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Tender Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos Recipe with Easy Pickled Jalapeno

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A simple and flavorful slow cooker barbacoa beef recipe that yields tender, shredded beef tacos topped with tangy homemade pickled jalapenos.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2–3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For pickled jalapenos:
  • 3 fresh jalapenos, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed

Instructions

  1. Trim any large chunks of fat from the chuck roast and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, oregano, ground cloves, salt, and pepper. Rub this spice mixture all over the beef.
  3. Optional: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown the roast on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
  4. Place chopped onion and minced garlic at the bottom of the slow cooker. Set the roast on top.
  5. Pour in beef broth, chopped chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce. Add bay leaves.
  6. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours until beef is fall-apart tender.
  7. While beef cooks, prepare pickled jalapenos: combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and smashed garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves.
  8. Place sliced jalapenos in a jar and pour hot pickling liquid over them. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  9. Remove beef from slow cooker and shred with two forks. Discard bay leaves.
  10. Stir shredded beef back into the cooking juices. Squeeze lime juice over and mix well.
  11. Warm corn or flour tortillas. Assemble tacos by piling beef and topping with pickled jalapenos, chopped cilantro, diced onions, and a squeeze of lime.

Notes

Searing the beef before slow cooking adds depth of flavor but can be skipped to save time. Let pickled jalapenos chill at least 1 hour or overnight for best flavor. If cooking liquid is too thin after shredding beef, simmer it on the stove to reduce and thicken before mixing back in. Use low-sodium beef broth to better control saltiness. Adjust chipotle peppers and jalapeno seeds to control heat level.

Nutrition

Keywords: barbacoa, slow cooker, beef tacos, pickled jalapenos, Mexican, easy dinner, shredded beef, chipotle, slow cooking

Find it online: https://blixfood.com/tender-slow-cooker-barbacoa-beef-tacos-recipe-with-easy-pickled-jalapeno/