I have a confession to make. I have never tried Chipotle’s Beef Barbacoa. Oh sure, I’ve been to Chipotle a million times. But I’m a more of a carnitas kind of a girl. So my family all thought it was a little odd when I came home with a chuck roast and announced I was going to make Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa. Oh ye of little faith! All three of them actually got off of the couch to come and check it out as I pulled it out of the crock pot…the house smelled delicious!
Anyone that knows me, knows I love tacos. I love carnitas tacos and ground beef tacos, black bean tacos and chicken tacos. I love flour tortillas, corn tortillas, hard shell and soft shell. I even love Taco Bell (I was once told my Disney Princess was Taco Belle…thanks Katie, I still get a chuckle out of that one). I will never pass up an opportunity to eat tacos. I will never pass up an opportunity to make tacos.
See-wanting to make slow cooker beef barbacoa wasn’t strange. Not strange at all.
There are a lot of recipes out there, but none that excited me. I wanted a bit of citrus combined with my spicy chipotle. I wanted to make sure the beef was easy to prepare, but had enough flavor that it could be eaten alone, without taco fixings. Well friends, I think I found exactly what I was looking for!
This recipe is perfect for those busy nights. You can easily start this in the morning and come home to a delicious dinner. I finished it off with flour tortillas, sautéed red peppers, red onions and cilantro. My teenager pronounced them the best tacos ever. My husband, not a fan of red pepper or onion, decided on the more traditional lettuce and cheese fixings. Totally versatile!
You can click on the picture below to pin this recipe. You know you’re going to want the recipe later!
A tender citrus kissed beef with a hint of chipotle, perfect for tacos!
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Ingredients
- 3 pound chuck roast trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 3 Tablespoons shallots roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce chopped (if you prefer your meat spicy, add 1-2 additional Tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
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Place orange juice, lime juice, shallots, garlic, chipotle, cumin, and salt into a blender.
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Blend until mixture forms a thick sauce, set aside.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add chunks of beef to hot skillet and sear 1-2 minutes on each side.
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Place seared beef into a slow cooker.
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Pour sauce over beef.
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Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until meat is tender and falling apart.
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Drain meat, keeping juices in a separate bowl.
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Skim fat from juices and add desired amount back to meat.
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Serve and enjoy!
Yum! I make my own tortillas and love trying new ways to fill them up! Can’t wait to try it!
I would LOVE to make my own tortillas!
You rocked this!! A little inspiration and creativity can go a long way. Plus you impressed the teen?! Yeah, I say you have a winner!
Thanks! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. This one WAS a winner!
This all sounds and looks SOOO delicious yummy!! Thanks for sharing I am going to try it out!
Try it! You’ll like it 🙂
This recipe sounds amazing! I just printed it off to give it a try and also pinned it to my dinner board. Thank you for sharing!
YAY! Hope you love it! Share away!
Looks delicious! I want to try! I’m trying to do some more slow cooker meals, to be able to eat them for two days in a row possibly. My husband and I are both kind of big eaters (like 2 servings is usually just one for me), so I might have to increase the recipe!
Quick and easy!
Well I hate my dinner now. haha. This looks amazing!
Ha-Ha, I’m sure yours is amazing also!
I get the barbacoa all the time at Chipotle, I will definitely have to try this!
I’ve never had it, but I sure do like this one! I’m going to have to try it at Chipotle next time!