Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Season the beef chunks generously with Kinder's The Taco Blend, coating all sides evenly.
- Place the seasoned beef in the slow cooker with the minced garlic, diced onion, and chopped chipotle peppers.
- In a small bowl, mix together the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and beef broth. Pour over the beef.
- Add the bay leaves and ground cumin to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and shreds easily.
- Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Fish out and toss the bay leaves.
- Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir it into the cooking liquid to keep things juicy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Warm your tortillas on a hot griddle or wrapped in a damp paper towel in the microwave.
- Load the barbacoa into warm tortillas, then top with fresh cilantro, diced onion, a squeeze of lime, and crumbled cotija.
- For extra points, quickly char the tortillas directly over a gas flame before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Chuck roast only — Leaner cuts like round or sirloin don't have the fat and collagen to break down over 8 hours. You'll get tight, dry beef. Chuck is the right cut every time.
- Save every drop of the cooking liquid — After 8 hours, that broth is concentrated and punchy. Stir the shredded beef back into it, ladle some over the meat before serving, and save the rest for reheating.
- Control the heat — Chipotle peppers bring real smoke and real heat. Scrape out the seeds before adding them to pull back the burn while keeping the flavor. One pepper instead of two also works.
- Char the tortillas — A hot cast-iron griddle or 30 seconds per side over an open gas flame adds a slight char that holds up against the wet beef. Don't skip the heat.
- Add more smoke if you want it — A teaspoon of smoked paprika or a third chipotle pepper deepens the smoke profile. Add it in with the seasoning before the liquid goes in.
- Built for make-ahead — Barbacoa freezes cleanly for up to 3 months. Portion it with cooking liquid in airtight containers. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of the liquid.
- Set up a taco bar with the barbacoa as the anchor. Beyond the standard cilantro and onion, put out pickled red onions, sliced radishes, salsa verde, and fresh pico de gallo. The contrast — acid, crunch, heat — is what makes the beef hit harder.
- For a full plate, pair with Mexican rice and refried beans. Ladle a spoonful of the cooking liquid over the beans while they're hot. It disappears right in and adds a layer of flavor you'd otherwise leave in the pot.
- Leftover barbacoa holds up well the next day. Use it in breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs and salsa verde, or pile it into a rice bowl with pickled jalapeños and cotija. The beef reheats best in a skillet with a splash of the cooking liquid over medium heat — 3 to 4 minutes until hot through.
- Store barbacoa with some of the cooking liquid in an airtight container. The liquid is what keeps the beef from drying out in the fridge — don't skip it. Lasts up to 4 days refrigerated.
- For the freezer, portion the beef with cooking liquid into airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It holds for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of the cooking liquid, stirring occasionally, until hot through — about 4 to 5 minutes. Or microwave covered in 60-second bursts, stirring between each one. Always add liquid when reheating or the beef dries out quickly.