Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Tacos

This slow cooker barbacoa is smoky, tangy, and tender enough to shred with a fork. Serve it in warm tortillas, over rice, or in burrito bowls with plenty of the flavorful cooking juices.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 to 9 hours on low
Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• Corn tortillas, diced onion, cilantro, and lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the beef in batches, then transfer it to the slow cooker.
2. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, broth, lime juice, vinegar, and bay leaves.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily.
4. Discard the bay leaves. Shred the beef, remove any large pieces of fat, and stir the meat back into the cooking juices.
5. Serve in warm tortillas with onion, cilantro, and fresh lime.

Tips

• Use two chipotle peppers for milder heat or four for a spicier batch.
• Browning adds flavor, but the recipe will still work if you need to place the seasoned beef directly in the cooker.
• The cooked meat freezes well with some of its juices for up to 3 months.