Tender Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Tacos Easy Recipe with Pickled Red Onions
A flavorful and tender slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe served with tangy pickled red onions, perfect for easy weeknight dinners or casual gatherings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 hours (low) or 4-5 hours (high)
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes to 10 hours 10 minutes (low) or 4 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 10 minutes (high)
- Yield: 8 servings (about 2 tacos per serving) 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
- 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1 cup beef broth (low sodium preferred)
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving
- Fresh cilantro, chopped, for topping
- Avocado slices, optional
- Crumbled queso fresco, optional
- Pinch of sugar (optional, for pickled onions)
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chuck roast and pat dry with paper towels (optional browning step).
- In a small bowl, combine minced garlic, chopped chipotle peppers, ground cumin, oregano, cloves, salt, and pepper. Stir in beef broth to make the barbacoa sauce.
- Place the beef roast in the slow cooker. Pour the barbacoa sauce over the beef and add bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
- While the beef cooks, thinly slice the red onion and place in a bowl. Cover with white vinegar, add a pinch of salt and sugar (optional), and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate up to 24 hours.
- Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Discard bay leaves. Return shredded beef to the slow cooker and stir to coat with juices.
- Warm corn tortillas on a dry skillet or over a low flame until pliable.
- Assemble tacos by spooning shredded barbacoa onto tortillas. Top with pickled onions, fresh cilantro, avocado slices, and queso fresco if using. Squeeze fresh lime juice over each taco.
Notes
Optional to brown the beef before slow cooking for added flavor. Adjust chipotle peppers to control spice level. Use corn tortillas for gluten-free option. Add a splash of beef broth after shredding if beef seems dry. Pickled onions taste better after sitting for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 2 tacos per se
- Calories: 350400
- Fat: 1518
- Carbohydrates: 2530
- Fiber: 35
- Protein: 3035
Keywords: beef barbacoa, slow cooker tacos, pickled red onions, easy beef tacos, Mexican tacos, chipotle beef, slow cooker recipe