Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

One thing that has been enhanced by living in El Paso for so many years now is my love for authentic Mexican food (Move over Taco Bell, you’re out of the competition). The one of the biggest hurdles I'll have to get over when we leave is not having this food at every potluck, party or restaurant we go to. So, my solution has been to embrace the food as much as possible so I can recreate my favorites forever!

Barbacoa beef is delicious as a taco, nacho, burrito, scrambled with eggs, on a salad, on a fork, just about anywhere. I was surprised to learn how easy it is to prepare in my crockpot while I'm at work for the day. (The hard part is working out when your house smells AMAZING!).

This makes a bunch, so prepare to feed a family, a small army, or to freeze some for later.

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What you will need:

2-3lb Beef Roast (Any cut will do, just make sure there isn't a lot of fat)

16 oz Beef broth

2 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tbsp Oregano

1 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Rounded Tsp Cumin

1 tsp Onion Powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1 bay leaf (Don't forget the bay leaf!)

How to prepare:

Combine all ingredients into the crockpot. Take the roast and sear it on all sides for 1-2 and add to the crockpot. Turn it in the brine until coated, it’s ok if it is not completely submerged.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the beef, lift the lid and turn it up to high to let the broth evaporate and cook into the shredded beef. I prefer to cook off most of the liquid so the beef is a little dryer and juices do drip off so much.

Serve this right away or store in the refrigerator for a week. Any longer and it should be frozen to maintain freshness.

Pro Tip - If I’m making this during the week I’ll often make the brine the night before so it is ready to cook and all I have to do is sear the roast and I’m good to go!