it exactly as published and my hubs and I loved it. Delish with a little pico de gallo on a tortilla. Will definitely make again.
Just finished it. Tastes great. Maybe a bit heavy on the oregano, but just bought oregano today in the plastic packets in the Mexican seasoning section. Maybe because its fresher the oregano was a bit stronger then the bottles of seasoning.
This is an AMAZING recipe!!! I did cut the chipotle peppers on half because it would've been too spicy, but we are looking forward to leftovers tonight! I made burrito bowls with this shredded beef and they were delicious--definitely making this again!!!
I made this in my instant pot. I sectioned my roast into equal pieces, but did not sauté in oil. I just seasoned it, added the remaining ingredients and cooked on high pressure for 50 minutes, with a natural release. Perfect for tacos, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, tortes, etc.,
It was so delicious! I served it on tostadas with lettuce & shredded cheese.
THIS RECIPE HAS BEEN ALTERED SINCE THE LAST TIME I MADE THE MEAL. Ingredients are missing but it still turned out well. It is a great recipe for beef taco lovers. - JAF
I loved this recipe... the only changes I made was I added 1 cup of beef stock and 1 cup of water and 2 cinnamon sticks instead of cloves ... I only used 2 chipotle pepper.. not too hot just right... I also cooked it in a dutch oven on 275 for 3 hrs... delicious.... melts in ur mouth.... oh and for my topping I made pico ... I will be making this again.....
Made as per directions except used a dutch oven. @ 285. Meat was falling apart in 3 hours. We made tacos out of it, and my Mexican wife absolutely loved them. That speaks volumes. The only problem I found was that it was a bit greasier than it should have. Solution to that is to trim fat before searing. That is the reason for the missing star. muy bueno
This was okay. The meat was tender, but the vinegar taste was overpowering. If I make it again, I would cut the amount of vinegar in half.
Served this for dinner when having the family over. All our kids (adults) and my husband raved about it. That's a huge compliment. I made it exactly to the recipe with no changes. Will definitely make it again.
Smelled great while cooking, but was underwhelmed when I ate it. Not bad but nothing I would crave. If you use enough condiments, then the meat becomes less important.
I was scared to try this recipe at first because I had never made barbacoa before, but I am so glad I decided to give it a shot. It is my go-to now, whenever I decide to make homemade chimichangas for dinner. If you’re sensitive to spice, I would recommend cutting back on the chilies. If you like your food to have some heat, I would recommend adding more. Try it!!!
This got an immediate "make this again" from my family. I used two 1.5 lb chuck roasts and cooked them on low for 7 hours. I did not cut up the adobe peppers and just pulled them out before I shredded the beef. I served it with sauteed peppers and onions.
My chuck roast was only 1.5 lbs but I kept the rest of the ingredients the same. Hubby thought it was just so-so but I thought it was excellent. Thank you for the recipe.
All I can say is "YUMMY". I used this to make oven baked chimichangas. It really was delicious and enjoyed by all.
Did three chipotle peppers, no cloves - bottom round well trimmed, cut up at two hours before done.
This was WONDERFUL! I used 5lbs meat and put the spices in a blender. The whole can of adobo was a bit much for our family and our guests, but so delicious we still ate every bite. Next time I will use maybe a half a can? Excited to make this again!
I put a little too much apple cider vinegar. DON'T DO THAT. If anything go light on the apple cider vinegar
FANTASTIC! I had friends over this evening for Mexican night. I wanted to try something new so I tried this recipe and I followed the directions exactly how they are written. Didn't change a thing. It was so flavorful and delicious! Everyone LOVED it as much as I did. I will be making this again!!!
Followed the recipe exactly. It was amazing, everyone loved it!
Made this for cinco de mayo,and will def make again.After checking in about 6hrs or so,all I could taste was the cumin,but some salt fixed it to perfection. I always go easy on salt when cooking something for long periods,so I guess I went a little too easy!!
very good, easy to make, only had 1.5 lb roast but used same amount of remaining ingredients. Shredded very nicely and tasted great.
Had to cook it on high setting only due to starting it very late in the day but it still came out really well. Cooked about 4.5 hrs on high. Will make again.
Delish!!! It was spicier than Chipotle. You can vary the kick by counting the peppers in the sauce. If you want a more mild kick, use 1-2 chipotle peppers instead of 3-4.
Awesome recipe, I cooked this with goat instead of the beef mmm mmm mmm it was so good and got many compliments for it. Seasonings are right on point. Will be trying this with beef today. Thank you for a great recipe
I have made this recipe exactly as written several times. It is delicious! Everyone loves it including my kids. I have also made a double batch for a party and all the guests raved about it. This recipe is fantastic!
My family and I couldn't get past the horrible smell of it cooking. Followed the recipe exactly and my house reeked. How anyone could eat this is beyond me. And I have two teenagers who eat at Chipotle all the time.
Made this for the first time, turned out fantastic. Meat literally fell apart it was so tender. Will definitely make this again.
Ingredients for this recipe are a great start! I suggest adjusting ingredients to your liking. I didn’t use cloves and cut the Chipotle peppers by half. Also used 1 tbsp powdered Boullion to the 1/2 cup water and had a richer flavor. I’ll stick with this recipe.
I love spicy, so I added a whole can of Chipotle peppers (6) to about 2 lbs of beef. It was amazing! I’d like to find a recipe to have some of the Chipotle peppers as a sauce to put on the meat also.
This was fabulous! I added about 1/3 of a chopped yellow onion and some extra pepper and smoked paprika to enhance the flavor!!!
What a hit. The meat just melted and was a breeze to shred. The flavor was perfect but I only used 3 chipotle peppers rather than four. I also made a delicious side dressing with mayo, sour cream, lemon juice and two chipotle peppers which a great compliment to the beef.
Amazingly delicious!! I have made this many times. The only change I make is adding more chipotle peppers in adobo sauce because we like the spiciness!! Contrary to most Minnesotan preferences! Lol
This was excellent! I cooked it in a pot over the stove top and used flank steak. It was incredibly spicy so maybe next time I will take it easy on the chipotle with abodo sauce!!!! This will definitely be a favorite in our house!!!!!
Added additional peppers in adobo sauce We loved it , definitely will make this again
I tried the recipe and it turned out bad. It was pretty mushy and flavourless. This is going to be the last time I try a slow cooker recipe with anything acidic because it just ends up dissolving and ruining the meat. I think I will salvage it by pouring out the broth and add barbecue sauce and make sandwiches out of it. Ugh, just terrible.
I followed the recipie as is. I have to admit I was skeptical as I also feel all crockpot recipes taste the same but not this one! It is very flavorful. I used my dual crockpot buffet server. On one side I put half with two chipotle peppers. The other side was for the kids, no peppers. The spicy side was very spicy! In the future to adjust to our personal preference i will use half the cumin and maybe less vinegar. Great recipe overall.
So good! If you like spicy this is a good one for you & your family! Il this one is always a hit!
Yes Sir or Ma’am!!! This turned out absolutely delicious!!! I put the beef on fresh corn tortillas that were dipped in the au jus, then griddled, flipped and topped with cheese!!! Finished them off by stuffing them with this amazing beef, folded and crispied up! Topped them off with fresh onion, cilantro, and fresh squeezed lime!!! The family was in heaven!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
So good! Tender and flavorful! I used deer shoulder roast. I added an extra chipotle and didn’t measure my lime juice (I used 3). Perfectly spicy for our taste and just a tad too much lime, next time I’ll use 2 limes. I cooked it overnight for 8 hours on low so it was ready to pack for lunch the next day. The meat shredded so easily, was juicy, and full of flavor. My husband loved it too!
This was perfect! Made with nachos and what a hit! Don’t change a thing….you’ve got the right ingredients…
Been using this recipe for a few years now. Comes out perfect in the crockpot, every time. Just made it tonight as filler meat for enchiladas.
Outstanding!! Everyone loves this recipe! I used the leftovers in the morning to make some Barbacoa and potato/egg breakfast burritos! I made a lot extra so I could freeze and enjoy another time. Truly authentic flavors.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and this time used the given amount of lime juice. I really thought the beef flavor ended up a little on the sour side, unfortunately, and my kids complained they didn’t care for the taste. My only change was the peppers - we can’t do spicy, so we used canned diced green chilies. The meat is tender by the end - great for burritos. Lots of liquid left over. I might add less next time.
The meat is super tender, very flavorful and everybody finished it off! Used my Instant Pot with the meat/stew setting and it cooked for 35 mins. Next time I am doubling the recipe so we can have leftovers. We ate them with pan fried corn tortillas and topped with cilantro, avocado and fresh salsa. This will be included in our meal rotation from now on. It was so so good!!
Outstanding! It had great flavor and heat. Made exactly as written in our slow cooker. Will definitely make this again.
Loved this recipe! I used 2 1/2 chipotle peppers and it was perfectly spiced. Will make again! Great as leftover meat too.
I actually used leftover beef from several sources and it only took 2 hours at 250f convention. I used green chilies and some jalapeño s instead of chipotle pepper. Fabulous flavor. Going into my top 5 Mexican recipes.. thanks so much for sharing
Turned out better than could have imagined! Couldn’t find Chipotle Peppers in Adobo in time but used Chipotle powder in place. Also added a healthy dash of Cayenne pepper for a tinge of heat.
Family loved this version of roast beef. Take it easy with the adobe sauce, cause that stuff is hot!!! Served with chopped tomatoe and onion, with a splash of lemon, flour tortill'as and refried beans. Very good.
This was delish! I only used 2 adobe peppers and I thought that it was perfectly spicy. However, Hubby would have preferred some additional heat. Thanks for a great recipe!
I wanted to make beef barbacoa for first time so I read a bunch of recipes and decided on this one because of reviews and simple, straightforward recipe. Sooooo delicious, doubled the recipe and my 2 kids and I had it for lunch every day til it was gone!! Every bite was so tasty and tender!! Like others I made it again and used chicken and loved it almost as much!! Can’t wait to make it again!!
Pretty good, but not over the top. I'm not sure what I would do to get it up to the 5th star. I'm going to use the leftovers for a beef tortilla soup.
My husband and I loved this! it was a bit spicy for the kids, but if it's mixed with some beans, cheese, lettuce, and such, it's much milder and family friendly.
Made this for a group neighborhood get together. Both the kids and adults loved this. The crock pot was scraped clean. I'm making it again. This time without 4 chipotles chopped in. I think it made it spicier. In hour 4 of being in the crock pot I had a taste and feared it was too hot. In that last hr of cooking I removed the marinade and added the rest of the broth instead.
