The BEST Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Prepped In Just 10 Minutes)

This copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe is so, so good. It combines tender shredded beef with garlic, cumin, adobo sauce, ancho chili powder, and just a few other ingredients to make a dish that's to die for. Plus, it's so easy to make. In fact, this homemade Chipotle barbacoa recipe takes just 10 minutes of prep work to get it going, then your slow cooker will take care of the rest!

The Best Chipotle Barbacoa

If barbacoa is your favorite thing to order when you go to Chipotle, then just wait until you try this easy and delicious copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe.

This recipe combines savory, smoky adobo sauce with an assortment of spices to make a marinade that is like no other. Then, after the beef chuck roast marinates, it's quickly seared to lock in those yummy flavors before being cooked in the slow cooker until it's super tender and juicy.

Honestly, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

And, as I already mentioned, it's a breeze to make this barbacoa. In fact, you'll only have to follow a handful of simple steps to make it!

By the way, if you're looking for something tasty to pair with this recipe, I highly recommend making these tortilla chips and this guacamole to go along with it.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe is super simple. In fact, if you have the beef chuck roast meat, I'm willing to bet you have all of the other ingredients on hand already! 

Anyway, here's what you'll need for the barbacoa marinade:

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper, to taste

And here's what you'll need for the meat:

• 2 lb. boneless beef chuck
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 small bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Finally, here's what I suggest you serve alongside your barbacoa:

• Lime cilantro rice
• Chili peppers
• Lime juice
• Fresh cilantro
• Guacamole

See, simple stuff, right?

By the way, if you have any leftover chuck roast beef after you make this recipe, then I definitely suggest you try these decadent birria tacos next!

Ingredient Substitutions And Suggestions

While I recommend making this Chipotle barbacoa with the ingredients listed above, there are some ways you can put your own spin on it and possibly save yourself a trip to the store as well.

With that said, I'll go over some of my favorite ideas to try below.

Add Toppings

So, this recipe calls for an assortment of toppings, but if you don't have these exact toppings at home, or if you just want to switch some things up, you can add whatever toppings you like. I recommend pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, black beans, and rice to make a burrito bowl. But honestly, anything goes great with this barbacoa!

Experiment With The Marinade

I like to keep the barbacoa marinade recipe ingredients pretty simple since the beef absorbs a ton of flavor as it's cooking. Also, I think this exact marinade makes the barbacoa taste just like the one from Chipote.

With that said though, if you want to ramp up the flavor in the marinade, you can add some extra chopped chipotle peppers or chipotles in adobo to the marinade. I've also played around with adding a splash of apple cider vinegar and some ground cloves to the marinade, and it turns out super yummy.

How To Make Chipotle Barbacoa

Now that we've gone over all of that, it's time to get down to business.

As I've mentioned a few times, this barbacoa recipe is actually super easy to make. You basically just marinade the beef, sear it, and then let it cook away in your slow cooker until it's tender.

Yup, that's all there is to it!

So, let's stop wasting time and make some barbacoa!

Step 1: Make The Marinade

First, you'll make the marinade that gives that barbacoa all of its flavors. So, to do that, you'll want to combine all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix them until they combine.

By the way, if you're using whole garlic cloves, you'll want to blend the marinade in a food processor or blender. Also, if needed, you can add a little water to help make the marinade smoother if it's too thick.

Anyway, after it's mixed, you can give the marinade a taste and season it with a little salt and pepper if you think it needs it.

Step 2: Sear The Beef

Up next, it's time to sear the beef to give it that incredible texture. So, to start, you'll want to season the beef with some salt and pepper. Then, you can add some oil to a skillet and put it over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, you'll want to cook the beef for about 10 minutes - flipping halfway through - until it's browned on all sides. Also, just keep in mind since you're not fully cooking the beef, this step really should only take you about 10 minutes to do.

Step 3: Cook The Beef

Now, once the beef is nicely browned on all sides, you can transfer it to a slow cooker and top it with the prepared marinade from step one.

Then, after you've done that, you can add the bay leaves and water into the slow cooker, and then you can set your crockpot to the high setting and cook the meat for 4-6 hours. Alternatively, you can cook it on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Step 4: Shred Beef

Once the beef is fully cooked, you can remove it from the slow cooker and shred the tender beef with two forks.

Finally, serve your barbacoa in a burrito bowl with rice, fresh cilantro, lime juice, corn salsa, and whatever other toppings you prefer.

How To Store Chipotle Barbacoa

This recipe for Chipotle barbacoa makes about 6 large servings, so it's really the perfect amount for a big family dinner! If you're lucky, you might even have some leftovers too.

Speaking of leftovers, the best way to store 'em is in the fridge in an airtight container. Stored this way, your copycat Chipotle barbacoa should last about 3-4 days.

Alternatively, if you want to store your barbacoa for even longer, you can freeze it. Just transfer the cooled beef to an airtight container - or freezer bag - and it'll last for up to 3 months.

How To Reheat Chipotle Barbacoa

When you're ready to enjoy your copycat Chipotle barbacoa again, it's pretty good cold, but it's great reheated.

So, to reheat the barbacoa, I recommend transferring the leftovers to a baking dish and reheating them in an oven set to 350°F for about 12-15 minutes or until they're fully warmed.

Alternatively, you can put the barbacoa back in a skillet and heat over medium for a few minutes, frequently stirring it until warmed through.

Lastly, to reheat it even quicker, you can use the microwave. Just reheat the barbacoa in 30-second increments until it's hot. Usually, for me, this takes about 1-2 minutes in my microwave.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make Chipotle's barbacoa at home!

There's no denying that Chipotle's barbacoa is delicious, and I think this recipe is just as good, if not better, than the one from the restaurant. I don't know if it's the savory marinade or the tender, juicy beef that makes this dish so delicious - I just know that it is!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this copycat Chipotle recipe as much as I do.

As always, if you end up making it, be sure to leave a comment below and let us know how it went!

More Mexican Recipes

If you enjoyed this Chipotle barbacoa beef recipe and are looking for even more Mexican-inspired recipes, we've got you covered!

Here are some of our favorites:

• Pollo asado
• Carne guisada
• Chipotle hot salsa
• Beef enchilada casserole
• Mexican street corn casserole
• Chicken taco casserole

Oh, and as always, make sure to check us out on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram! We post new recipes on them every day.

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