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–+ servings
barbacoa burrito wrapped in foil

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Slow Cooker Copycat) + Video

Donna Elick
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

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.