Slow Cooker Barbacoa-Style Beef Tacos for Eight

A 3 lb chuck roast turns into tacos for eight people with about 15 minutes of real work. The rest is the slow cooker's job.

Chuck is the right cut here because it's full of connective tissue. Eight hours on low breaks that down into meat you can pull apart with two forks. A leaner roast like sirloin will dry out long before it gets tender.

The flavor comes from four chipotle peppers in adobo, five cloves of garlic, cumin, oregano and a little ground clove. Lime juice and cider vinegar cut through the fat. Sear the meat first if you can. That browning is where the deep flavor starts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cut and season the beef

Cut the roast into 6 to 8 large chunks and season every side with salt and pepper.

2. Sear the chunks

Warm a drizzle of oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, working in batches if the pan looks crowded. Move each browned piece to the slow cooker.

3. Mix the sauce

In a bowl, stir together the chopped chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, a pinch of salt and pepper, the beef broth, cider vinegar and lime juice.

4. Pour and cook

Pour the sauce over the beef and drop in the bay leaves. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily.

5. Shred and soak

Pull out and throw away the bay leaves. Lift the beef out, shred it with two forks, then put it back in the pot. Let it sit in the sauce for at least 10 minutes before serving.

6. Build the tacos

Spoon the beef into warm tortillas and add your toppings.

Variations

• Serve the shredded beef over rice with black beans instead of in tortillas.
• Pile it on a salad with avocado, lime and cilantro for a lighter meal.
• Use the same method with a pork shoulder, cut into chunks, for a pork version.

How to Store Slow Cooker Barbacoa-Style Beef Tacos

Frequently Asked Questions

Slow Cooker Barbacoa-Style Beef Tacos for Eight

Chuck roast braises eight hours in chipotle, cumin and lime, then shreds into smoky barbacoa for a taco night that feeds eight people.

15 minPrep time480 minCook time505 minTotal8Servings

Print RecipePin Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 lb beef chuck roast
• pepper (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• oil (a drizzle)
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup beef broth
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 3 bay leaves
• flour tortilla (or corn tortillas)
• rice (cooked)
• pico de gallo
• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• guacamole
• fresh cilantro leaf
• avocado (sliced)

Instructions

1. 1Cut and season the beef — Cut the roast into 6 to 8 large chunks and season every side with salt and pepper.
2. 2Sear the chunks — Warm a drizzle of oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, working in batches if the pan looks crowded. Move each browned piece to the slow cooker.
3. 3Mix the sauce — In a bowl, stir together the chopped chipotles, garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, a pinch of salt and pepper, the beef broth, cider vinegar and lime juice.
4. 4Pour and cook — Pour the sauce over the beef and drop in the bay leaves. Put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours, until the meat pulls apart easily.
5. 5Shred and soak — Pull out and throw away the bay leaves. Lift the beef out, shred it with two forks, then put it back in the pot. Let it sit in the sauce for at least 10 minutes before serving.
6. 6Build the tacos — Spoon the beef into warm tortillas and add your toppings.

Cook's note: Cooking times vary by slow cooker, so check the beef at the 8-hour mark and add time if it still resists a fork.

Servings: 8

Cuisine: Mexican-American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker15 minutes480 minutes505 minutes