This Dutch oven beef barbacoa recipe is tender, juicy, and so flavorful! Chuck roast is slow cooked in a braising liquid with fresh citrus until it is fall-apart tender. Serve it as a main course, or in tacos, burritos, or enchiladas. This will be a family favorite!
Using a dutch oven for slow cooking is a great way to tender and flavorful proteins! If you love this Dutch Oven Barbacoa recipe, try Dutch Oven Carnitas and Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken.
If you're looking for more Dutch oven recipes to get your cooking juices flowing, check out my Best Dutch Oven Recipes, with over 30 recipes using the Dutch oven!
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Why this recipe works
- Simple ingredients! Mexican Barbacoa can seem like it would use lots of difficult to find and unique ingredients. However, you probably already have everything you need for this beef barbacoa recipe in your pantry and fridge!
- Versatile. Use dutch oven barbacoa as a main course with your favorite sides, or make into burrito bowls, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, or quesadillas!
- So flavorful! The consomme (barbacoa sauce) is made with fresh lime and orange juice. This acidity balances out the rich beef.
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
What is Barbacoa?
Barbacoa is a traditional Mexican preparation of beef, lamb or goat that is cooked until juicy and tender, and often served with cilantro and onion. In the United States, barbacoa meat, like the one we know and love from Chipotle, is usually beef.
An authentic barbacoa recipe changes based on the region. Depending on the area of Mexico, recipes include different vegetables, herbs and spices, fresh to dried chiles or even vinegars. Sometimes the meat is even wrapped in maguey leaves (a member of the agave family) or banana leaves.
This slow-cooked barbacoa is a simplified version of traditional barbacoa. Think of it like a Mexican style pot roast! This shredded beef recipe uses a classic Dutch oven to ensure juicy, tender meat.
Ingredients for barbacoa
Chuck Roast
While traditional barbacoa recipes sometimes use beef cheeks, lamb, or goat, this recipe uses chuck roast which is more easily accessible here in the US. Chuck roast is a great cut of beef for slow cooking. The connective tissue breaks down making a tender, juicy, and flavorful dish. Trim down your beef to remove excess fat. You can substitute for brisket or short ribs. Short ribs will yield a much more fatty final dish, and you will have to remove the bones after cooking.
Produce
You will need white onion, garlic, oranges and limes for this recipe. You can substitute white onion for yellow onion. Substitute freshly squeezed orange juice for low sugar store bought juice.
Red Enchilada Sauce
Most authentic Mexican barbacoa recipes use dried chile peppers. To substitute and reduce time and effort for this recipe, I like to use red enchilada sauce. Choose your favorite red enchilada sauce, typically a mild one. If you want a spicy barbacoa, try a medium enchilada sauce. For an extra spicy barbacoa, throw in some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. You can change it up and use Green Enchilada Sauce instead!
Seasonings
You probably have most of these seasonings already in your pantry! You will need garlic salt, paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano. Substitute garlic salt for salt if needed.
What Cut of Beef to Use for Barbacoa
For the best barbacoa, you want to use a collagen-rich beef. This tougher cut of meat requires cooking for a longer time to break down collagen and connective tissue. The result is the most moist, tender, and flavorful barbacoa.
Choose a cut of meat like:
- Beef Chuck Roast
- Beef Brisket
- Stew Meat
- Short ribs
Avoid low-collagen, tender meats like tenderloin or thin steaks like flank. These types of meats will become dry and tough after cooking for a long time.
Equipment Needed
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How to make Dutch oven barbacoa
PREP
Cut the roast into 2 inch large chunks. Trim excess fat.
SEASON
Combine seasonings for spice mixture and coat beef evenly.
BROWN
Sear beef on all sides in a hot dutch oven, then set aside.
SAUTÉ
Sauté onions and garlic, then add in orange juice, lime juice, enchilada sauce, and broth.
SIMMER
Add beef back to the dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Cook until meat is fork tender.
SHRED
Remove beef and shred or cut into smaller pieces. Add back to the consomme (barbacoa sauce).
How to Serve Barbacoa
Beef barbacoa is a great protein to serve for large groups of people, to prepare for meal prep, and to reuse in many different ways. Here are some serving ideas for this delicious barbacoa!
Serve barbacoa meat:
- As a main course with Mexican Street Corn and Fresh Avocado Salad.
- In warm corn tortillas for barbacoa tacos
- Wrapped in a burrito
- In a burrito bowl with Mexican Rice topped with fresh cilantro
- On top of Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips or Chili Lime Tortilla Chips
- In enchiladas rojas
- As the protein in lettuce wraps or on a taco salad
- Rolled up in taquitos served with sour cream
- As the protein in quesadillas
Because everything is better with a few toppings, try this dutch oven barbacoa meat with:
As a reminder, beef barbacoa is an extremely juicy style of Mexican meat. It may require double tortillas or thicker tortillas for taco form, as the consommé can “drown” the tortilla!
Variations
Now, while I think this barbacoa recipe is pretty dang good, there’s always ways to change it up!
- Spicy - this recipe is written to result in a mild heat level. If you would like to make it spicy, either drizzle with a spicy serrano salsa verde, or use hot diced green chiles or jalapeño when sautéeing the white onion. You can also add in chipotle peppers.
- Extra rich flavor - to add extra flavor, swap the water for beef broth or a bold Mexican beer.
- Meat options - in the United States, barbacoa is traditionally beef, whereas barbacoa in Mexico is also made with goat or lamb. You can swap the beef chuck roast for any of those proteins.
- Cooking methods - while this recipe is written for a dutch oven, you can also make it in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Crock Pot.
Expert Tips
Low and slow. Don’t rush the cooking process! This beef needs a long and slow cooking time to break down and become tender.
Choose the right cut of beef. Pick a cut of beef that has more collage and fat, like chuck roast or beef brisket. This will yield the most flavorful and tender results.
Don't skip searing! Searing the beef adds an extra layer of flavor in this dish.
Finish with an acid. If your barbacoa beef is too rich, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar to balance it out.
If your Dutch oven is out of commission, you can definitely still make this recipe with other common kitchen equipment. For finding the best replacement for any Dutch oven recipe, check out my 10 Dutch Oven Substitutes.
Storing and Reheating
Store barbacoa meat leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days at most. Keep barbacoa consomme in a separate airtight container, or with the meat in its airtight container.
To reheat, microwave the shredded meat for 60-90 seconds with a tablespoon or so of the consomme, this will ensure the beef stays extra juicy.
To freeze barbacoa meat, simply drain as much of the meat from its consomme as possible. Freeze consomme separately in an ice cube tray. Store the shredded beef in an airtight ziplock or other container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost prior to serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mexican barbacoa is typically goat, beef, or lamb. In the United States it’s more common to have beef barbacoa than the others.
Barbacoa meat is like shredded beef with an enchilada type red sauce. The meat is tender and juicy with little to no spice.
Yes! If your grocer has prepared and cut stew meat you can use that in this barbacoa recipe.
Carnitas are the Mexican version of pulled pork. Barbacoa is the method of meat being slow cooked until tender and then shredded. Barbacoa can be goat, beef or lamb.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Beef Barbacoa Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds Chuck Roast
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil or other neutral oil
- ½ White Onion diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ⅔ Cup orange juice freshly squeezed (about 3 oranges or substitute for store bought juice)
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice about 3 limes
- 1 Cup Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Cups Water or Beef Broth
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons Garlic Salt
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
Instructions
- Cut the chuck roast into even 2 inch cubes. Remove as much of the fat as possible.
- Pour spice mix onto large cubes of beef and make sure beef is evenly coated. (You can use a large baking dish)
- Heat 2 tablespoon avocado oil in a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Sear the beef cubes until all sides are browned. Make sure to sear in groups so as to not overcrowd the pot. If you notice the bottom of the pot gets dry, add some more oil. Once all pieces are browned, place beef on a plate or in a bowl to the side.
- In the same pot (keep the browned bits), add diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. You can add oil if the pot is a bit dry. Turn down the heat to medium.
- Stir in the minced garlic.
- Pour in orange juice and lime juice and scrape the browned bits of the pan while mixing together. Add the enchilada sauce and water to the pot.
- Add the cooked beef meat and all of the juices back into the pot. Stir to make sure it is completely mixed together.
- Bring heat back up to medium-high until liquid is boiling. Place the lid on the pot and turn down the heat to a low simmer.
- Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir the liquid and meat around 1-hour into the simmer.
- After simmering for 1 hour and 15 minutes, your meat should be tender. If you press the meat with a wooden spoon, it should break apart into pieces.
- While keeping the sauce simmering, remove the beef cubes using tongs and into a prep bowl. Take two forks and shred the beef chunks. If there are any pieces of fat that didn’t cook off, remove it from the beef at this time.
- Raise heat to medium, add the shredded beef back to the pot. Cook for 15 more minutes, letting the sauce thicken up and the beef soak up the sauces.
- Remove barbacoa meat from the dutch oven and into a serving bowl or container. Reserve ½-1 cup of the remaining consomme for serving and reheating.
Notes
- Store barbacoa meat leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days at most. Keep barbacoa consomme in a separate airtight container, or with the meat in its airtight container.
- To reheat, microwave the shredded meat for 60-90 seconds with a tablespoon or so of the consomme, this will ensure the beef stays extra juicy.
- To freeze barbacoa meat, simply drain as much of the meat from its consomme as possible. Freeze consomme separately in an ice cube tray. Store the shredded beef in an airtight ziplock or other container, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost prior to serving.
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