Best Mexican Barbacoa Tacos

Juicy, tender and easy Mexican Barbacoa tacos are made using a humble hunk of chuck roast, slow cooked with Mexican herbs and spices, lime juice and onion; resulting in a tangy, tender, loaded-with-flavor beef, the perfect complement for these healthy, delicious Barbacoa Street Tacos.

You don’t need much with these easy and filling street tacos, but if you’d like this Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice is a great compliment, wash it all down with an easy margarita!

During a particularly crazy week, I needed a good go-to, recipe for a few dinners this week and this one definitely rose to the occasion. A super easy weeknight might meal, feel like pork instead? Try these Instant Pot Carnitas.

Not only were these easy, didn’t heat up my kitchen (95º yesterday-ugh!) but the beef was so very tender and packed with marvelous, savory Mexican flavors and spices.

What Does Barbacoa Mean?

“Mexican barbacoa is perhaps the most well-known, and its most popular manifestation is that which is used in the central states of the country.

A brick-lined oven, usually about 60 centimeters (23 inches) in diameter and about a meter (3 feet) deep, is dug into the earth. Wood is placed at the bottom and burned until the whole oven is red hot.” (Source)

Can I make Barbacoa Beef in the Oven?

I would treat oven baked Barbacoa beef just like I would a pot roast, following all of the instructions and place in a dutch oven at 275 degrees and cook for 3 hours (for a smaller roast) and 4-6 hours for a larger roast.

If necessary, check the liquid levels about hour 4 or 6 if cooking longer adding a cup or so of additional broth.

Paired with this amazingly simple, bright, fresh, and creamy Avocado Lime Dressing it’s a filling, yet light lunch or dinner! Even picky eaters will love this!

Start your Barbacoa beef about 5 hours before you want to eat, though it will be fine if you need it to go longer.

How to Make Mexican Barbacoa

1. In a large pan or pot*, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil or your favorite oil and heat over medium-high heat until hot.

SLOW COOKER | If you have a slow cooker that can go from cooker to stove, you can do this step in your pan; which is what I did, I love my All-Clad Slow Cooker!

I buy my chuck roast in bulk, wrap what I don’t need in plastic wrap, place in a freezer ziplock, squeezing out any extra air and be sure to mark it so you don’t end up with a mystery meat.

I’ve also started writing what I could make with whatever I’m freezing, kind of takes some of the guesswork out of a frozen piece of meat!

2. Sear the chuck roast (or some people call them chuck steaks) on each side until crisp brown, sprinkling with a little kosher salt. It helps to pat it dry before placing in the hot oil.

Why Doesn’t My Meat Sear or Brown?

If your meat doesn’t brown, it means one of two things, or possibly both.

1. Searing requires HIGH HEAT, your pan should be “screaming hot” (over medium high heat) we are not cooking the meat, but just browning the outside, sealing in the juices and creating flavor!
2. Or perhaps you took your meat out of the package and it was dripping in bloody juices (sorry, gross I know). I suggest to always rinse your meats and pat them dry with a towel, this allows the meat to sear and not the juices to just steam the meat, this is what makes it look like a blaze brown, vs. crispy crusted sear!

3. While your Mexican Barbacoa meat is searing, in a small mixing bowl, place the following ingredients; beef broth, apple cider vinegar, tomato sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and sea salt and pepper. Stir or whisk until combined.

4. Once the beef is seared, return to the crock pot (slow-cooker) and then pour the mixture over the roast.

5. Chop onion and sprinkle over the top of the chuck roast.

6. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours (I needed to rush mine just a bit, so I cooked on high for the first hour, then returned to low for 3 hours). Resist the urge to check on it as slow cookers do best when you don’t open the lid.

Slice, “pull” or cube the chuck roast into bite size pieces and ta-da, tender, easy Mexican Barbacoa beef waiting for you to serve as desired, but especially as tacos barbacoa.

MEXICAN POT ROAST

At this point the beef may be eaten just like a pot roast, a delicious Mexican pot roast if you will.

Spoon on some of the juices from the crock pot, serve with Cilantro Lime Rice and a crisp salad or….read on and make it into these fresh and amazing street tacos barbacoa. 

How to Grill Corn

• While my roast was doing it’s thang, I also grilled up a quick ear of corn, totally optional!
• Shuck your corn and rinse well, pat dry. On a hot grill or griddle pan place your corn on the cob on the griddle and grill all sides until blackened in places and tender.
• Cool slightly, then cut corn off the cob for serving with the tacos. (Optional)

If making Mexican barbacoa street tacos, assemble your toppings in small bowls, for easy taco making.

I love these small bowls, great for toppings, dips, sauces, salsa’s and more!

I provided the option of Mini-Taco (or street taco) sized corn or flour tortillas, found at my local grocery store or you may certainly use regular sized corn tortillas or soft flour if you’d like.

GRAIN FREE, PALEO, LOW CARB, GLUTEN FREE STREET TACOS

If trying to go grain free all together, pile your taco fixings on a sturdy leaf of Butter or Romaine lettuce. The Mexican barbacoa beef is naturally gluten free.

How to Make Avocado Lime Dressing

If making the Avocado Lime Dressing which is delicious on salads as well as street tacos.

Place a peeled, seeded and sliced avocado into a blender* along with juice of 1 lime to start and 1 tablespoon plain yogurt, season with a little salt and pepper to taste.

TFC PROT TIP | *I used my Ninja blender (one of my favorite kitchen tools!) worked fabulous!

HINT | Watch the size of your avocado and limes, you may need to adjust your lime juice up or down depending on the size of the avocado or else it will be really limey — which I like, but others may not.

Blend and add a little lime juice at a time, taste, adding water to thin as needed. Store covered and refrigerated until ready to use.

Street Taco Topping Suggestions

• Sliced olives
• Roasted red peppers
• Feta or Goat cheese, Mexican Shredded or other crumbly Mexican Cheese
• Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
• Make Barbacoa Beef Chipotle style and drizzle on this delicious White Queso.
• Sliced Jalepeños
• Finely chopped yellow or pickled red onions
• Shredded Red Cabbage
• Chopped fresh Cilantro
• Salsa | Super easy blender salsa and so good!
• Sliced avocados or make this super easy Guacamole.

A few other simple, fresh recipes to try:

• Summertime Shish Kebabs
• Grilled Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Easy Pulled Pork
• Cheese Enchiladas (The Cheesiest)
• Copycat Chipotle Chicken
• Hibiscus Margarita
• Hibiscus Dark & Stormy

This recipe was moderately adapted from Jar of Lemons.

Mexican Barbacoa Beef in Crock Pot

Simple and tasty, Mexican Barbacoa Beef. Slow cooked in a savory, spicy (but not hot) sauce, with loads of fresh taco toppings. Make delicious Chipotle style Mexican Barbacoa Street Tacos.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 -16 street tacos

Calories: 197kcal

Author: Kathleen Pope

Equipment

• ▢
  All-Clad Slow Cooker
• ▢
  Pampered Chef Small Batter Bowl

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

BARBACOA BEEF

• ▢ 1-½ lb Chuck Roast or steak
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil or other high heat oil
• ▢ 1 cup beef broth
• ▢ ½ cup tomato sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup lime juice fresh squeezed, about 2 medium limes
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ yellow onion chopped fine
• ▢ 12 corn tortillas street sized, or flour tortillas. Or 6 regular sized

TACO TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

• ▢ 1 cup tomatoes I used grape tomatoes, chopped
• ▢ 1 cup lettuce shredded. Can use cabbage or both
• ▢ 1 avocado sliced and peeled
• ▢ ¼ cup Cotija cheese crumbled or other Mexican cheese
• ▢ 1 ear corn fresh, blistered and blackened on all sides (I used my grill or may use BBQ or just cut fresh off the cob)
• ▢ Lime wedges optional for garnish
• ▢ Cilantro chopped (optional for garnish)

AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

• ▢ 1 large avocado ripe, peeled and seeded, rough chopped
• ▢ 1-2 limes juiced (adjust according to taste)
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons plain yogurt regular or Greek
• ▢ Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Barbacoa Beef

• In a large pot (or stovetop safe slow cooker crock) drizzle in 1-2 tablespoons oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Place chuck roast (or steak) carefully in the pot and sear (brown) on all sides, just a few minutes per side. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
• In a medium mixing bowl; mix together your beef broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, lime juice, spices together. Once your beef is seared on all sides, transfer (if necessary) to the slow cooker or crock pot and pour over your broth mixture. Top the beef with your chopped onion and cover.
• Cook on low for 5 hours. See notes for quicker or longer cooking times.

AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

• In a blender place your peeled & seeded avocado, lime juice and yogurt. Whir until smooth. If necessary add water until a pourable consistency.
• Note: If you use a smaller avocado and larger limes it will be really "limey" which I don’t mind, but you may want to taste it after the juice of 1 lime, then add more as desired. Season with a little salt and pepper, to taste. Store in fridge, covered until ready to use.

ASSEMBLE THE TACOS

• Prep your toppings in small bowls so each person may assemble their own tacos. Warm tortillas (I just warmed in 200 degree oven wrapped in a clean tea towel for 10 minutes). Remove meat from slow cooker, and using a sharp knife, slice or chop into bite size pieces.
• Serve with a wedge of lime and fresh, chopped cilantro along with a drizzle of the Avocado Lime Dressing.

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Notes

Other topping ideas:

• Sliced olives
• Roasted red peppers
• Feta or Goat cheese, Mexican Shredded or other crumbly Mexican Cheese
• Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
• Sliced Jalepeños
• Finely chopped yellow or red onions
• Shredded Red Cabbage

TIP | Need to have this recipe ready sooner than 5 hours, for the first hour, cook on HIGH then lower to low for the next 3 hours. Additionally, this may be cooked on low for 6-8 hours.

This recipe was moderately adapted from Jar of Lemons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg

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