This slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe transforms tough cuts of beef into tender, flavorful barbacoa with minimal effort. Simply toss the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it work its magic.
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I love looking at recipes. Imagining the way all the ingredients will meld together to make a finished product. Which flavors will stand out and which will blend in. How a unique combination of flavors and textures will complement, promote or even fight against each other.
Yet, I can’t follow a recipe to save my life. I look at them and immediately feel the need to start editing, adding my own touch. I think that is why I started this blog.
In the past, when I decided to make something - anything really - I would look up a dozen or so recipes and then mash them together. Sometimes, the results were spectacular, and sometimes - they weren’t!
I never kept any records of the spectacular ones and when The Team would ask for a repeat, I could never duplicate the original.
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This blog has given me a way to keep notes, provide repeat performances and exclude the awful! I am hoping by sharing it online, you will save some of the time and effort I have wasted.
😉Hints and hacks
- This slow cooker beef barbacoa recipe calls for chuck roast, which is not the most tender cut of meat. However, the long cooking time more than makes up for it. The meat is very flavorful and fell apart after it had been cooked.
- To keep things as healthy and light as possible, I try to pull as much fat from the meat as possible while I am shredding it.
- It’s easy to get creative with the ways to serve this. Taco, burrito, enchilada, or bowl, this meat is completely flexible and would go well in any of these.
- Don’t forget to use a slow cooker liner for easy clean-up!
📖 Recipe
Lazy Beef Barbacoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb roast
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon Adobo seasoning (with Pepper)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicier)
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup diet coke (or regular if you prefer)
Instructions
- Place meat in pot. I suggest using a slow cooker liner for easy clean up
- Mix orange juice and Diet Coke. Pour mixture over meat.
- Mix all dry ingredients with the fresh minced or chopped garlic to form a chunky paste.
- Spoon paste over meat
- Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
- Remove meat from pan and shred. I generally just use two forks for this process although a potato masher or hand held mixer would do that just as well.
- Returned shredded beef to pot to mix with juices and flavoring before serving.
Nutrition
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Cheri says
It’s a great recipe - I did the bowl with rice etc. yummy. Can you freeze the left over meat?
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
So glad you hear that you liked this recipe! The meat can be frozen. I like to freeze in meal sized portions for easy reheat and eat meals! Thank you for taking the time to share.