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Mexican Shredded Beef Barbacoa in a cast iron pan

How to Make The Ultimate Beef Barbacoa

This Ultimate Beef Barbacoa is the juiciest, most flavorful braised chuck roast you'll ever eat! This easy to follow and simple recipe, also has instructions for instant pots and slow cookers. It's great for Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Bowls, Plates, Enchiladas, Tortas, etc... You name it and this shredded Mexican beef is great for all!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latin American, Mexican
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 5.5 lbs Beef Chuck Roast
  • 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 3 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 2 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
  • ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 3 Cups Red Onions- Slivered
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Garlic- Roughly Chopped
  • ¼ Cup Poblano Pepper- Diced Or 1 can of Diced Chilis
  • 1 Tbsp Ancho Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Fine Ground Black Pepper
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • ½ Cup Cilantro Stems- Chopped
  • 2 Tbsp Tamari Gluten Free Soy Sauce
  • 2-1/2 Cup Beef Broth Or Chicken Broth
  • ¼ Cup Turbinado Raw Sugar

Garnishments

  • ⅓ Cup Cilantro- Roughly Chopped
  • Lime Wedges

Optional Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
  • Guajillo Peppers

Instructions
 

  • Prep all your ingredients.
  • Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  • Slice the Chuck Roast into 3-4 inch pieces. Then toss with the salt, cumin, and oregano.
  • In a large Dutch Oven, preheat on high with the oil, and brown the meat. This is merely for flavor, so you really only need to get a couple sides nicely browned.
    browned beef
  • Once browned, add the apple cider vinegar to deglaze the pan, use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix together and bring the pot to a boil.
    Garlic, Onions, poblano peppers, beef in a dutch oven
  • Once at a boil, stick it in the oven at 375°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325°F and keep braising for another 2 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes.
    Beef getting ready to be braised
  • Remove the bay leaves and roughly shred the meat to your preferred consistency using 2 large forks.

Finishing:

  • Using only the Beef Barbacao you plan to serve, place it in a cast iron and broil it on high until the tops start to caramelize.
  • Garnish with cilantro, lime and serve!
    Shredded Mexican Beef Barbacoa in a cast iron garnished with cilantro
  • Enjoy!

Notes

See Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot and Slow Cooker Instructions!
Keyword Authentic, Beef, Braised, Mexican, Slow Cooker
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