Crockpot Mexican-Inspired Barbacoa Beef

This Crockpot Mexican-Inspired Spicy Barbacoa Beef is the perfect meat to make a big batch of at the beginning of the week to then serve in all kinds of ways for easy meals throughout the week.

The beef is deliciously flavored and cooked until perfectly tender! And not to mention, so simple to make with very few ingredients. Simply sear the beef, saute the onions, then add everything to your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or 4-6 on high, but I always recommend slow and low if your schedule allows it to really let all the flavors meld together even more beautifully. 

Once the beef is cooked, you can add it to pretty much any meal at any time — breakfast, lunch or dinner! I’ll stuff it in some bell peppers and bake, use in lettuce wraps, make tacos or tostadas, top it on some salad as your protein, make burrito bowls, stuff it in mini bell peppers to make healthy “nachos”… the possibilities are really endless! For a more exciting breakfast option, we will even top our scrambled eggs with it on their own or in breakfast tacos.

So make this week’s meals easier and get a big batch of this Crockpot Spicy Barbacoa Beef cooking so you can easily use it to spice up your everyday meals!

And if you don’t have time for the crockpot, you can also try my Instant Pot version!

Crockpot Spicy Barbacoa Beef

Serves: 6 People

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5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chuck roast beef
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 white onion diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce + 1 tbsp. of the adobo sauce [If you are Whole30 use 2 tbsp. of Chipotle chili powder here instead and rub all over the beef]
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp salt [plus more for seasoning beef]
• freshly cracked black pepper [for seasoning the beef]

Instructions

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Trim excess fat off of roast, then season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in the hot skillet (about 2 mins per side). Place seared roast into the crockpot.
• In the same skillet, add the diced onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, until slightly tender. Place in the crockpot with the roast.
• Finely dice/mince the chipotle chiles. Place in a bowl with 1 tbsp. of the adobo sauce. In that same bowl, add the lime juice, apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, cumin, ground clove, oregano, garlic and salt. Mix until well-combined.
• Add the sauce to your crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.
• When cooking time is complete, using two forks shred the beef until shredded finely (or to your liking).

Notes

Serving Suggestions: make tacos, serve over a salad, stuff bell peppers and bake, serve over cauliflower "rice," quinoa, or regular rice to make burrito bowls. No matter which way you decide to serve, don't forget the pico!