Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
This style of barbacoa-beef braised with chipotles until shreddable-is Mexican-American, popularized by Chipotle restaurants and taco shops across the Southwest. Traditional Mexican barbacoa uses whole beef heads or cheeks wrapped in maguey leaves, slow-cooked overnight in underground pits. The Tex-Mex adaptation uses chuck roast braised with chipotles, cumin, and cloves, producing tender shredded beef with smoky heat. It's easier than the original but loses the silky texture of collagen-rich cheeks and heads.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- Dutch oven or slow cooker — Provides heavy bottom and tight lid for long slow braising beef until fork-tender and shreddable
- blender — Blends chipotles, chiles, and spices into smooth sauce for coating and braising beef evenly
Safety Safety & allergen notes
- Chipotles are spicy. Adjust quantity to taste.
- Braised beef is very hot (165°F+ internal). Let cool slightly before shredding.
Non-negotiables Rules for success
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Use chipotles in adobo, not dried chipotles.
The adobo sauce is part of the flavor
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Blend the sauce smooth.
Smooth sauce coats the meat evenly
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Braise until fork-tender.
Undercooked barbacoa is tough and stringy
Prep Get set first
About 10 min of prep
- Cut beef into large chunks
- Quarter onion
- Peel garlic
- Measure chipotles and adobo sauce
This is simple braising. Make the sauce, braise the beef, shred. 4 hours mostly unattended.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Make the sauce
Blend chipotles with adobo sauce, onion, garlic, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, salt, pepper, and broth until smooth.
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Braise until tender
Cut beef into 4 large chunks. Place in Dutch oven. Pour sauce over. Cover and braise at 300°F for 3.5-4 hours until beef shreds easily. Or slow cooker on low 8 hours.
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Shred and finish
Remove beef. Shred with two forks. Return to sauce and toss to coat. Add lime juice. Taste and adjust salt.
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Serve
Serve in tacos, burritos, or bowls with rice, beans, and toppings. This ensures proper execution and best results.
Chef's notes
This is Tex-Mex/Chipotle-restaurant style, not traditional pit-cooked barbacoa.
Traditional barbacoa uses beef cheeks wrapped in maguey leaves, cooked in a pit.
Chipotles in adobo come in small cans. Freeze leftover chipotles in ice cube trays.
Great for tacos, burritos, bowls, or over rice.