This homemade Barbacoa, made with a chuck roast is full of flavor and easy to make. In this post, we share our version of how we make delicious Barbacoa on the grill and an even easier way in a slow cooker. Both taste amazing! 
Tips for Cooking Barbacoa
- We used a chuck roast for this dish, but you could use any roast cut.
- Barbacoa can also be made with goat or lamb; however, we prefer beef.
- Barbacoa is traditionally cooked in a pit in the ground or over an open fire. It can be beef heads or goat heads; however, this post shares how we accomplished the flavors using a chuck roast in the slow cooker.
- You should use liquid smoke in the slow cooker version to give the flavor of the Barbacoa being smoked all day, but if you are using the smoker method, omit the liquid smoke.
Sides
Ingredients
Beer
Anaheim chiles
Garlic
Lime
Cumin
Salt
Onion, diced
Liquid smoke (if using the slow cooker)
Chuck roast
How to Cook Barbacoa
Blend all ingredients together to create the marinade. If you are cooking on a smoker or open flame, you do not need the liquid smoke. We love to use our emersion blender to puree all the marinade ingredients together. Cut the chuck roast into 3-4-inch chunks and place in a gallon size bag. Cover the chuck roast with marinade and leave overnight or at least 4 hours.
In the Slow Cooker
Begin your Barbacoa by removing the chuck roast from the marinade and sear in a screaming hot skillet. Be sure to reserve your marinade. Those will be the juices that it cooks in all day. Once you have seared all sides of your chuck roast, place in slow cooker and pour your reserved marinade over the top.
Set your slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 8.
When done, your roast should be fork tender and easy to shred.
On the Smoker
Preheat your smoker to 225-250 degrees, by starting your fire and let your fire burn down.
Put a pot of water in your smoker near the fire to make sure the inside of the smoker is humid during the cooking process.
Place your chuck roast and the marinade in a cast iron Dutch oven. Place your Dutch oven in the smoker without the lid.
Close your smoker and smoke for 6-8 hours, until the roast is fork tender, then remove from fire and shred.
Next place back on smoker and continue cooking. Let the juices evaporate a little more; however, do not let it run dry. You want a little of the juice to keep the roast nice and moist.
Serve with fresh tortillas and enjoy!
Barbacoa in the Slow Cooker
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 8 oz Beer
- 3 Anaheim chiles dried
- 3 cloves Garlic
- Lime juiced
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 Onion diced
- 1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
- 3-5 lb Chuck Roast
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together to create the marinade.
- Cut the chuck roast into 3-4-inch chunks and place in a gallon-size bag.
- Cover the chuck roast with the marinade and leave overnight or at least 4 hours.
- Begin your Barbacoa by removing the chuck roast from the marinade and sear in a screaming hot skillet.
- Be sure to reserve your marinade. Those will be the juices that it cooks in all day.
- Once you have seared all sides of your chuck roast, place in the slow cooker and pour your reserved marinade over the top.
- Set your slow cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 8. When done, your roast should be fork tender and easy to shred.
Barbacoa on the Smoker
Equipment
- Wood Fire Smoker
Ingredients
- 1/2 8 oz Beer
- 3 Anaheim chiles dried
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 Lime juiced
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 Onion diced
- 3-5 lb Chuck Roast
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together to create the marinade.
- Cut the chuck roast into 3-4-inch chunks and place in a gallon size bag.
- Cover the chuck roast with the marinade and leave overnight or at least 4 hours.
- Begin by starting your fire, let your fire burn down and bring the smoker to 225-250 degrees.
- Place a pot of water in your smoker near the fire to make sure the inside of the smoker is humid during the cooking process.
- Place your chuck roast and the marinade in a cast-iron Dutch oven. Place your Dutch oven in the smoker without the lid.
- Close your smoker and smoke for 6-8 hours, until the roast is fork-tender, then remove from fire and shred.
- Next, place back on the smoker and continue cooking.
- Let the juices evaporate a little more; however, do not let it run dry. You want a little of the juice to keep the roast nice and moist.
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