Go Back

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Slow Cooker Barbacoa delivers shredded beef with a rich mahogany color and glossy sauce that clings to every strand. Cook low and slow until tender enough to pull apart easily, then stir in lime juice for a bright finish perfect for taco filling.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Rest 10 minutes
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and aromatics
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves bay leaves
  • 1 cup beef broth
Dried chile and spice paste
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp oregano
  • 2 tsp cloves
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
Finish
  • 2 limes Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 lime juice
  • 1 tortillas For serving
  • 1 onions For serving
  • 1 cilantro For serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the beef chuck roast generously with salt and black pepper, then brown on all sides for about 8 minutes total.
  2. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. Leave any browned bits in the skillet for now.
Toast and blend the chile sauce
  1. Remove stems and seeds from the dried guajillo chiles and dried ancho chiles. Toast the chiles in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  2. Add the toasted chiles to a blender with beef broth, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, cinnamon, and black pepper. Blend until smooth.
Slow-cook
  1. Place the browned beef in the slow cooker and pour the chile mixture over it. Add the bay leaves on top.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours until the beef shreds easily with a fork. The sauce should look glossy and dark mahogany as it reduces.
Shred, finish, and rest
  1. Shred the meat directly in the slow cooker and stir the beef until the sauce clings to each strand. Stir in the juice of 2 limes and mix until evenly colored.
  2. Rest uncovered for 10 minutes to let the sauce thicken slightly, then serve warm. The beef should hold shredding texture without pooling too much liquid.
Serve as taco filling
  1. Serve the barbacoa warm in tortillas with onions and cilantro. Spoon extra mahogany sauce over the top so it coats every bite.

Notes

For the richest color, toast the dried chiles only until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes) so the sauce doesn’t taste bitter. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of broth. Freezing works well for up to 3 months—thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm. For a lower-fat option, choose trimmed chuck and skim any excess fat from the surface before shredding.