Beef Barbacoa (The Easy Way)
This beef barbacoa is slow-cooked in the Dutch oven and comes together quickly thanks to my barbacoa spice mix. No blender. No marinade. No dried chilis needed. Just a big batch of deeply flavored, fall apart beef, cooked hands-off, that can be turned into a variety of simple dinners throughout the week when things are getting hectic.
If you loved this Beef Barbacoa Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating below. Thank you!
Beef Barbacoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb beef beef cheek, brisket, or chuck roast
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil high-heat resistant
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 large onion diced
- 1/4 cup orange juice juice of 1 orange
- 1 cup beef stock or vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
Barbacoa Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp oregano or Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C (325F).
- Pat-dry the beef, cut it into 2-inch size pieces and season them with salt and pepper. Dice the onion.1.5 lb beef, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 large onion
- Prepare the barbacoa seasoning mix.1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- In a large Dutch oven or stove-to-oven dish, heat the oil over high heat. Sear the beef on both sides for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the Dutch oven and set aside on a clean plate.1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 until it starts to become translucent. Add the seasoning mix and cook for another 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly until fragrant. Add the orange juice and vinegar to deglaze the pan. Scrape up any bits from the bottom. Pour in the beef stock and stir to combine. Add the seared beef pieces alongside the bay leaf.1/4 cup orange juice, 1 cup beef stock, 2 bay leaves
- Pop the lid on and transfer the dish to the oven for 2 hours. Check the beef at the a 1 1/2 hour mark. Add more stock if needed and cook it for longer if it doesn't pull apart easily yet.
- Once fork tender, remove the beef from the oven. Take out the bay leaf and shred it with a couple of forks.
- Serve over rice, tacos, or in tacos and burritos alongside your favorite Mexican toppings. Ours are sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa, and shredded cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
Beef cuts: Now, when it comes to which cut of beef is best for barbacoa, it comes down to budget and preference. I’ve tried the following cuts using this recipe:
- Beef cheek: The meat is collagen-rich and deeply marbled. When braised slowly, they turn silky. This is my top choice for beef barbacoa!
- Beef brisket: Fattier meat than but oh so flavorsome.
- Beef chuck roast: Cheapest and most popular. A solid option.
Barbacoa spice mix: I use ground spices for convenience. Make sure they’re fresh and adjust the amount of chili to your liking. Our kids don’t like it very hot so I’d start with 1/4 tsp of chili flakes and gradually add more if needed. A dried bay leaf gives the dish extra richness.
Orange: The juice adds some acidity that helps cut through the richness of the meat and the sweetness works well with the rich smoky flavors.
Stock: I use beef stock but bone broth or vegetable stock are good options too.
Onion: A large yellow onion gives the barbacoa some savory and sweet notes.
Slow Cooker Instructions
If I’m going out, I reduce the stock to 1/4 cup and just pop everything in the slow cooker after searing the meat and cook it on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Instant Pot Instructions
You can cook the full babarcoa in the Instant Pot. Start by using the Sauté function to sear the seasoned beef until it develops a deep, caramelized crust on all sides. Switch over to the Pressure Cook on high for 60 minutes. Slow release for 15 minutes before carefully opening the pot. Shred the beef and enjoy!
7 easy ways to enjoy barbacoa
One protein, so many meal options. That’s what I love about this Mexican pulled beef. Double or triple batch it to be able to make a variety of meals in a heartbeat. Here are some of our favorites:
- Tacos: Corn tortillas, white onion, cilantro, lime.
- Quesabarbacoa: Crispy, cheesy pan-fried or oven-baked tacos. Follow my quesabirria taco recipe.
- Loaded Bowls: Rice, beans, pickled onions, avocado, cabbage, your favorite toppings.
- Loaded Nachos or Fries: Topped with melted cheese, jalapeños, and crema. My birria nachos is a good base recipe.
- Breakfast: Mixed into scrambled eggs or added to a hash.
- Grilled sandwich: Just like my lamb sandwich, grilled with plenty of cheese between chunky sourdough slices – yum!
- Casserole: Mixed with rice, beans, corn, salsa verde – topped with a plenty of cheese and baked until heated through and golden.