Learn how to make Chipotle barbacoa in the comfort of your home with our copycat barbacoa recipe. It's slow cooked, shredded, and full of flavor, thanks to our secret sauce that has just the right amount of heat and smokiness.
If you love this Mexican restaurant, you'll also want to try our mouthwatering Chipotle pork carnitas and our Chipotle carne asada recipes.
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Ingredients
The ingredients in beef barbacoa are mostly pantry staples, and are readily available at large grocery stores in the U.S. Check the Hispanic or International section for the chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce and the Mexican oregano.
- Meat: We used chuck roast for the photo shoot, but you can also use beef brisket.
- Spiciness: We used five large chipotle chilies canned in adobo sauce, and one tablespoon of adobo sauce.
- Citrus: We used freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Broth: We used beef broth for more flavor, but in a pinch you can use water.
- Dried Spices: We used Mexican oregano, cumin, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. If you can't find Mexican oregano, substitute with Italian oregano.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the Chipotle barbacoa.
- Add the chilies, garlic, and beef broth to the food processor. Then, add the red wine vinegar, lime juice, and adobo sauce, and finish with the dried spices.
- Purée the sauce; you should have 1 ⅔ cups.
3. Prepare the meat by cutting each roast into 3 or 4 chunks, then rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. This step will help prevent steam when browning the meat. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and black pepper.
4. In a large Dutch oven, heat up the oil over medium high heat until shimmering, then add three or four chunks of beef. Turn the heat down to medium and brown the beef on each side for roughly 4 minutes, or until it easily releases from the pan with a gentle tug. Repeat with the rest of the meat.
5. Put the beef in a large crock pot and pour the sauce over the meat, making sure to coat each piece. Place the 2 bay leaves in the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Make sure the meat is braised until tender.
6. After the meat is done cooking, remove the meat from the crock pot. Skim off any fat with a spoon and strain the liquid into a container.
Pictured above is the barbacoa after it was cooled in the fridge for 6 hours. Once it is cooled, the fat will float to the top and harden, making it easy to remove.
7. Allow the meat to cool enough to handle, then shred it with two forks or your hands.
8. Stir in enough sauce to keep the meat moist, and discard the rest. Serve our copycat barbacoa warm with our other copycat Chipotle sides, or use it to make mouthwatering burritos, tacos, nachos, or quesadillas.
Recipe FAQs
Barbacoa is made using beef shoulder. The fat content in this cut of beef keeps the meat moist while it cooks. The results are juicy and tender meat that almost melts in your mouth. The meat is marinated in a spicy chipotle pepper adobo and then cooked slowly with aromatic spices like oregano, cloves, and bay leaf.
Barbacoa in Spanish means barbecue, and can refer to the type of meat itself or the method of cooking.
The flavor of the barbacoa is a tiny bit spicy due to the chipotle chilies and adobo sauce used in the marinade but it is also full of other flavors and contrasting spices. The meat is juicy, tender, and considered to be one of the most flavorful entrees on the menu. Our family finds the beef barbacoa to be richly flavored and gloriously tender, not spicy hot.
They both have lots of tasty flavors and cook up into tender cuts of meat but the type of meat and the cooking method make these two dishes quite different. Chipotle uses beef shoulder for the barbacoa, and pork shoulder for the carnitas. Even though they are both slow-cooked and shredded, the carnitas has an extra step at the end where the shredded meat is browned until it is crisp.
Serve
Copycat Chipotle barbacoa tastes great when served over a bed of Chipotle cauliflower rice, Chipotle black beans, or Chipotle pinto beans. Add more color and flavor with Chipotle fajita veggies, then finish it off by topping with Chipotle corn salsa, Chipotle fresh tomato salsa, or Chipotle tomatillo green chili salsa.
Store
Make Ahead: You can easily make this copycat Barbaoca recipe ahead of time.
Leftovers: Allow the meat to cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Reheat: If your meat was in the fridge, reheat the shredded meat in the slow cooker on high for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, then turn it to warm until you're ready to serve it.
Freeze: Place in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to three months.
Expert Tips
- Take the time to brown the beef.
- Use beef broth for more flavor.
- Use chipotle chilies that are canned in adobo sauce.
- Use Mexican oregano for a more authentic flavor.
- Reheat the 6 cups of the shredded meat in the slow cooker on high for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, then turn it to warm until you're ready to serve it at your party.
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Recipe
Chipotle Barbacoa (Copycat Recipe)
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 5 whole chipotle chilies, canned in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 6 jumbo garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1 cup beef broth
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
For the Meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or rice bran oil
- 4 pounds chuck roast, cut into 7 or 8 pieces
- sprinkle of kosher salt on beef
- sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper on beef
- 2 large bay leaves
Instructions
- Add all 11 sauce ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. It will make 1 ⅔ cups.
- Cut the beef into 4-6 large chunks, then rinse them with cold water and pat them dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add half of the meat, then reduce the heat to medium. Brown the meat on each side for roughly 4 minutes, or until it releases with a gentle tug with a pair of tongs. Set the browned chunks on a plate.
- Place the meat at the bottom of a large crock pot and pour half of the sauce on top, making sure to coat each piece. Repeat with the second layer. Place two bay leaves on top of the meat, cover, and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Once the meat is cool enough to handle, shred the beef with two forks. Add enough of the sauce to make the meat moist. You should have 6 cups of shredded meat (1.36 kg).
- Keep the meat warm in the crock pot on the warm setting, and serve with other Chipotle copycat sides in a burrito bowl, tacos, nachos, or a salad.
Notes
- Brown the beef. It's worth the time.
- For more flavor, use beef broth instead of water.
- Chipotle chilies that are canned in adobo sauce provide the heat and smokiness.
- For a more authentic flavor, use Mexican oregano.
- Reheat the 6 cups of the shredded meat in the slow cooker on high for 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, then turn it to warm until you're ready to serve it at your party.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Seemi Kazmi
hello can this be made ahead of time?
masooma kazmi
I meant days in advance. thank you
Emma
Yes, Seemi, the barbacoa can be made up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge until needed. It also can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cristine
This is by far the best copycat Chipotle Barbacoa recipe out there. The recipe was easy to follow and the flavor is absolutely amazing. Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed!
Emma
Thank you so much, Cristine! You made our day!
Alex
The meat is chewy, and the spices in the beef bring so much flavor. It tastes excellent with cilantro lime rice and guac. I declare this to be delectable!
Emma
Thanks for your kind review, Alex!
Beth
This barbacoa smells amazing! This is fabulous with rice and pico and guac. It is only a tad bit spicy, but it's packed with flavor. I think it tastes just as good as the Chipotle version.
Emma
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the barbacoa, Beth!