Beef Barbacoa Tacos

This Beef Barbacoa Tacos recipe is the best easy slow cooker beef barbacoa – tender shredded beef tacos that are so easy to make, with SO much flavour! Serve this slow cooker shredded beef on tacos, in burritos, quesadillas, or over rice with your favourite toppings.

 

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

There are more than a thousand recipes on The Busy Baker, which makes it hard to pick favourites. But if we HAD to pick, these Beef Barbacoa Tacos would be at the top of the list. The flavour is just SO amazing, and it’s made even better by the fact that it’s pretty much as easy to make as it gets!

Slow cooker meals make busy weeknights SO much easier, and this beef barbacoa taco recipe is one we make over and over again and literally can’t get enough of. Trust us – give it a try and it’ll be at the top of your favourites list too!!

Beef Barbacoa Tacos are a Mexican-inspired dish made with tender, slow-cooked beef and topped with avocado crema, tangy Pickled Onions, Cotija cheese and freshly chopped cilantro. They’re the perfect dish for taco night or entertaining a crowd as they’re easy to make, in the slow-cooker .

Barbacoa beef is tender, seasoned and shredded beef inspired by a very old cooking method. Traditionally, “barbacoa” means cooking meat low and slow in a pit or earth oven, which makes the meat incredibly moist, easy to shred and fall-apart tender. But braising meat in the oven, cooking it in the slow cooker, or even in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot can give the meal the same juicy, pull-apart texture . In Mexico barbacoa beef is often made with beef head or cheeks, and in some regions lamb or goat, but in the rest of North America it’s commonly made with more accessible cuts like beef chuck or round, and flavoured with chiles, garlic, lime, and warm spices like cumin or cinnamon for that deep flavour.

There are SO many reasons why we LOVE these easy beef barbacoa tacos. Here are just a few!

1. They require MINIMAL EFFORT: just toss the beef in the slow cooker and let it do its thing!
2. The beef MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH: because of the slow-cooking method, the beef becomes tender and oh so flavourful.
3. It’s FREEZER FRIENDLY: this recipe is PERFECT for meal prep because the beef freezes SO well.
4. It’s CUSTOMIZABLE: you can pick your family’s favourite toppings and serve it however your family likes!
5. It’s a CROWD PLEASER: it’s great for entertaining, with minimal clean-up and effort, and you can make a BIG batch at once!
6. It’s a RESTAURANT-QUALITY MEAL: you can use this recipe to easily impress your friends and family who love tacos!

Making shredded beef Barbacoa means you can serve it in SO many ways – not just tacos! Here are some other recipes we love to serve alongside this Beef Barbacoa whenever we make it!

• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Mexican Rice
• Easy Guacamole
• Mango Salsa
• Pico de Gallo
• Cornbread Muffins
• Homemade Nachos

Looking for more easy meals like this? You’ll LOVE these meal ideas we love too!

• Burrito Bowl
• One Pot Taco Spaghetti
• Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas
• Poke Bowl
• Easy Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
• Burger Bowls
• Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner
• Power Bowl
• Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls

There are a few simple steps that take this Beef Barbacoa from good to AMAZING! Here are our PRO tips for the BEST Beef Barbacoa you’ll ever make!

The lime juice or apple cider vinegar tenderizes the beef as it cooks so it becomes fall-apart tender and full of flavour. Acid is a critical ingredient in marinades for how it adds tenderness, so don’t skip it!

A good amount of fat and collagen will make this beef melt in your mouth, so choose a chuck or round roast with good marbling.

Make a big batch and then store in portions that reflect the amount of beef your family eats at a meal. This shredded beef is delicious even after it’s been frozen and thawed, and it’s a great meal prep idea.

For layering even more flavour in this dish, be sure to use all the spices as directed in the recipe, and rub the spices onto every surface of the beef before cooking.

Whether you serve the beef on tacos, in rice bowls, in burritos or even on baked potatoes, make sure you prepare your family’ s favourite fresh toppings like avocado crema, refried beans, radishes, adobo sauce, salsa, pickled red onion, hot sauce, lettuce, pico de gallo, etc.

Running into trouble with this Barbacoa beef recipe? Here are all our best troubleshooting tips for common problems you might encounter when making this recipe (and how to fix or prevent these issues):

Add another squeeze of fresh lime juice to the beef to temper the saltiness. Serve it with low-salt side dishes or sauces.

Every family prefers a different intensity and spice level so make sure you adapt this recipe to your family’s tastes. If you prefer, increase the amount of cumin, add cinnamon and cloves, fresh onions and garlic, or even more lime juice at the end.

Remove some of the liquid before shredding the beef and add back in only the amount that’s necessary.

Make sure you’re using enough acid to tenderize the beef, and give it some extra cooking time. The cuts of meat this recipe calls for get more tender the longer they cook.

Here’s everything you’ll need to have on hand in your kitchen to make this Beef Barbacoa recipe (paid links):

• Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
• Tongs
• measuring cups and spoons
• Blender
• Silicone Spatula
• mixing bowls
• Cutting Board
• large knife
• large skillet

For the Beef Barbacoa:

• 4-5 pound beef chuck roast or use a beef round roast
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• A few drops liquid smoke optional
• 1-2 limes or use 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3-4 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning or chipotle seasoning
• 1/4 cup beef stock (or use beef broth or chicken broth)
• 3-4 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a few cloves, 1/2 cup Mexican cola, or 1/2 cup orange juice (all optional, for more flavour)

For the tacos (serving):

• small corn tortillas or flour tortillas
• pickled onions
• Cotija cheese
• cilantro
• lime wedges

For the avocado crema:

• 1 avocado
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 lime juice and zest
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cumin
• chopped cilantro

1. Spicy Barbacoa: Add extra chipotle peppers or a few fresh jalapeños for more heat and a bolder flavour.
2. Citrus Barbacoa: Increase the lime juice and add some fresh orange juice for a bright, tangy twist.
3. Barbacoa with Beer: Replace part of the beef broth with a dark beer to deepen the flavour and add richness.
4. Pork Barbacoa: Swap the beef for pork shoulder and cook the same way for tender, shreddable pork tacos.
5. Barbacoa Bowls: Skip the tortillas and serve the shredded beef over rice or quinoa with beans, veggies, and salsa for a lighter option.
6. Barbacoa Quesadillas: Use the beef to make our delicious Quesadillas recipe!
7. Barbacoa Nachos: Spread tortilla chips on a sheet pan, top with barbacoa, cheese, and jalapeños, then bake until melty for the ultimate appetizer.
8. Barbacoa with Lamb: Use lamb shoulder or leg for a more traditional, earthy version with incredible flavour.
9. Barbacoa Breakfast Tacos: Reheat leftovers and serve with scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa for a hearty breakfast taco.

Making this Beef Barbacoa in the Instant Pot is SO easy! Simply prepare the beef as directed in the recipe, seasoning it well.

Add the liquid to the bottom of the Instant Pot and place the rack inside the instant pot. Add the beef onto the rack and secure the lid, setting the valve to sealing.

Cook on high pressure for 70-90 minutes, with a natural release. The beef will be fork tender after cooking, so shred the beef as directed in the recipe and serve in warm corn tortillas with your favourite toppings!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite slow cooker dinner recipe? We’d love to know!

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• Easy Guacamole
• Easy Restaurant Style Salsa
• Mango Salsa
• Mexican Tortilla Soup
• Fresh Pineapple Salsa
• How to Make Nachos
• Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas
• Easy Classic Taco Salad
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