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Ah, Chipotle – my love. I adore the chicken, the fajita veggies, but the beef barbacoa? To… Die… For. Especially with the fresh guacamole, for which I can never resist paying extra. “Why can’t you make this at home?” I wondered. It turns out, you can! My copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe is one of the easiest dishes you can make in a slow cooker.
If you didn’t adore your Crockpot before, I think you will, after you find out you can make beef barbacoa just like Chipotle’s in it! The best part is that the prep time takes a total of five minutes. Simply puree together everything except the beef and bay leaf, pour the mixture over beef chunks in your slow cooker, place the bay leaf inside, and let your Crockpot do all the work.
This easy beef barbacoa recipe is just another reason why I love Chipotle, because I have them to thank for helping me out with it. If you didn’t know, Chipotle publicly posts the ingredients list for every item on their menu! I’m both thrilled and amazed at their dedication to transparency.
I knew that the best way to mimic Chipotle barbacoa would have to be to use as many of the same ingredients as possible. It turns out that theirs only has eleven ingredients, plus water. This copycat recipe incorporates all of them, except the oils that they use. Most likely the oils are used to pan sear the beef prior to slow cooking, which you could certainly do if you’re so inclined, but I kept the recipe simple and didn’t find it necessary. The only other additions I made were apple cider vinegar and lime juice, to bring out the flavors even more, and substituting beef broth instead of water.
You can serve your slow cooker beef barbacoa any way you like, but my favorite way is in a big ol’ salad. I load it up with all the fixings, just like I would at Chipotle. Crisp romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, and because we’re not strictly paleo, shredded mozzarella and sour cream, too. Of course, can’t forget the guacamole! (You can get the guacamole recipe here.) Otherwise, if a wrap is more up your alley, try the barbacoa with 3-ingredient coconut flour tortillas instead.
Without me asking, my husband declared that this copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe was better than Chipotle. Sure, he’s a little biased, but it’s still the best compliment ever! I will add that this one is more spicy than Chipotle’s, so if you don’t like a lot of heat, you may want to reduce the amount of chile peppers in adobo sauce.
The recipe is also freezer-friendly, so I like to have a batch on hand to thaw for a quick dinner. If you’re looking for healthy or low carb Mexican recipes, try it out – you won’t regret it.
Chipotle Barbacoa Copycat Recipe in a Slow Cooker (Low Carb, Paleo):
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| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 1/3-lb servings | 10 minutes | 4 hours |
| Chipotle Barbacoa Copycat Recipe in a Slow Cooker (Low Carb, Paleo) This copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe is made in a slow cooker (Crockpot) using only 10 ingredients. Healthy, easy, naturally low carb, paleo & gluten-free.
|
- 3 lb Beef brisket or chuck roast (trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 1/2 cup Beef broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 medium Chipotle chiles in adobo (including the sauce, about 4 tsp)
- 5 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tbsp Dried oregano
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground cloves (optional)
- 2 whole Bay leaves
- Combine the broth, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, dried oregano, cumin, sea salt, black pepper, and ground cloves in a blender (everything except the beef and bay leaves). Puree until smooth.
- Place the beef chunks in the slow cooker. Pour the pureed mixture from the blender on top. Add the (whole) bay leaves.
- Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- Remove the bay leaves. Shred the meat using two forks and stir into the juices. Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the beef to absorb even more flavor. Use a slotted spoon to serve.
Net carbs per serving: 1g
| Print recipe |  Yum |
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Want more low carb, gluten-free ideas for beef? Try these:
Katrin says
Wow, this looks incredible! A perfect dinner.
Georgina says
I haven’t been to a Chipotle for eons so I couldn’t compare, but the flavors in this look fantastic!
STACEY CRAWFORD says
I can’t eat at Chipotle, so this would much better for me. Looks good!
Anna says
This looks amazing. Just pinned it in my crockpot recipes. Thanks, Anna
athleticavocado says
Chiptoles Barbacoa is amazing! Love that you recreated it in the slow cooker! Making ASAP 🙂
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
This recipe sounds incredible. I have a Chipotles about 1/4 mile from my house, but have never eaten there. I’ll have to try the Barbacoa and then try your copycat recipe. Thanks.
Sarah says
Ok, this just looks amazing! My husband would love it – I will have to try it!
Taryn says
Love Chipotle! The line is always out the door at lunch time. I’ll have to make it at home now.
Billie says
I love your recipes! Always so good, and now I can’t wait to make this one!
Sam says
Just made this recipe for dinner and it was great. Followed the instructions as written and I wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you so much, Sam!
Paige says
Just made this along with a recipe I have with cilantro lime rice – topped with black beans, the Barbacoa beef, Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro. Came out amazing!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Paige! Sounds like a delicious combination!
Aaron Clark says
Barbacoa is made with cheek meat, nothing else. What you have is good but still not real barbacoa.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Aaron, Thanks for the feedback. You can definitely use cheek meat if you prefer and the rest of the recipe would stay the same. Chipotle likely doesn’t use much cheek meat in their barbacoa, because USDA regulations would require them to declare it if it’s more than a small amount, due to various risks, including mad cow disease.
Jen Hoo says
Awesome, it looks so yummy. Wanna try it. Thank for sharing!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Jen!
Emily says
How much chili powder should be in the recipe? It says not to reduce the chili powder because it adds a lot to the flavor, but chili powder is not included in the ingredients list or the recipe. I am making it now, by the way, and it smells AMAZING!!
Savannah says
Hello! Recipe looks great and I am super excited to try it, but I am slightly confused. In one part of your recipe, you state not to reduce the chili powder. I do not see chili powder listed anywhere in the ingredients. How much do you use? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Hi Emily and Savannah, Thank you for noticing that! I apologize for the error in the post – there is no chili powder in the recipe. Originally there was (in earlier trials before the recipe was posted), but I ended up using other spices instead in the final version. So, the recipe card is correct, and I’ve now updated the post to clear the discrepancy. I hope you enjoyed the barbacoa!
Lauren says
Looks so yummy! I am wanting to make this for a family that just had a baby. How spicy is it? Love Chipotle but I haven’t had their beff barbacoa. Thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Lauren! That’s so nice of you to do! This does come out fairly spicy – just use one Chipotle pepper instead of two to reduce the heat if you’d like.