Enjoy our tender and juicy Crock Pot barbacoa beef that's full of savory and spicy flavors. Get our Chipotle copycat recipe right at home for cheaper than takeout.
Our Crock Pot Barbacoa Beef is better than Chipotle!
Slow cooker barbacoa recipe if you love Chipotle's barbacoa beef. You can serve it in a burrito, bowl, taco, on nachos, or in a quesadilla, there's literally so many ways you could use our shredded beef.
- Great for meal prep - Making a batch for the upcoming week you can turn into a variety of lunches or dinners.
- Super yummy - Bold, juicy, a tiny kick of spice, and full of flavor
- Quick and easy! - Make this recipe even easier by prepping the night before and pop it in the crock pot in the morning.
- Healthy - A great source of protein that's also low carb, gluten-free, and dairy free.
If you love Mexican food then you'll also want to try our Crock Pot carnitas or 3 ingredient Mexican shredded chicken.
Recipes list
- Chuck Roast - Other great cuts of meat that are perfect in a slow cooker are beef brisket, rump roast, or beef cheeks.
- Beef broth beef stock, bone broth, or concentrate
- Chipotle pepper sauce - If all you have is chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, just puree the chipotle peppers in the sauce in a food processor until smooth and use that.
- Garlic - garlic in a jar or frozen Dorot cubes are great too.
- Apple cider vinegar - white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar would all work well.
- Lime juice - Fresh lime juice is best, please don't use bottled. You could use orange juice in a pinch.
- Herbs & Spices - dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt & ground black pepper
** Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact quantities **
Kitchen tools
- Slow Cooker or Crockpot
How to make beef barbacoa
Place the beef roast in the Crock Pot.
In a small bowl, combine the beef broth, chipotle sauce, minced garlic, vinegar, lime juice, and spices. Pour over the top of the beef.
Cover the pot and cook on low for 8 hours.
Remove the beef and shred it with 2 forks.
Add the shredded beef back to the Crock Pot and mix it with the barbacoa sauce in the pot.
Serve the Crock Pot barbacoa beef on top of rice or use it for filling tacos. Enjoy!
More topping ideas include gaucamole, salsa, cilantro, adding black or pinto beans, queso fresco, pickled red onions, lime crema, or sour cream.
As written our recipe is keto-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free
Helpful tips
- You can sear the beef roast on the stove to get a golden brown crust on the outside before adding it to the slow cooker.
- Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months in a storage container.
More slow cooker recipes
- Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Mississippi pot roast with carrots and potatoes
- Cajun Slow Cooker Kielbasa
- Shredded Buffalo Chicken Dip
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Recipe
Crock Pot Barbacoa Beef (Chipotle Copycat)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Chuck Roast
- ½ cup Beef broth
- 3 tablespoons Chipotle pepper sauce
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Lime juice
- 1 tablespoon Dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Place the chuck roast in the crockpot
- In a small bowl, combine the broth, chipotle sauce, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, and spices.
- Pour on top of the beef.
- Cover and cook for 8 hours.
- Remove the beef from the crockpot and place it on a cutting board.
- Shred the beef with two forks.
- Add back the shredded beef in the slow cooker and mix the rest of the sauce.
- Serve on top of rice or use it for filling tacos.
Notes
- For delicious crispy browned beef bits, briefly sear beef chuck roast in a pan before adding to the slow cooker.
- Slow-cook beef barbacoa in a Dutch oven as well. Season and sear the beef on the stovetop before adding the rest of the ingredients. Coat the meat well in the sauce, cover, and slow cook in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 2.5-3 hours or until the meat is fall apart tender.
Carey Clark says
The second-last instruction says to mix "the rest of the sauce." Do you just mean that you should mix the shredded beef in with the sauce in the crockpot? Or is the recipe missing something?