Beef barbacoa taco.
It’s never a bad time to make tacos. This beef barbacoa recipe is definitely Tex-Mex and full of earthy, pepper flavor. The lime juice pairs beautifully with the chiles in the barbacoa sauce. This preparation is flavorful and kid-friendly as it’s not very spicy. It’s easy to crank up the heat with the right toppings for those that prefer the spice!
This recipe makes use of a slow cooker, though it could be easily adapted for the Instant Pot or oven. Enjoy!
Inspired by Recipe Tin Eats. Our version is similar, but makes several deviations.
INGREDIENTS:
2 dried whole chiles, soaked in 4 cups warm water for 30 minutes
¾ cup reserved chile water
½ cup apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp lime juice
6 garlic cloves
4 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp oregano
½ tsp ground cloves
1 Saint John’s organic grass fed brisket
Oil or fat suitable for high heat, avocado oil, tallow, or lard
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
To make the barbacoa sauce, soak the dried whole chiles in warm water for 30 minutes. Reserve ¾ cup of the chile water. Chop off the tops of the chiles and add all ingredients through ground cloves to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Barbacoa sauce, after being blended.
2. Cut brisket into large chunks, about 12-15 total. Salt and pepper the meat.
3. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add oil or fat of choice. When very hot, add the brisket and sear all sides 1-2 minutes each side. It’s best to work in batches to not crowd the pan.
Brisket being seared in bottom of pan.
Brisket in slow cooker, drenched in barbacoa sauce.
4. Add meat to slow cooker. Cover and toss with barbacoa sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Brisket in slow cooker, drenched in barbacoa sauce.
5. When meat is cooked well and fork tender, shred with two forks and serve!
Topped with a big scoop of sour cream -- can’t go wrong with that!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
We enjoyed this as tacos, but you could do burritos, burrito bowls, as a salad meat, or on top of a buttered baked potato.
For tacos, we liked:
Corn tortillas
Sour cream
Pickled jalapenos
Salsa
Cilantro
Lime juice
Kid friendly!
Enjoy this succulent beef barbacoa dish! If you try this recipe, let us know by tagging us on Instagram or Facebook.