Tacos are a universal favorite — who doesn’t love a well-made taco? While I often choose chicken or fish, sometimes beef is exactly what you want. This beef barbacoa is rich, tender, and full of flavor.
Traditional barbacoa can use different cuts, but this version uses a beef chuck roast (or brisket) that’s slow-cooked until fall-apart tender. No cow heads were harmed — just great beef, slow heat, and a smoky, slightly spicy sauce.
To boost flavor, the beef is seared briefly before it goes into the cooker. The sauce is a simple puree of beef broth, chipotle peppers in adobo, cumin, lime, and a bit of salt. The chipotle adds smoky heat that mellows during the long cooking time, but you can adjust the number of peppers to make it milder or hotter.
This recipe works perfectly in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot — directions for both are included. Either method yields juicy, shreddable meat that soaks up the sauce beautifully.
Although I serve this as tacos, the shredded barbacoa is versatile: use it for burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos, bowls, or any Mexican-style dish where you want tender, flavorful beef.
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Tacos
10 minutes
8 hours
8 hours 10 minutes
An easy beef barbacoa that cooks in the crockpot or the Instant Pot. Great for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or bowls.
Ingredients
- Approx. 3 pounds beef chuck roast (or brisket), trimmed
- 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or olive oil)
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (adjust to taste)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more if desired)
- 1 lime, juiced
- Tortillas and desired taco toppings
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown on one side for about 4 minutes, then turn and brown the other side. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. If using an Instant Pot, use the sauté function to brown the meat.
- Combine the beef broth, chipotle peppers, ground cumin, lime juice, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then pour the mixture over the beef.
- For the slow cooker: cover and cook on low for 7–8 hours or on high for 4–5 hours, until the meat is fork-tender. For the Instant Pot: cook on high pressure for 60–70 minutes, then allow a 15-minute natural release before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- Remove the beef and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the cooker or pot to soak up the sauce for a few minutes, then serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
2 tacos with about 1/4 cup meat each
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 490
Total Fat: 32g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Trans Fat: 2g
Unsaturated Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 144mg
Sodium: 501mg
Carbohydrates: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 44g
Other slow cooker and Instant Pot Mexican-style recipes to try:
Crock Pot Ranch Chicken Tacos (or Pressure Cooker)
Slow Cooker Creamy Salsa Verde Chicken
Slow Cooker Chili Lime Pulled Pork Tacos