Barbacoa
Adapted from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Two years ago (2016), I did a barbacoa pita sandwich. It was a tasty recipe, but a bit annoying as you had to blend the sauce. Since then, I’ve done a number of barbacoa recipes that were a bit less time/cleaning intensive. Through trial and error, I think I finally found the recipe!
- 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast
Easy Tip: Make this dry rub 2 or 3x the quantity so you can have this part done and ready for next time. Store in a ziploc bag and label!
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- pinch of pepper
- pinch of cayenne (to your liking)
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 jar (12 oz) roasted tomato salsa (I used Trader Joe’s double roasted salsa and recommend it!)
- 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
Step 1: Dry Rub + Brown the Meat. Mix together all of the spices (from smoked paprika to cayenne in the first list) in a small bowl. Rub on chuck roast. If using an Instant Pot, brown the meat on saute mode. Otherwise, you can just brown the meat in a separate pan on medium/high heat. Be sure to add a bit of oil to the pan/pot before adding the meat. Sear on each side for about 1-2 minutes, and set aside.
Step 2: Sauce + Cook. Mix remaining ingredients from the onion to the garlic to make the sauce. Do this right in the Instant Pot/Slow Cooker for easy cleaning! Combine thoroughly, and then add the meat back in the pot. If you using an instant pot, pressure cook on high for 50 minutes; if using a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours. When done cooking, let the meat cool slightly (I let mine naturally cool for about 2 hours) and then shred. Reserve remaining liquid in a separate cup to add in as you want. I poured about 1/2 cup of the liquid on the barbacoa immediately, and then kept about 2 cups extra separately in a cup just in case the meat dries at all over the week. It’s an easy way to keep it moist and flavorful.
How to make this a full meal?
Check out this post for two easy “taco” friendly sides.