Barbacoa Tacos Recipe
These easy barbacoa tacos are loaded with tender shredded beef, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, and cotija cheese. Perfect for using leftover barbacoa, these barbacoa street tacos come together in minutes for a restaurant-quality Tex-Mex dinner at home!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 449kcal
Ingredients
For the Barbacoa:
- 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast cut into 4 inch chunks, fat trimmed
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce minced
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano can substitute marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove can substitute allspice
- 2 bay leaves
For the tacos:
- 8 tortillas corn or flour
- 2 cups barbacoa
- ½ white onion diced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 lime
- Serve with (optional): tomatillo salsa and lime wedge optional
Instructions
- Make the barbacoa: Preheat oven to 300°F. Season beef generously with salt and pepper. Sear beef in oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Build the braising liquid: Add onion, garlic, chipotles, vinegar, lime juice, broth, and spices to the Dutch oven. Scrape up any browned bits, bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Braise: Return beef and any juices to the pot. Cover and bake for 2½–3 hours, or until fork-tender. Shred: Discard bay leaves. Shred the beef with two forks, then return it to the cooking liquid before serving.
- Warm tortillas by toasting them over an open flame, heat them in a dry skillet, or wrap them in foil and pop them in the oven.
- Add about ¼ cup of barbacoa to a tortilla. Top with diced onion, avocado slices, cilantro, cotija cheese, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
Notes
- If using leftover barbacoa, warm it gently in the microwave or a skillet with a little splash of its juices to keep the shredded beef moist and tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 5mg
