Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

 

Ingredients

• 3 ½ pound chuck roast
• ▢½ cup beef broth
• ▢½ yellow onion, minced
• ▢3 chipotle peppers, in the can
• ▢5 cloves garlic
• ▢⅓ cup fresh lime juice
• ▢2 bay leaves
• ▢2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢2 teaspoons dried oregano
• ▢2 teaspoons salt, divided
• ▢1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

• Cut the chuck roast into large chunks, trimming off any excess fat. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet to medium, add in the olive oil and chunks of beef. Sear all sides, then remove and add the beef to your slow cooker insert.
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• While the beef is searing, add the chipotle peppers, garlic, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, oregano, cumin, remaining salt, pepper and cloves to a mini chopper or food processor and mix until puréed.
• Add in the onions and sauté until they are slightly tender.
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• Pour in the beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits of flavor. Pour the onions and broth over the beef. Add in the bay leaves.

• Mix in the chipotle mixture and cook on high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
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• If you have the kind of slow cooker insert that can be used on the stove top, then you can do your searing and deglazing in the insert.
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• Once the beef is tender and falling apart, remove and discard the bay leaves, and shred the beef using 2 forks. Add the beef back into the sauce and stir so all the beef is well coated.
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• I also like to add a squeeze of lime and some fresh chopped cilantro right before serving. This is optional, but highly recommended!