Happy Taco Tuesday! With Cinco de Mayo falling on a Friday this year, restaurants will likely be busy, so hosting a small taco night at home is a great alternative. This slow cooker barbacoa-style grass-fed beef recipe is perfect for a relaxed, make-ahead fiesta. It’s simple to prepare, cooks low and slow, and yields tender, shreddable meat that’s fantastic in tortillas, bowls or even scrambled with eggs the next morning.
This dish isn’t traditional barbacoa in the strictest sense—authentic barbacoa has a different cut and cooking method—but the flavors and texture are inspired by that slow-cooked tradition. Here, grass-fed brisket or chuck roast is seasoned, seared, and simmered with onion, garlic, spices, tomato paste and lime until it falls apart. The result is juicy, well-seasoned meat with a slightly smoky, tangy profile that’s kid-friendly and easy to customize for spice level.
Because this is a slow cooker recipe, you can prepare the sauce early, brown the meat, set it to cook, and let it do the work while you handle other party details. My preferred method is to cook on LOW for seven hours, shred the meat, then return it to the juices for another hour on LOW so all the flavors meld. After that you can keep it on warm in the cooker until serving. The recipe serves about six and can be doubled without changing the cook time—just try to turn the meat once during cooking so all pieces braise evenly.
Serve with warm corn or whole-wheat tortillas, or use lettuce leaves for a lighter option. Top with diced onion and cilantro, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, radishes or pickled jalapeños for a bright, fresh finish. This is a crowd-pleasing recipe that works for casual weeknight dinners, a taco bar with friends, or a holiday gathering when you want delicious food with minimal fuss.
Slow Cooker Barbacoa-Style Grass-Fed Beef Tacos
By Pamela
Servings: 6
Rating: 5 from 3 votes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds grass-fed brisket or chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat (you can remove additional fat after cooking)
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons unrefined olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup chopped onion (about ½ an onion)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon chipotle powder (double for more heat)
- Pinch of ground allspice or ground cloves
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup beef stock, chicken stock or bone broth
- 3 dried bay leaves
- Serving suggestions: warm corn or whole-wheat flour tortillas (sprouted if preferred) or lettuce leaves; diced onion with fresh cilantro; pico de gallo; avocado; thinly sliced radish; pickled jalapeño
Instructions
- If using brisket, cut it into three large pieces. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season both sides with 2 teaspoons of salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown the meat on all sides, about 5–8 minutes depending on the cut. Transfer the browned pieces to the slow cooker.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chipotle powder, allspice or cloves, tomato paste, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until smooth. Pour this sauce over the meat in the slow cooker. Add the stock and the bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours. After 7 hours, transfer the meat to a cutting board, trim any excess fat, and shred with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the cooking juices. If time allows, cook on LOW for an additional hour to deepen tenderness and flavor.
- Keep the meat on WARM in the slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve with tortillas or lettuce leaves and your choice of toppings.
- Make-ahead tip: This can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove any hardened fat from the surface before reheating in a large skillet or saucepan.
This slow cooker barbacoa-style beef is easy to scale, family-friendly, and ideal for feeding a crowd at a taco bar. Adjust the chipotle powder to control the heat, and enjoy the flexible serving options—tacos, bowls, or even breakfast scrambles. More fiesta-worthy recipes coming soon!
