Incredibly juicy and tender, and absolutely full of bold mouthwatering flavors, this beef barbacoa is the best I’ve ever tasted! With Instant Pot, slow cooker and oven instructions, you’re bound to find a cooking method that works best for you!
Recipes like my Baked Mexican Rice and Crockpot Taco Soup are great for when you want restaurant quality food, made easily at home. We love hearty Mexican-inspired meals, and this is one of my Mexican recipes you’ll definitely want in your dinner rotation!
BEEF BARBACOA RECIPE
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for a while now, and finally got around to it.
Originally, I made a similar version in my Queso-Smothered Beef Chimichangas, which was a slow cooker recipe. But I’ve been getting into using my Instant Pot more and more, and wanted to make this version something that could be made in much less time.
After some tinkering around in the kitchen, I came up with this recipe, which is now my FAVORITE type of Mexican beef!
The meat is literally melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the flavor…. oh man the flavor, it’s out of this world. Rich and savory, with just enough spice to make your mouth wake up and say hello, but not so much that you’re sweating and diving for the nearest glass of water.
Basically, the best taco filling of all time lol. Beef barbacoa is not just amazing in tacos, but in quesadillas, taco salads, chimichangas/taquitos, or just eaten with a fork!
HOW TO MAKE BEEF BARBACOA
- Puree the chipotle sauce in a food processor. This is a combination of chipotle peppers, lime juice, spices, beef broth, garlic, etc.
- Brown beef on the “saute” mode, then remove to a plate.
- Add onion to the pot and saute until soft. Pour in the beef broth, diced green chiles, tomato paste and bay leaves.
- Add browned beef and pureed sauce to the pot.
- Pressure cook for 1 hour, then perform a quick pressure release.
- Shred beef and toss with some cooking liquid.
IS THIS A CHIPOTLE COPYCAT RECIPE
Not technically, but it hits a LOT of the same flavor notes!
COOKING TIPS FOR SHREDDED MEXICAN BEEF
- THE MEAT – this is a prime example of when to use a tougher cut of meat like a chuck roast or shoulder. No need to buy expensive sirloin tips or anything.
- BROWNING – adds a ton of flavor, but isn’t absolutely essential. I love to brown my beef pieces, since I love that extra deep flavor it adds… but I’ve made this several times without taking that extra step, and it still tastes delicious.
- CHIPOTLES IN ADOBO – the secret to this amazing barbacoa is in the chipotle peppers. You can find cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the ethnic section of most grocery stores and they are PACKED with flavor.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- SPICIER – As written, I would say this recipe is between a medium and a mild heat level. If you’d like it spicier, use HOT diced green chiles, add more chipotle peppers, and/or add a jalapeno to the chipotle sauce ingredients.
- MILDER – To make this recipe milder, use less chipotle peppers, omit the adobo sauce, and/or make sure you’re using MILD diced green chiles.
- BEER – For some extra flavor, in the chipotle sauce, use a bold Mexican beer instead of beef broth.
- OTHER MEAT – Traditionally, barbacoa is made with beef cheeks, goat or lamb. You’re more than welcome to swap the chuck roast out for one of those proteins, I just chose the beef because it’s more readily available for the vast majority of my readers.
- COOKING METHODS – this is made for the Instant Pot, but I’ve detailed how to make this in a slow cooker or in the oven if you’d prefer. Those instructions will be down in the “recipe notes” section of of the recipe card.
TOPPINGS FOR A BEEF BARBACOA TACO
The sky is the limit when it comes to a great taco, but here are a few of my favorite options.
- Fresh cilantro
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Cotija cheese (or shredded Mexican blend cheese)
- Quick pickled shallots (mix sliced shallots, juice of a lime, pinch of salt and granulated sugar – let sit in a bowl for 20 minutes)
- Avocado
- Queso
MAKING BARBACOA AHEAD OF TIME
As with most braised meats, this barbacoa beef tastes even better the next day! Those flavors sit and meld together.
To store, I find it best to store the beef in one container, with a little bit of the cooking liquid, and the rest of the cooking liquid in another container.
This way, when the fat in the liquid cools, you can easily scrape it off the top.
Reheat with the beef and the liquid together.
FREEZING
Cooked beef barbacoa can be frozen for up to 3 months.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 5 days.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- Instant Pot – I recently upgraded to this model and I love it!
- Slow Cooker – I’ve had this slow cooker for years and it still works perfectly.
- Dutch Oven – LeCreuset is my favorite brand, but they’re really pricey, so this Lodge version is a great alternative!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
CHIPOTLE SAUCE
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (individual peppers in the can - NOT the whole can)
- 2 tsp adobo sauce (from the can)
- 3 Tbsp lime juice (fresh is best)
- 1 Tbsp better than bouillon beef base (optional but recommended)
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp oregano (mexican oregano is amazing if you have it)
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup beef broth (reduced sodium is best)
BARBACOA
- 4 lb. beef chuck roast
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 oz can diced green chiles drained
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth (reduced sodium is preferred)
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
MAKE CHIPOTLE SAUCE
- Add all chipotle sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Set aside.
MAKE BEEF BARBACOA
- Trim visible large sections of fat from roast, then cut roast into 6-8 large pieces. Season beef with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper.
- Add vegetable oil to Instant Pot and select "Saute". When hot, add beef and cook for a minute or so on each side, until browned. Depending on the size of your beef, you may need to do this in batches.
- Remove browned beef to a plate and add onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes, until soft.
- Add in 1 cup beef broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits. Add in tomato paste, green chiles and bay leaves.
- Press "Cancel - or Keep Warm/Cancel". Return browned beef to the pot and pour pureed chipotle sauce over the top. Top with both halves of the lime.
- Close lid securely and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and adjust the +/- button until it reads 60 minutes.
- When finished cooking, carefully turn the valve to "venting" for a quick pressure release. When the steam has all escaped, and the pin has dropped, remove the lid and discard bay leaves.
- Remove beef pieces to a large bowl and shred, discarding any purely fat parts.
- Toss shredded beef with as much of the cooking liquid as you'd like.
TO THICKEN SAUCE
- In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 3 Tbsp water until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pot with the sauce and select "saute".
- Cook for several minutes, stirring often, until thickened to your tastes.
- Toss shredded beef with as much of the thickened sauce as you'd like.
TO CRISP THE EDGES
- Line a baking sheet with foil, and preheat broiler to high, adjusting oven rack to the upper third position.
- Spread shredded beef into an even layer, then broil several minutes. Stir. Continue broiling and stirring until crisped and charred to your liking.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- some readers have noticed a bitter taste when pressure cooking with the lime halves in the pressure cooker. I have never had a problem with it, but if you're worried, feel free to remove the lime halves before pressure cooking!
SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Process sauce ingredients.
- Sear beef in a skillet on the stove.
- Add all remaining ingredients to slow cooker, top with seared beef, top with chipotle sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, until beef is tender enough to shred easily.
OVEN DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
- Process sauce ingredients.
- Sear beef in a large dutch oven on the stove.
- Add in onion, tomato paste, green chiles, and bay leaves.
- Reduce beef broth to 1/2 cup and pour in chipotle sauce.
- Cover and bake for 3 - 3 1/2 hours, until beef is tender enough to shred easily.
STOVETOP DIRECTIONS
- Process sauce ingredients.
- Sear beef in a large dutch oven on the stove.
- Add in onion, tomato paste, green chiles, beef broth, and bay leaves.
- Pour in chipotle sauce.
- Cover and simmer for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (removing the lid the last 30 minutes of cooking), until beef is tender enough to shred easily.
- If desired, remove beef, shred, and continue simmering sauce for 10-15 minutes until thickened.
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Heather C. says
If using a 2lb chuck roast, do I need to reduce the cooking time for the Instant Pot?
The Chunky Chef says
I couldn’t say, as I’ve only tested this recipe as written. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Marisa B says
I cooked a 2 lb roast still with 60 minutes. Worked perfectly.
Taylor says
This is definitely NOT barbacoa. Anyone from Mexico would laugh at you if you presented it as such… This is birria but my husband still really liked it!
The Chunky Chef says
Which is why I mention that this is NOT an authentic recipe 😉 Glad your husband enjoyed.
Lorna says
This is not birria, its definitely closer to a barbacoa, do your research, your being rude and a bully!! GREAT JOB AMANDA, don’t let these people push you around!! 😉
The Chunky Chef says
Some people just really try to “one up” recipe creators with their knowledge… recipes are meant to be shared and adapted 🙂
TheAnnoyingLurker says
Are you or your husband Mexican or Hispanic? If not, Maybe Keep it to yourself.
Valerie Piper says
This recipe was amazing. I made this for several friends and it was a big hit. I was so glad I had left overs because I ate it for days in various dishes. Yum!
Rayna says
My family loves this! My go to for years.
Anthony Brown says
Fantastic! I add some spicey pickled thinly sliced jicama to my additions for the toppings. One of our all time favourites.
Molly says
Made this for the first time for dinner last night and let me tell you. This recipe is phenomenal. Better Barbacoa than most restaurants I’ve been to. I followed the recipe exactly and everything came out perfect! I did not even need to thicken the sauce at all. We even used ours as consommé. We are a family of seven and have some extremely picky eaters, and everyone enjoyed this meal. So easy to make and pressure cooker makes it easy to make shells or sides while this is cooking. Definitely a new family favorite and it’s already been requested again!
Carrie Bugni says
AMAZING!!! I’ve made this several times in my Instant Pot and it’s always a family favorite. Freezes great too! I’m making it today in my slow cooker and I’m excited to compare the two. I double the chipotle sauce recipe because my daughter loves to dip anything she can in it! Lol. 😋
Harvey Lynn says
Delicious and hearty! Great to make on the weekend for multiple meals during the week. The secret to me for maximum flavor and color is giving all sides of the meat pieces a really good sear. For less spicy version, I’ll use only two of the three Chipotle peppers. Also, to braise the bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pot, I’ll throw in some tequila with the sautéed onions.
Stacy says
Curious as to how much a 4lb roast will make. I am only serving 3 adults and one 13 yr old girl at the campground. Is it going to make more then I need? Should I use a 2 lb? I know I could prob freeze the rest if its not too much as I have limited space in freezer.
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested how much it makes, as we don’t measure things that precisely, servings are just an estimate. Your answer depends on several things, how hungry are the people you’re serving, how much do they like beef, and are you going to use the leftovers in other meals (while at the campground). To be safe, if people aren’t super hungry or don’t love beef, and you don’t want to use leftovers or freeze them, you could halve the recipe and use a 2 lb roast.
Khia says
I make this at least once a week!!!! I buy whole allspice and grind it fresh. All Spice makes a HUGE difference in taste it adds a whole other level of OMG! Still amazing without but just so different with. You know I’ve done this recipe and forgot how long I was supposed to set the IP for and HP cooked it for 35 minutes and it was just as good as the stated hour! No difference at all actually
Melinda says
The family loved it! I used 2 pounds of grass-fed stew meat from Butcher Box and cooked it according to the recipe. It was melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Kelli says
Fantastic! I’ve made this several times, and it’s always a winner. So appreciative that you shared it.
Kirsten Lewis says
Delicious!! My family was thrilled and ate it all up!!
Betsy says
I rarely rate recipes, but I’ve made this twice in the last month in my pressure cooker. It’s literally the best beef I’ve ever tasted and I can’t get enough of it!
David says
Excellent recipe. I followed directions fully and cooked 4.5 lbs chuck in dutch oven in oven @ 325F for 3.5 hours. Yield was 3.25 lb shredded beef plus the sauce which needed no additional thickening. I wanted it a little bit sweeter and added lime juice and 2-3 oz chopped fresh pineapple to the sauce after cooking the meat.
Brian says
Out freaking standing. I did use a 3.5lb sirloin roast due to that’s all I could find.
Mimi says
This was the first time not only to make this recipe, but also to use my Instant Pot. I was having company for dinner so I was a little stressed. This barbacoa was such a hit with everyone! My 104 y/o mom was gobbling it down! Thank you so much for all your hard work in sharing these delicious meals!
Ann O’Neill says
Delicious! It’s not even done cooking yet and I couldn’t wait to comment how flavorful and wonderful the sauce is! The recipe is a keeper and I will enjoy making it for guests.
Raj says
This has been my go to recipe for years! I wonder, I usually have a ton of the sauce leftover, could I use it to cook another batch of the beef?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested it, but I think that would work 🙂
Charles says
When I’m done with the sauce I freeze it and I use it again. The only thing I add would be fresh lime juice and new bay leaves. But yes, the sauce is excellent to use time and time again
Meg says
You can also use it as a base of a soup! I do this a lot with my leftover pot roast juice but it would be the same concept here.
Barb says
Delicious as is! Cooked one hour in the instant pot after braising.