Chipotle Beef Barbacoa Recipe Copycat in a Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

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Have you ever had the barbacoa beef at Chipotle? Their chicken is delicious. The fajita veggies they serve are mouth-watering. But the Chipotle barbacoa recipe? To. Die. For.

Especially when you add some guacamole. Yummmmm. If you’ve ever had it, you know. I bet you’ve wondered how to cook barbacoa at home, too. Turns out that this beef barbacoa recipe is incredibly easy and with just ten ingredients you can make authentic barbacoa right in a slow cooker.

If you didn’t adore your Crock Pot before, you will once you make this slow cooker barbacoa beef in it! The best part is that the prep time takes all of five minutes (and clean up is a breeze!).

Simply puree most of the ingredients in your blender, pour the mixture over beef chunks in your slow cooker, place the bay leaf inside, and you’ll be enjoying Crock Pot barbacoa for dinner!

What Is Barbacoa Made Of?

Barbacoa, simply, is a traditional Mexican cooked meat with spices that is tender, flavorful, and usually served shredded as a filling or topping. Making authentic barbacoa beef requires three things: the right meat, the proper spices, and time to cook it so that the flavors come together.

What Kind Of Meat Is Used For Barbacoa?

Traditionally a variety of meats can be used to make Mexican barbacoa, but this Chipotle copycat calls for brisket or chuck roast. You’ll just cut it into chunks and season it.

What Seasonings Are Used For Barbacoa Beef?

Traditional Mexican spices are combined to make a marinade that slow cooks with the meat. This Crock Pot barbacoa uses spices, peppers in adobo, lime, and broth for its rich flavor.

What’s The Secret To Cooking Barbacoa Beef?

The secret is that this is slow cooker barbacoa beef. The long cooking time is what allows the flavors to meld together in a truly mouth-watering, authentic combination that makes this the best beef barbacoa recipe you’ll ever try.

Chipotle barbacoa Recipe Ingredients

This easy beef barbacoa recipe is just another reason to love Chipotle! Did you know that Chipotle publicly posts the ingredients list for every item on their menu? Their dedication to transparency is yet another reason to enjoy them. Plus, it makes it easier to create Chipotle copycat recipes at home.

The best way to make a Chipotle barbacoa recipe at home is to start by seeing what they include when they cook up their delicious barbacoa beef. It turns out that theirs only has eleven ingredients, plus water.

This copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe incorporates all of those ingredients, except the oils that they use. Most likely the oils are used to pan sear the beef prior to slow cooking, but it’s totally not necessary to make this Crock Pot barbacoa. And you still end up with an amazing, savory homemade barbacoa beef!

To enhance the flavors of the spices used in this Chipotle Whole30 recipe, you’ll use apple cider vinegar and lime juice to this low carb Chipotle dish. It’s a subtle, but oh-so-delicious addition that adds a great taste but still keeps this a low carb Chipotle dinner. Instead of water, use beef broth as you make your slow cooker barbacoa beef for an even richer taste.

One quick note: this copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe is a bit spicier than Chipotle’s original, so if you don’t like a lot of heat you may want to reduce the amount of chile peppers in adobo sauce.

How To Make Barbacoa in a Crock Pot

Now let’s get to the important part. You’re wondering how exactly to make Mexican barbacoa. This Chipotle barbacoa recipe takes about five minutes of hands-on time and you can enjoy scrumptious barbacoa beef for dinner tonight!

You’re making this particular Crock Pot barbacoa from either beef brisket or a chuck roast, so just grab your beef and chop it up. Put it in the bottom of your slow cooker.

Get out your blender and add in the beef 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). And then puree it until it’s a smooth sauce/paste and pour it over your cubed beef.

Now just walk away and enjoy your day, my friend. Come back later to the most fall-apart, delicious slow cooker barbacoa beef you’ve ever tasted. After you shred it, put it back into the juices and stir it up. Go ahead and make your salads or prep your wraps, and by then it will have absorbed even more flavor. Serve it with a slotted spoon and enjoy!

Can you believe how simple this beef barbacoa recipe is?!

How To Make Barbacoa Beef Whole30, Keto, Low Carb, and Paleo

All of the ingredients in this Crock Pot barbacoa are already keto, low carb, paleo and Whole30. Just watch for sugar in your chipotle chiles in adobo.

The best way to keep your dinner all of the above is to serve it on top of a giant salad. It’s also one of the most delicious ways to enjoy it.

If you’ve ever had barbacoa Chipotle-style while eating this way, that’s probably how you’ve ordered it (I’ve been doing it for years!). But homemade slow cooker barbacoa beef is so easy, delicious, and much more affordable.

Go ahead and top your crisp romaine lettuce with your Crock Pot barbacoa, fresh pico de gallo, and (if you’re not strictly paleo) some shredded mozzarella and sour cream. And the guacamole...because every beef barbacoa recipe is best with homemade guacamole.

Otherwise, if a wrap is more up your alley, try the barbacoa with 3-ingredient coconut flour tortillas or cauliflower tortillas instead. So good this way, too! Are you beginning to see just how versatile this beef barbacoa recipe is?

This beef barbacoa recipe is also freezer-friendly, so you’ll be able to have it 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!

Tools To Make Keto Barbacoa:

Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

• Slow Cooker – A slow cooker is a must for this recipe. I prefer to use this one.
• Blender – This high powered blender is great for all types of recipes. Perfect for making the sauce for this delicious low carb beef barbacoa recipe.

Chipotle Barbacoa Copycat Recipe in a Slow Cooker:
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RECIPE CARD

4.97 from 33 votes

Chipotle Beef Barbacoa Recipe Copycat in a Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

If you love barbacoa beef, you have to try this copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe in a slow cooker. It's healthy, easy, naturally low carb, paleo, gluten-free and fall-apart delicious. The best Crock Pot barbacoa ever!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword barbacoa, beef, chipotle, dairy-free, gluten-free, keto, low carb, nut-free, paleo, sugar-free, whole30

Calories 242 kcal

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes

Author Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings 9 1/3-lb servings

RECIPE VIDEO

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Ingredients

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• 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 leaf

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Instructions

RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!

1. 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.
2. Place the beef chunks in the slow cooker. Pour the pureed mixture from the blender on top. Add the (whole) bay leaves.
3. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low, until the beef is fall-apart tender.

4. 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.

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/3 lb

Video Showing How To Make Beef Barbacoa in a Slow Cooker:

Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Beef Barbacoa in a Slow Cooker!

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 242

Fat 11g

Protein 32g

Total Carbs 2g

Net Carbs 1g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 0.3g

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.

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Starter Guide Sweetener Conversion Calculator Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

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