Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe
Make ultra tender, slightly spicy barbacoa chipotle beef in the slow cooker or pressure cooker, whichever you prefer! Use it in burrito bowls, tacos, and so much more. An easy weeknight meal that the entire family will enjoy.
Barbacoa Chipotle Copycat Recipe
This Chipotle copycat recipe may be even better than the original. Seasoned perfectly and loaded with flavor, this Mexican barbacoa is super tender, lightly spicy, and the perfect protein for salad bowls, tacos, and quesadillas.
The meat goes with just about everything! Whether you want to make burrito bowls with rice and chipotle corn salsa, or make a taco salad with all of your favorite toppings, this delicious beef barbacoa recipe is a staple.
Copycat chipotle barbacoa beef is cooked with a mixture of chipotle peppers, beef broth, spices, and lime juice until it becomes fall apart tender. And the best part — as it simmers away, it makes your house smell so good!
If you’re looking for great recipes that are Paleo and Whole30 compatible, then you can add this one to the list. It has quickly become one of my favorite things to make since it’s so versatile and I can use it many different ways. If you’re ready for the best barbacoa tacos or loaded rice bowls, then let’s get started making the best barbacoa chipotle beef.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This amazing barbacoa beef recipe has so much to love. This is a great meal because:
- You can choose the cooking method you’d like to use to make this tasty beef dish. Either let it cook all day in the slow cooker, or throw it together quickly in the Instant Pot. A great recipe to use no matter the time frame that you have to cook!
- This flavorful shredded meat is a fabulous meal prep item. It stores and reheats very well so it’s great the next day and for a few days after that too!
- Since you can make a variety of different meals from chipotle barbacoa, it never gets old. Eat the same thing each time, or make a new dish with this incredible protein.
Ingredients
The best part about recipes like these is that they all use fresh ingredients. It provides the best flavor and the most tasty results. You can find everything you need at your local grocery store! Here’s what to grab on your next grocery run:
Beef Ingredients
- chuck roast
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- beef broth or vegetable broth
- chipotle peppers
- fresh lime juice
- seasonings:
- ground cumin
- dried oregano
- salt
- black pepper
Salad Bowl Ingredients
- romaine lettuce
- bell peppers
- cauliflower rice
- avocados
- cilantro
- lime
- pico de gallo or salsa
Substitutions and Variations
Salsa – I have a list of Whole30 compatible salsas if you need something that you can grab at the grocery store. You can also make homemade pico de gallo pretty easily, and this mango pico de gallo is delicious!
Roast – You can use any kind of roast to make barbacoa, but my preference is a beef chuck roast. However, you can use another type of beef roast, beef shoulder, or any kind of meat that you want to make beef barbacoa.
Peppers – I use canned chipotles in adobo if I can find a Whole 30 compatible brand, otherwise fresh diced peppers work great!
Oil – Oil is needed to sear the roast before placing it into the slow cooker. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand, like olive oil or avocado oil.
Bell Peppers –I personally prefer red bell peppers on my barbacoa taco salad, but you can use orange bell peppers, green, or yellow. And the same goes for romaine lettuce — you can build your salad on whatever bed of lettuce you would like. If you do not have dietary restrictions, you can use regular rice instead of cauliflower rice!
How to Make Chipotle Barbacoa
Whether you decide to use the pressure cooker, or want to make slow cooker barbacoa beef, I’ve got all the instructions that you’ll need! I’ve found that the results are identical, so just choose whichever cooking method works best for you. Here’s how to do both:
Slow Cooking Chipotle Barbacoa
Add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, sear the cut of beef you are using until it is brown on each side.
Transfer the seared beef to the crock pot.
Mince the garlic well, and then whisk it together in a small bowl with cumin, oregano, broth, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add in diced chipotle peppers and mix well.
Pour the chipotle sauce over the beef, then place the lid onto the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Shred the beef with two forks and then return it to the slow cooker and mix with the barbacoa sauce. Keep it on the warm setting until ready to serve!
Instant Pot Barbacoa Instructions
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode, and then brown the roast on each side.
Mince the fresh garlic well, and then mix it with ground cumin, dried oregano, beef broth, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add in the diced chipotle peppers and mix well. Pour the adobo sauce over the beef in the Instant Pot.
Set to high pressure cook for 70 minutes. Once it is finished, allow for a natural release for at least 15 minutes.
Shred the beef well and return it to the sauce in the Instant Pot. Set it on saute mode and mix the shredded meat with the sauce, then keep on the warm setting until you are ready to serve!
Salad Prep
Just before you are ready to serve the barbacoa meat, prep the salad ingredients.
Slice up fresh bell peppers and onions, and using the same skillet in which you seared the beef, sauté the veggies in a tablespoon of oil. This should take about 7-9 minutes, then remove from the skillet and set it aside.
Chop up the romaine lettuce and then sauté the cauliflower rice in a large skillet over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Cut the avocados just before you’re ready to eat then build each bowl with lettuce, barbacoa chipotle beef, cauliflower rice, avocado, pico, fresh cilantro and lime slice. You can use any of your other favorite toppings too!
Serve immediately and enjoy.
What to Serve with Barbacoa Chipotle Beef
Trust me, you’re going to love the beef so much you might just eat it with a fork right out of the slow cooker! But once you make it, the possibilities are basically endless.
You can eat it on lettuce wraps or top sweet potato toasts with the beef. Make a delicious breakfast and serve it with eggs. Or, make killer street tacos with cheese, diced onions, fresh cilantro and other fun toppings like roasted tomato salsa. Cilantro lime rice would make a great burrito bowl that is very reminiscent of the restaurant we’re taking inspiration from for the barbacoa!
Other toppings and serving ideas we love are:
Or I use it to make my Barbacoa and Plantain Sliders! Serve it up with a yummy cocktail like a spicy paloma or blood orange margarita too.
How to Store Leftover Barbacoa Beef
After shredding the beef, allow it to cool completely. Then transfer the beef, along with about 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid, to a large zip lock bag or airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freeze for up to 4 months.
To reheat, place in the oven, on the stovetop, or in the microwave with some of the cooking liquid until it reaches a safe internal temperature.
Tips for Success
This incredible chipotle copycat recipe is just like the real deal. To make it extra succesful, here are a few solid tips:
- The best way to get the perfect flavor is to use all fresh ingredients. Fresh squeezed lime juice will taste much better than bottled lime juice.
- Sometimes, slow cookers can cook at different speeds, especially if your slow cooker is older. Ensure the beef is cooked to the correct temperature by using an instant read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Always add the shredded beef back to the sauce before serving. This helps give it extra flavor and makes it even more melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Recipe FAQ
Barbacoa beef is not especially spicy, but it has just enough heat that small children probably won’t enjoy it. If you really don’t like spicy food, then just omit the chipotles. If you leave them off, the flavor is very mild. And for those that would still want the chipotle flavor in your meal, you dice and saute the peppers separately and then add them directly to your portion.
A safe internal temperature of beef roast is 145°F. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your barbacoa beef before shredding it so that you can ensure it is thoroughly cooked.
More Healthy & Easy Recipes
If you like this recipe, check out more of my favorite Whole30 slow cooker recipes, or any of these:
- Chicken Faijtas (Instant Pot)
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (Instant Pot)
- BBQ Boston Butt (Instant Pot)
- Chicken Stew (Slow Cooker)
- Italian Lamb Shoulder (Slow Cooker)
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Chipotle Barbacoa Salad Bowls (Whole30, Low Carb)
Ingredients
Barbacoa Beef
- 2 lb chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced⠀
- 1 tablespoon cumin⠀
- 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano⠀
- 1 cup beef broth⠀
- 1 lime⠀ juiced
- 2 tablespoons diced chipotle peppers or 3 tablespoons, depending on your desired spice level ⠀
- 1/2 teaspoons salt⠀
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper⠀
Salad Bowls⠀
- 6 cups romaine lettuce⠀
- 2 bell peppers sliced thin⠀
- 2 cups cauliflower rice
- 2 avocados sliced⠀
- 1 cup fresh pico de gallo or salsa of your choosing⠀
- 15 cilantro leaves⠀
- 1 lime sliced⠀
Instructions
Cook the Barbacoa Beef
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the roast on all sides. Note: You can skip this step if you'd like.
- Chop the garlic. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, cumin, oregano, broth, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add in 2 to 3 tbsp. of diced chipotle peppers (or substitute 2 tbsp. chipotle in adobo, but check the label!).
- Transfer the beef to your slow cooker. Pour the chipotle and broth mixture over roast in slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and set it to low. Cook for 6 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
Prep the Veggies
- Meanwhile, slice the bell peppers and onions. Using the same skillet you browned the beef in, sauté the vegetables over medium heat in 1 tbsp of oil, for about 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set it aside.
- Tear or chop the romaine for salads.
- Saute the cauliflower rice in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Shred the Beef
- Once it's cooked and very tender, remove the beef from the slow cooker and set it in a large bowl. Using two forks, shred the beef, setting aside any tough fatty pieces.
- Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, cover, and set it to "Keep Warm," for at least 15 minutes or until you're ready to eat.
Assemble and Serve
- Cut the avocados just before you're ready to eat. Divide the romaine among four bowls. Top each bowl with the beef, cauliflower rice, avocado, pico, cilantro and lime slices.
