Tacos always make a delicious snack or you can pair them with sides to make a complete meal. In this recipe the taco filling is a fantastic barbacoa beef mixture. Beef chuck roast is one of the best meats to use for barbacoa beef but if you prefer another flavor and texture, try using beef cheeks or brisket.
These tacos have chipotle chilies in the mix to spice them up. Since some chilies in adobo are pretty spicy and others aren’t, you might like to start with a couple and increase the amount if and when needed.
The filling also has garlic, cumin, oregano, cloves, and lime juice, to offer a rich, bold taste in every mouthful of the finished barbacoa beef tacos. Top your tacos with onions, crumbled cheese, cilantro, salsa, avocado slices, or anything else you like.
Why You’ll Love the Recipe
Barbacoa beef tacos are a delicious option for snacking or for a main dish. They’re meaty, juicy and bursting with south of the border flavors.
Ingredients needed:
- Garlic cloves
- Beef chuck roast
- Cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried oregano
- Olive oil
- Ground cloves
- Beef broth divided
- Bay leaves
- Chipotle chiles in adobo
- Fresh lime juice
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How to Serve It
Pair these with Mexican rice, some vegetables or a salad perhaps.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes, you can cook the taco filling ahead and then just assemble and serve later.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep some of the broth in there too and just drain after you’ve heated it back up.
Variations and Substitutions
You can use a crockpot, Instant Pot or the oven to make this. If you want to bake it in the oven, it will take 4 or 5 hours at 275 to 300 degrees F. Make sure you tightly cover the baking dish with foil so the broth doesn’t evaporate and you can lock all the flavor and moisture in.
You’re going to enjoy this meaty, juicy recipe. The tacos are filled with a tender beef mixture that’s flavored with south of the border seasonings. Once you’ve tried these they might very well become your new go-to taco recipe.
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Barbacoa Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 6 Garlic cloves
- 3 lbs. Beef chuck roast
- 1 ½ Tbsp. Cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp. Dried oregano
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- ¼ tsp. Ground cloves
- 1 ¼ C. Beef broth divided
- 3 Bay leaves
- 3 Chipotle chiles in adobo
- ¼ C. Fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Slice the roast into six pieces and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Take turns searing the slices of roast on both sides in the skillet, and then place them into the slow cooker.
- Add the garlic, chipotle chiles and ¼ cup of the beef broth to a food processor, and blend until smooth.
- Whisk together the chipotle mixture with the remaining beef broth, cumin, oregano and cloves.
- Pour the mixture over the roast in the slow cooker, and add in the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.
- Remove the roast pieces and shred the meat with two forks.
- Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker, and stir in the lime juice.
- Serve on tortillas or with your choice of sides.
