Beef Barbacoa

Rich and flavorful, Beef Barbacoa is easy to make when you put your freezer meals together on the weekend and put your slow cooker to good use during busy weeknights. Toss the contents of the bag in your crock pot, and come back to hot, homemade, and delicious meals. And the smell is heavenly when you walk in the door, too.

Our simple freezer meal recipes involve mixing and measuring and chopping ingredients on the weekend once or twice a month, and prepping those meals in freezer-quality bags. With consistent weekend prep, you’ll have a huge variety of frozen meals ready to make your life easier. Most of our freezer meals can either be cooked in a slow cooker while you are at work, or cooked on the stovetop or oven in twenty minutes or less.

The result is less stress, less fast food, and more peaceful mealtimes. Priceless. Get a few more amazing family-friendly recipes under your belt with this recipe for Mongolian Meatballs or another favorite: Creamy Sausage Rigatoni. When you get hooked, our Freezer Meals 101 Club will be waiting for you with hundreds of recipes just waiting to be prepped.

Beef Barbacoa Recipe

Ingredients

• 3-4 lbs. chuck roast, cut into 3 inch chunks
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. cumin
• 3 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup beef broth

How to Cook Beef Barbacoa

Assembly Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag.
2. Squish gently to combine.
3. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Slow Cooker Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
2. Empty contents of bag into the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5.
4. Shred the meat with a fork.
5. Top with cilantro if desired.

Instant Pot Cooking Instructions

1. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
2. Empty contents of bag into the Instant Pot.
3. Close the lid and steam valve on the instant pot.
4. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.

I forgot to thaw the bag. Now what?

You’ll need to increase your cooking time to about twelve hours, possibly longer depending on the slow cooker. Using the Instant Pot with frozen meat may make it chewy and unpalatable.

My kids want to serve this with Naan. What gives?

Let’s face it. Meat in a rich, flavorful, spicy sauce over rice is a standard meal all over the world. Your kids are onto something. Beef Barbacoa is just as delicious in a pita wrap with tzatziki as it is served taco style on a tortilla. Don’t be afraid to change things up because you’ll find all kinds of ways to serve this meat.

What if I don’t have beef broth?

You have a couple of options. Try plain water. Or, you can use water mixed with “better than bouillon” if you have that. Half red wine and half water would be a good option. Or you can use vegetable broth.

Beef Barbacoa Recipe Ideas

You can also use stew meat that is already cut up rather than cutting your own from a roast.

Yes, this dish is on the spicy side, however reducing the number of peppers from the can will reduce the heat but keep the chipotle/adobo flavour. You can even just use the sauce from the can and leave out the peppers altogether.

Try different sauces drizzled on top! Ranch, blue cheese, avocado crema, garlic aioli, salsa, or honey mustard would all be equally delicious.

How do I store Beef Barbacoa?

Keep your leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze them. In the refrigerator, the beef barbacoa will last for three or four days. In the freezer, it can last for up to six months. To reheat the meat, use a skillet, oven, or microwave. It will become dry and chewy in the microwave quickly and is hard to gauge, so use small increments of time. The beef should be reheated to 165ºF and you can use an instant read thermometer to make sure it is safe.

What to Serve with Beef Barbacoa?

Serve the beef barbacoa over rice, tortillas, salad, or tortilla chips, topped with cilantro. You could even serve this meat over risotto or mac and cheese. Add a skillet of sauteed red peppers and onions on the side. Consider salads, fruit, black or pinto beans, or roasted veggies as a side dish.