Tender Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Recipe Easy 5-Ingredient Authentic Mexican Style
A tender, flavorful slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe with smoky chipotle and warm spices, perfect for busy days and authentic Mexican flavor lovers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 hours (low) or 4-6 hours (high)
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes (low) or 4 hours 10 minutes (high)
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 cup beef broth
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Trim the beef chuck roast by removing any excess fat or silver skin.
- In a small bowl, combine chopped chipotle peppers, beef broth, minced garlic, ground cumin, onion powder, lime juice, and salt. Stir to blend evenly.
- Place the trimmed beef roast in the slow cooker.
- Pour the chipotle sauce mixture evenly over the beef, coating it well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-6 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily.
- Check for doneness; if not tender, cook an additional 30-60 minutes on low.
- Transfer the beef to a cutting board and shred with two forks.
- Return shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir into the juices.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime juice as needed.
- If sauce is too thin, cook uncovered on high for 15-20 minutes to thicken.
Notes
Do not open the slow cooker lid frequently to avoid adding cooking time. Let the meat rest before shredding to retain juices. Sauce can be thickened by cooking uncovered on high for 15-20 minutes after shredding. Double chipotle peppers for more heat but start conservatively.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1/8 of
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 20
- Protein: 28
Keywords: beef barbacoa, slow cooker, chipotle, Mexican recipe, easy dinner, beef chuck roast, authentic barbacoa