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Mexican Barbacoa Beef Recipe

Traditional Mexican Barbacoa Beef is perfect for creating tasty tacos, wraps and more. By searing chunks of beef brisket and cooking them for hours in a rich, flavourful sauce, you can achieve authentic, pull-apart beef at home. The deep flavour comes from a proper sear on the meat and a homemade barbacoa sauce, blended with spices, chilli, and aromatics. This recipe offers options for cooking in either your oven or a slow cooker.
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Recipe by

Campbells

4 hours +

Easy

Serves 4

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Ingredients

Main ingredients

  • 1 kg beef brisket
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika powder
  • 2 tbsp sriracha
  • 175 ml dark ale or beef stock
  • 60 ml apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp lime juice
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 4 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 0.5 tsp ground cloves

Barbacoa Sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp chipotle powder

Method

  • Step 1 : Prepare the beef

    1. Cut the beef brisket into large chunks.
    2. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
    3. Add a dash of oil to a large pan and heat to a high temperature. You need the pan to be very hot so that the meat will sear properly.
    4. Add the beef chunks to the hot pan and brown them well on all sides. A proper sear is essential as this adds a huge amount of flavour to the final dish.
    5. When the beef is browned, remove it from the pan and set it aside.

  • Step 2 : Prepare the sauce

    To make the barbacoa sauce, place all of the sauce ingredients (smoked paprika, sriracha, dark ale/beef stock, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic cloves, ground cumin, oregano, ground cloves, and chipotle powder) together in a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth sauce.

  • Step 3 : Cook the Barbacoa Beef

    There are several options for cooking the beef, although all require a good amount of time to achieve the best results.

    Oven Method:

    1. Place the seared beef and the blended sauce into a casserole dish or large oven-ready pot. Add the bay leaves.
    2. Place in a preheated oven at 160°C/140°C Fan/Gas Mark 3 for three and a half hours.
    3. To ensure the beef doesn't dry out, you can cover the lid with foil to prevent too much steam from escaping.

    Slow Cooker Method:

    1. Place the seared beef in a slow cooker.
    2. Cover it with the sauce and add the bay leaves.
    3. Cook on low for 8 hours.

  • Step 4 : To Serve

    Once the cooking time is complete, remove the beef from the pot. Shred the tender beef using two forks, similar to how you would prepare pulled pork.

    You can then serve the shredded beef in wraps, on tacos, on nachos, or as part of a burrito bowl. A very simple serving suggestion is over rice with the sauce from the pot spooned on top, with a side of sliced avocados and salsa.