Description
This Braised Beef Barbacoa recipe features tender, flavorful beef chuck roast slow-cooked to perfection in a rich and smoky chipotle-adobo sauce. Perfect for tacos, burritos, bowls, or served over rice, this traditional Mexican dish is made easy with a simple oven-braising method and bold, vibrant spices.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into large chunks
For Searing
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 white onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Pat the beef chunks dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and black pepper to enhance the meat’s flavor and aid in browning.
- Sear the Beef: In a large Dutch oven or any oven-safe heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the beef chunks in batches, browning them on all sides for about 2–3 minutes per side. This step locks in flavor. Once browned, remove the beef pieces and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the quartered onion, garlic cloves, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, ground cumin, oregano, ground cloves, salt, pepper, and beef broth. Blend the mixture until you get a smooth, thick sauce.
- Braise the Beef: Return the seared beef chunks to the pot and pour the blended sauce evenly over the top. Add the bay leaves, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place it in the preheated oven. Allow to braise for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- Shred and Serve: Once the beef is tender, remove the pot from the oven and take out the bay leaves. Use two forks to shred the meat directly in the sauce, stirring well to combine. Serve the barbacoa hot in tacos, burritos, bowls, or over rice for a delicious meal.
Notes
- This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker by cooking on low for 8 hours.
- Alternatively, use an Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes for a faster version.
- Leftovers freeze well and develop even more flavor the next day.
- For a milder dish, reduce the chipotle peppers to 1 or 2 instead of 3.
