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These Barbacoa Beef Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa are made with slow cooked, Mexican spiced beef inside fresh corn tortillas and topped with homemade salsa verde, Mexican cheese, and fresh avocado. An easy and flavorful beef tacos recipe!
Happy Taco Tuesday! It’s not only Taco Tuesday but we are in the middle of Cinco de Mayo week which is a big deal in our household. I will be out of town this Friday at a Food Conference so I have been feeding my kids Mexican food all week long and they are LOVING it.
Since we live in Arizona, Mexican food will always reign supreme! Chips, salsa, tacos, and enchiladas may be some of our very favorite foods.
Why you will love these Barbacoa Beef Tacos:
These beef tacos are made in a slow cooker so you can’t get much easier than that! Slow cookers (aka crockpots) are a genius invention because of their ability to make meats tender and literally fall apart. Plus there is almost zero work involved so that is a win-win!
These Beef Barbacoa Tacos are paired with a homemade tomatillo salsa that has unbelievable flavor and the tacos are always super simple to make. They are always a crowd favorite!
Ingredients:
These Barbacoa Beef Tacos start off by throwing a beef roast into a slow cooker, also known as a crockpot, and slowly cooking it with onion, chipotle chiles, spices, and broth until tender.
BEEF:
- Chuck Roast
- Onion
- Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce — Can be found in a can in the canned section of the Mexican food aisle.
- Spices: Chili Powder and Cumin
- Salt and Pepper
- Beef Broth
TOMATILLO SALSA:
- Fresh Tomatillos husked — May use a 28-ounce can of tomatillos instead of fresh tomatillos.
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Salt
- Sugar
TOPPINGS:
- Avocados
- Queso Fresco
- Corn Tortillas
The beef is slowly cooked in a slow cooker or Insta Pot. The key is to flavor it with onions, chipotle chilies, chili powder, cumin, and beef broth. Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce can be found in the canned section of the Mexican food aisle. The beef is cooked for 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high or until it is nice and tender.
These Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Tacos are topped with queso fresco, which is a mild Mexican crumbly cheese. You can substitute Pepper Jack Cheese as well.
The homemade tomatillo sauce is made with roasted tomatillos. What is a tomatillo? It is a Mexican husk tomato that is green and has a slightly citrus flavor. We add in some vibrant cilantro for freshness, jalapeno for some subtle heat, and sugar to offset the acidity of the tomatillos.
You may add more sugar, depending on preference. We eat tomatillo salsa at a well-known restaurant here in Arizona, Tia Rosa’s or Boca Taqueria and they make their green salsa quite sweet so that is what we are used to. Feel free to add more or less depending on your taste.
How to make Slow Cooker Beef Tacos:
- Place chuck roast, onion, chipotles, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and beef broth in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. I strongly suggest cooking it on low for 8 hours. After the meat is tender, shred into bite size pieces.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatillos (remove husk) on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until soft. For a time saver, you can use a 28-ounce can of tomatillos instead. Place in blender or food processor with cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and sugar. May add more sugar depending on preference. The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatillos. Let chill.
- Top two corn tortillas with beef, queso fresco, avocado, and tomatillo salsa.
- *May soften corn tortillas by wrapping in slightly damp paper towel and placing in microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Cooking your Beef Tip:
This type of beef roast needs to cook low and slow to break down the fibers of the roast. I suggest cooking it 8 hours on low for the most tender beef.
If you remove the barbacoa beef and it is tough to shred, then it needs more time to cook. That may sound counterintuitive but this cut of beef needs to break down and if it doesn’t have enough cooking time, it can still be tough.
What to Serve with Barbacoa Beef Tacos:
Here are some side dishes that pair perfectly with Barbacoa Beef Tacos:
Sweet Salsa Verde — If you want a sweeter salsa verde, then this is the recipe for you.
Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno Dip — this is famous in Chuy’s restaurants for its creamy yet slightly spicy flavors, perfect to drizzle on tacos or used as a dip for chips.
Mexican Street Corn Salad — this is such a popular dish in Mexico also called elote dip.
Homemade Guacamole Recipe — how to make authentic Mexican guacamole at home with only a few ingredients.
If you love tacos, check out these other Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos Recipe with Guacamole.
Mexican Recipes:
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Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
Beef Barbacoa:
- 2 1/2 – 3 lb. Chuck Roast
- 1 Onion chopped
- 4 Chipotle Chilies in Adobo Sauce chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1-2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 – 14.5 ounce can Beef Broth
Tomatillo Salsa:
- 1 lb. Fresh Tomatillos husked
- 1/4 bunch Cilantro
- 1/2 Jalapeno
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
Toppings:
- 1-2 Avocados sliced
- 4 ounces Queso Fresco crumbled
- 20 small Corn Tortillas
Instructions
- Place chuck roast, onion, chipotles, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and beef broth in slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5 hours. After the meat is tender, shred into bite size pieces.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatillos (remove husk) on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until soft. Place in blender or food processor with cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, salt and sugar. May add more sugar depending on preference. The sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatillos. Let chill.
- Top two corn tortillas with beef, queso fresco, avocado, and tomatillo salsa.
- *May soften corn tortillas by wrapping in slightly damp paper towel and placing in microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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AMAZING! I love that they are made in the slow cooker, so easy and so flavorful! Thank you for the easy dinner recipe.
The best tacos! So flavorful
I think I have made all of your taco recipes…..they never disappoint. These were fabulous! Muy Deliciosa!
How spicy are these with the chipotle peppers in adobo?
I just made these for my family, delicious and really easy to make. Thanks!