OK, I’ll admit something. I used to be a Chipotle addict. When I lived in Atlanta, Chipotle was my Saturday afternoon ritual. Even when I moved away and I would often go back, I made sure to stop at Chipotle so I could bring home dinner. Then of all the drama happened and John and I haven’t eaten there in well over a year, until recently. I was in Atlanta not too long ago and decided to take a chance and indulge in a burrito bowl. Oh it was good. I always stick to my usual at Chipotle (chicken) but John would often get the barbacoa. Even though I’ve never tried it, he raved about it which made me want to try my hand at slow cooker barbacoa.
I think John was so shocked and surprised when he came home and saw chuck roast in the fridge – that never happens. I was so intrigued by the recipe that Gimme Some Oven shared on her blog that I HAD to make it. Not to mention I could make it in my slow cooker, which means you can prep it then forget it.
Even though I often forget that I own a slow cooker, I do really enjoy making meals in it. Besides this recipe, I recently stopped it from collecting dust in a closet to make a slow cooker Creole chicken – so yummy.
OK back to the barbacoa. As it cooked, it filled our home up with a tangy and savory smell that was starting to make me feel a little antsy because I was ready to just dig in! It was well worth the wait though. I’m actually thinking of making this again really soon. The juices and spices from the barbacoa make it even better. It’s perfect for nachos, burritos or tacos. We used our barbacoa for tacos the first night. Lucky for us we had leftovers so I did my best to recreate barbacoa burrito bowls like John used to have at Chipotle.
I think we were pretty content with this dinner.
Let’s make slow cooker barbacoa
Slow Cooker Barbacoa
Notes
According to Gimme Some Oven, you can refrigerate the barbacoa for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss gently to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours (until the beef is tender and falls apart easily).
- Using two forks, shred the beef inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve.
