Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (2024)

Chipotle Barbacoa is the Mexican barbecue of my dreams. Seared beef is slow cooked in a spectacular spicy adobo sauce, creating perfectly moist and tender Mexican shredded beef with an incredible combination of flavors. With this amazing copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe, it can be a reality for you too!

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (1)

Chipotle Barbacoa

Over the last few years, I have created make-at-home versions for many of our favorite Chipotle recipes — from meats to sides and toppings.

I especially love to develop homemade versions of their fabulous proteins because they can be used in so many ways!

After so much success with steak, chicken, and pork carnitas, we obviously needed to tackle this Chipotle barbacoa recipe.

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (2)

What is Barbacoa at Chipotle?

Barbacoa at Chipotle is made from tender and moist seared beef that’s been braised in an incredible blend of adobo, lime, cumin, garlic, and oregano.

This slow-cooked masterpiece can be added to tacos, salads, bowls, and more!

Recipe Video

To see us make copycat Chipotle barbacoa from start to finish, watch the video in this post!

The name barbacoa actually refers to the cooking method and not the cut of meat! It originated in the Caribbean and is also where we get the word “barbecue.”

Burritos loaded with pico de gallo, cilantro lime rice,guacamole, and (of course) this shredded beef will be the star of any Mexican dinner party!

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (3)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Beef – The best cut of beef for homemade Chipotle barbacoa is chuck roast. It has enough fat to keep the beef moist during the slow cooking process, and it adds plenty of flavor as well.
  • Kosher Salt – Sea salt is the closest substitute, but do not try to use table salt!
  • Bay Leaves – An essential component of Mexican cooking, these add subtle herbal flavor while also deepening the natural flavor of the meat.
  • Sauce – This spicy, savory, and tangy blend of ingredients thickens as it cooks and coats every piece with barbacoa chipotle deliciousness!
Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (4)

Barbacoa Chipotle Recipe Tips and Tricks

  • Rinse the uncooked roast in cold water and pat dry.

This helps keep the meat from steaming and allows it to sear, giving you a fantastic flavor and crisp coating on the outside of the roast.

  • To prepare the sauce without a blender:

With a sharp knife, mince the garlic and chipotle peppers as finely as you can.Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.

  • Sear the meat before placing it in the slow cooker.

As a result, it adds another layer of flavor to Chipotle barbacoa.

While you can skip this step, I highly recommend taking the extra 15 minutes to do it. Trust me — the flavor is worth it!

Cast iron or stainless steel are great alternatives to the Dutch oven.

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (5)

Chipotle Barbacoa FAQ

What is the difference between Chipotle barbacoa and carnitas?

Barbacoa is typically made with beef, but it’s also sometimes made with goat or lamb. Carnitas is always made with pork.

What is barbacoa at Chipotle good with?

Honestly, everything! Add it to burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, salads, and more. You could even pile it onto buns for sandwiches and sliders.

Basically, any way that you would use carnitas or pulled pork is also a great option for barbacoa chipotle beef.

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (6)

Enjoy!

With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.

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Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (7)

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Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (12)

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Slow Cooker Copycat) + Video

Donna Elick

Chipotle Barbacoa is the Mexican barbecue of my dreams. With this amazing copycat crockpot recipe, it can be a reality for you too!

5 stars from 5 reviews

Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Method Food Processor, Stovetop

Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 4 pounds chuck roast, fat trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves

Sauce

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • 4 chipotle peppers, from a can, packed in adobo sauce
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, from the chipotle pepper can
  • 1 cup chicken broth, or 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon chicken base
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Instructions

  • Prepare roast. Make sure all visible fat is trimmed. Rinse the uncooked roast in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. This helps keep the meat from steaming and allows it to sear so you get an amazing flavor and crisp coating on the outside of the roast. Cut into 8 chunks. Sprinkle all sides of cut beef with ½ of the salt (1 teaspoon), reserving the remaining 1 teaspoon. Set aside.

  • In a blender or food processor combine the sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth. Set aside. If you do not have a food processor or blender, see cook’s note.

  • Warm a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, until water dripped over top sizzles. Add the oil. Sear all sides of cut beef. Don’t skip this step. We are adding layers of flavor here. Once the roast is nicely seared with a good crust, remove it from the Dutch oven and place it in your slow cooker. Set slow cooker temperature to high. Pour the blended sauce over top. Add bay leaves. Cook for 5-6 hours on high (or 8 hours on low) covered.

  • After about 5 hours (or 7 hours on low) shred beef using 2 forks to pull it apart. Taste, and add additional teaspoon of salt (as needed), stir to completely coat in sauce. Cover and cook for 1 more hour. After this time you can serve and enjoy or turn slow cooker to warm until ready to serve.

  • To create burrito: Layer* pico de gallo, Chipotle’s Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice and Chipotle’s Copycat Barbacoa on a large flour tortilla. Additional toppings of Chipotle’s Copycat Guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese are also exceptional. *Click on link for recipes

  • Serve and enjoy!

Video

Donna’s Notes

To prepare the sauce without a blender, mince the garlic and chipotle peppers. Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 314cal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 844mg | Sugar: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 4mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (13)

Originally Published January 2021, updated and republished June 2023

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (14)

Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting us, it helps us keep creating new recipes.

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Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat) + Video (2024)

FAQs

Why is Chipotle barbacoa so good? ›

The barbacoa at Chipotle is made with beef.

Barbacoa is a slow-cooked beef dish that is marinated in a blend of spices and chili peppers and braised for many hours. The end result of the long, slow cooking process is flavorful, juicy meat that is savory and spicy, with a tender texture that is easily shreddable.

What ingredient does Chipotle barbacoa have? ›

Barbacoa at Chipotle is made from tender and moist seared beef that's been braised in an incredible blend of adobo, lime, cumin, garlic, and oregano. This slow-cooked masterpiece can be added to tacos, salads, bowls, and more! To see us make copycat Chipotle barbacoa from start to finish, watch the video in this post!

What is barbacoa sauce made of? ›

What Is Barbacoa Sauce Made Of? For this recipe, barbacoa sauce is made of beef broth, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, yellow onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, ground cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, lime juice, and allspice.

What is barbacoa seasoning made of? ›

Ingredients
  • 4 dried guajillo chilies.
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds.
  • ⅛ whole cloves.
  • 1 cup boiling water.
  • ½ teaspoon ground ancho chile powder.
  • 1 large onion, quartered.
  • 6 cloves garlic.
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano.

What part of the cow is barbacoa? ›

“Barbacoa, made from the meat of a cow's head, is cheap yet rich in flavor.” Customarily served at weekend breakfasts, the cheek, or cachete, is loaded with collagen, and slow-roasting enhances its savory flavor and silky texture.

Is barbacoa healthy from Chipotle? ›

If you're looking for a healthy balance of fat, protein, and carbs, your best meat options would be plain grilled chicken, steak, or barbacoa. Between those options, they include no more than 7 grams (g) of fat, at least 21g of protein, and no more than 2g of carbs.

What is the fake meat at Chipotle called? ›

Chipotle is a trailblazer when it comes to plant-based proteins and added its first vegan option, Sofritas, to its menu in 2014. Made from organic tofu that is spiced with poblano pepper, cumin, and chipotle chiles, by 2018, Sofritas became a popular mainstay at Chipotle, selling 7.5 million pounds that year alone.

What type of sour cream does Chipotle use? ›

Chipotle uses the brand Daisy, so that's what we're using. Put the sour cream in the bowl. All you gotta do is whisk it.

What is the English word for barbacoa? ›

noun. 1. barbecue (parrillada) 2. In Mexico, barbacoa is meat cooked in an oven dug in the ground.

What is authentic barbacoa made of? ›

When done traditionally, barbacoa is made with large cuts of meat or whole animals. In the United States, barbacoa is usually associated with beef. However, in Mexico, barbacoa is made from beef, goat, lamb or mutton.

Does Chipotle use real barbacoa? ›

Round and round we go When it comes to beef, it's not just the quality that matters - it's the cut, too. Our Barbacoa mainly comes from the shoulder, because those cuts have enough fat to keep the meat moist during our long braising method, making the end result seriously juicy and tender.

What is the best cut of meat for barbacoa? ›

Beef Chuck Roast: Make sure to cut this into 3-inch chunks before adding into the slow cooker. Chipotles In Adobo Sauce: These peppers add the most delicious smoky flavor and just the right amount of heat.

How is barbacoa prepared? ›

Traditionally, barbacoa is a preparation of meat (usually sheep, goat, or beef) that is steam cooked in an underground oven until very tender and succulent. Today the term is also sometimes used for a similar preparation made on a stovetop or in a slow cooker.

How was barbacoa originally made? ›

Traditionally, in Mexico, a hole was dug in the ground proportionate to the size of the piece of meat or food being prepared; a fire was lit inside to heat it; In it, banana, maguey, or corn leaves are placed and with these the food that is to be roasted, whether meat or fish, is wrapped; then the hole is covered with ...

What does Mexican barbacoa taste like? ›

Beef Barbacoa is slightly tangy with a subtle but distinct spicing. It's not too chilli-hot, though to be fair, sometimes chipotles vary in heat! The unique thing about Barbacoa is the slight tartness of the sauce from vinegar and lime, which cuts through the rich meat, and the warmth from cloves.

Is Chipotle barbacoa or carnitas better? ›

If you enjoy a smoky and slightly spicy flavor, barbacoa may be the ideal choice for you. On the other hand, if you prefer a savory and fragrant taste, carnitas might be the better option.

Why is barbacoa healthy? ›

In addition to its delicious flavor, barbacoa is also a great source of nutrients. The slow cooking process helps to retain the meat's natural juices, which makes it moist and flavorful. The spices used to season the meat also have health benefits, such as helping to reduce inflammation and improve digestion.

Is Chipotle barbacoa fatty? ›

Is Chipotle's barbacoa healthy? An average serving of Chipotle barbacoa contains 170 calories, 7 grams of fat (2.5 of which are saturated fat), 530 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fiber, and 24 grams of protein, via Eat This, Not That!.

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