Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Mexican cuisine, like so many cuisines of the Americas, is often a remix of immigrant dishes using local ingredients and traditions of both indigenous and colonial heritage. In this Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa, our chefs offer an easy to make homage to a soulful dish of Northern Mexico. This recipe transforms a humble cut of beef and simple ingredients into a savory treasure you’ll want to make again and again. Mexican Barbacoa venerates the art of slow-cooking and braising meats into succulent, fall-off-the-bone delights. 

Starting with a low-cost beef chuck roast, we liberally season it with salt and our unique Chipotle Spice, a blend packed with smoky-savory-aromatic notes with a kiss of heat from classic Mexican chilis. The slow cooker works as good as any cast iron pot atop a barbecue with less effort. Lime juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and a hint of chicken broth join forces, creating a marinade and braising juice that captures all the beef drippings to create those savory depths we all long for in comfort dishes. Over the span of eight hours, the home fills with an intoxicating aroma, a tantalizing prelude to the grand reveal. As the beef simmers, jasmine rice awaits, poised to soak up the essence of this flavorful symphony. The beef undergoes a remarkable transformation in the slow cooker—its fibers tender, beckoning to be shredded. Adorned with the essential herb cilantro and tangy lime wedges, this dish transcends mere sustenance. It’s an invitation to savor tradition, to partake in a complex dance of flavors, and to pay a heartfelt homage to Northern Mexico woven into each delectable bite.