Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe

Chipotle Barbacoa beef cooked in a spicy, rich and tasty braising mixture until melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. This Barbacoa recipe can be made in the crock pot, Instant Pot, stove top or in the oven!

It’s no secret, everyone loves Chipotle Barbacoa. My oldest son loves it so much we found ourselves at the popular restaurant twice a week. Having a Chipotle copycat recipe for our favorite Barbacoa recipe was a must!

Barbacoa meat is incredibly flavorful and easy to make. I think of it as Mexican shredded beef or Mexican pulled beef seasoned to perfection with the absolute best chipotle barbacoa sauce. Barbacoa is bold, spicy and layered over tortillas makes for the best barbacoa tacos!

What is Barbacoa?

• Barbacoa is a form of cooking meat that originated in the Caribbean. This is where the term barbecue comes from. However, this barbacoa beef has very little to do with the traditional method of cooking meats in an open fire or in a hole dug in the ground. This Mexican barbacoa is braised beef cooked low and slow in a flavorful braising liquid. The flavors of this chipotle beef are complex, smoky, rich and exploding with flavor.

Chipotle Barbacoa Ingredients

• Beef Chuck or Chuck Roast:: This type of meat benefits from slow cooking. Beef shoulder or “pot roast” can be use.
• Olive Oil: You cab use canola oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds depth and tanginess.
• Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice is a must.
• Broth: I use chicken broth but beef broth can be use.
• Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce: I buy them canned. You can add a couple of peppers or a lot of them depending on how spicy you like the barboca. You can also cut them in half and remove the seeds if you wish.
• Garlic: I use fresh garlic.
• Spices and Seasonings: Ground Cumin, Dried Oregano, Ground Cloves, Bay Leaves, Salt and Ground Black pepper.

How To Make Barbacoa

On the recipe card below, you will find instructions for making this Barbacoa recipe on the stove top, in the oven, in the slow cooker/crock pot or in the pressure cooker/Instant pot.

• First, make the cooking / braising liquid. In a small food processor or blender, place the chipotle peppers with some of the adobo sauce, the garlic, fresh lime juice, apple cider vinegar and the spices (except the bay leaves) and process until smooth.
• Trim any extra fat from the beef and cut it into big chunks. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
• Sear the beef until golden brown.
• Pour the cooking/ braising liquid over the beef and add the broth and bay leaves.
• Cook until the beef is tender and can be easily shred with a fork.
• Shred the beef and allow it to simmer in the cooking liquid for a few minutes.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa

• To make barbacoa in the crock pot, after browning the beef and adding the braising liquid, cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. The slow cooked beef should be super tender and easy to shred with a fork.

Instant Pot Barbacoa

• I cut the beef into 2-inch chunks. Set the Instant Pot to saute and heat the oil. Brown the beef in batches to prevent steaming. Remove the seared beef from the instant pot and press cancel.
• Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck brown bits.
• Return the beef to the pressure cooker, pour in the chipotle sauce (braising liquid) and bay leaves. Toss to combine.
• Close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 65 minutes.
• When the pressure cooking is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 – 8 minutes. Turn the valve to venting and release the remaining pressure.
• Remove the beef, shred it and return it to the Instant Pot.

Here Are Some Easy Side Dishes Perfect To Serve With Chipotle Barbacoa Beef:

• Charro Beans
• White Rice
• Mexican Three Bean Salad
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Guacamole

Check Out The Other Easy Recipes

• Chile Colorado Beef Stew
• Oven Baked Pork Chops
• Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• Instant Pot Carnitas
• Mojo Pork

This post was first published in 2018 and has been updated to provide the reader with additional information. The recipe remains the same.

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5 from 5 votes

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe

Kathy McDaniel

Chipotle Barbacoa beef cooked in a spicy, rich and tasty braising mixture until melt-in-your-mouth tender and delicious. This Barbacoa recipe can be made in the crock pot, Instant Pot, stove top or in the oven!

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 3 hours 45 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce (Use 2 chipotle peppers if you don't like the dish too spicy)3-4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce (Use 2 chipotle peppers if you don't like the dish too spicy)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 – 4 lbs chuck roast3 – 4 lbs chuck roast
• salt and pepper to tastesalt and pepper to taste
• ¾ cup chicken broth¾ cup chicken broth
• 2-3 bay leaves2-3 bay leaves

Instructions

To Make the Braising Liquid

• Place the vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and cloves in a small food processor or blender. Puree on high speed until smooth.

The Beef

• Trim the extra fat from the meat and cut it into big chunks (about 2-2.5 inches pieces). Season the meat lightly with salt and pepper.
• In a large heavy bottom pot or a Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat up the oil. Add the meat in batches and sear until golden brown.
• Return all the meat to the pot and add the spicy braising mix over it. Add the broth and the bay leaves. Mix well to combine. Cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 hours or until the meat flakes easily; giving it a stir every 30 minutes during the cooking process.
• Turn off the heat and shred the meat with a couple of forks (it should be tender enough to flake easily).
• Before serving, let the shredded meat simmer over low heat for about 15 extra minutes.

Check the notes for instructions when cooking this recipe in the Slow Cooker. Instant Pot or Oven

Chef’s Tips

Cooking times will vary depending on cooking methods.

SLOW COOKER/CROCK POT DIRECTIONS:

• After searing the beef, place the meat in the crock pot. Pour in the braising liquid, broth and add the bay leaves. Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. 

PRESSURE COOKER/INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:

• Make the braising liquid as instructed above. Cut the beef into 2-inch chunks and season them with salt and pepper. Set the Instant Pot to saute and heat the oil. Brown the beef in batches to prevent steaming. Remove the seared beef from the instant pot and press cancel.
• Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck brown bits.
• Return the beef to the pressure cooker, pour in the chipotle sauce (braising liquid) and bay leaves. Toss to combine.
• Close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 65 minutes.
• When the pressure cooking is done, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 – 8 minutes. Turn the valve to venting and release the remaining pressure.
• Remove the beef, shred it and return it to the Instant Pot.

OVEN:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Place Dutch oven in the oven and bake for 3 1/2 to 4 1/4 hours, giving it a stir every 30 minutes during the cooking process.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcal (23%)Carbohydrates: 2g (1%)Protein: 43g (86%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Cholesterol: 156mg (52%)Sodium: 273mg (12%)Potassium: 814mg (23%)Vitamin A: 55IU (1%)Vitamin C: 3.7mg (4%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 5.7mg (32%)

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

Course:Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine:Mexican, Tex Mex

Keyword:Chipotle Barbacoa, Chipotle Barbacoa Beef

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