Slow Cooker Barbacoa Recipe
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
8 hours, 20 minutes
Servings:
6 Servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • ½ tablespoon whole coriander
  • ½ tablespoon whole cumin
  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves
  • 2 large ancho chiles, stemmed and de-seeded
  • 3 morita chiles
  • 2 large guajillo chiles, stemmed and de-seeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, peels on
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 8 thawed banana leaves
  • 1 small onion, sliced
  • 1 (3-pound) beef chuck roast
  • 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
Directions
  1. Heat whole spices (cinnamon, coriander, cumin, and cloves) over medium heat in a dry skillet until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet and add the chiles. Dry toast the chiles until fragrant, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet.
  2. Add olive oil to the skillet and sauté the garlic with the skins on until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the garlic from the skillet and remove skins using tongs.
  3. Add the toasted spices, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, water, apple cider vinegar, and oregano to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer until chiles are completely softened, about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
  4. Add the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer and discard solid paste left behind. Season with salt to taste.
  5. Add beef broth to a slow cooker, then layer banana leaves across each other diagonally, making room for the beef to sit in the middle. Arrange the onions over the banana leaves, then add the beef. Season the beef with 1 tablespoon of salt.
  6. Pour 1 cup of the adobo sauce over the beef, reserving the rest for serving. Wrap the banana leaves around the beef, then cover the slow cooker with its lid. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  7. When beef is completely tender, remove from the slow cooker and shred using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and season to taste with salt, if needed, to serve. For spicier barbacoa, add extra adobo sauce to the beef before serving.