Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat)

You’ll love this Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe! Braise or slow cook beef until meltingly tender in an easy marinade. It tastes even better than the real thing!

I have received more emails requesting this Chipotle Copycat Barbacoa recipe than anything else, ever. I’m delighted and relieved to finally deliver!

If you love my Chipotle Chicken recipe, you’ll love this one, too. The marinade is almost exactly the same, actually, with just a few minor differences.

Chipotle Barbacoa Marinade

That smoky, spicy flavor in Chipotle’s chicken comes from two ingredients: Dried ancho chiles and adobo sauce.

While you can track down and soak dried ancho chiles (and this is what I show in the video), it is just as easy to use ancho chile powder. This is now widely available at grocery stores or you can buy it online. Or, you can grind your own.

How to Cook Chipotle Barbacoa Beef

You need to cook the beef until all the fat has melted and the beef is so tender, it falls apart easily when you shred it.

You can do this in a slow cooker, on the stove, or in the oven. My preferred method is braising in a Dutch oven, but all the methods accomplish the same thing. Pick your favorite in the recipe below!

5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe (Copycat)

You'll love this Chipotle Barbacoa Recipe! Braise or slow cook beef until meltingly tender in an easy marinade. It tastes even better than the real thing!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword beef

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 40 minutes

Total Time 4 hours

Servings 8 servings

Calories 258kcal

For the marinade:

• 1/2 red onion coarsely chopped (see notes)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a small can of chipotle peppers
• 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or rice bran oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the beef:

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) boneless beef chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or rice bran oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 bay leaves

US Customary - Metric

For the marinade:

• To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, cloves, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add water to reach 1 cup.
  

To make the beef in a slow cooker:

• Browning the beef before transferring it to a slow cooker is optional but recommended. To do so, sprinkle the beef liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides.
• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large skillet until shimmering. Add beef and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the beef and continue cooking until the other side is brown, about 10 minutes total.
• Transfer to a slow cooker and top with marinade. Add water and bay leaves and cover. Cook on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, or low for 8 to 10 hours. The meat should fall apart easily.
• Remove both bay leaves. Shred beef with two forks. Taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper until it tastes just right, and serve.
  

To braise the beef in the oven:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle the beef liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides.
• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stock pot until shimmering. Add beef and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the beef and continue cooking until the other side is brown, about 10 minutes total.
• Top with marinade. Add water and bay leaves and cover. Transfer to oven and bake for 3 1/2 hours, turning beef every 30 minutes.
  
• Remove both bay leaves. Shred beef with two forks. Taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper until it tastes just right, and serve.

To simmer the beef on the stove:

• Sprinkle the beef liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides.
  
• Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or stock pot until shimmering. Add beef and cook until browned on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the beef and continue cooking until the other side is brown, about 10 minutes total.
  
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Top with marinade. Add water and bay leaves and cover. Cover and simmer for 3 1/2 hours, turning beef every 30 minutes.
• Remove both bay leaves. Shred beef with two forks. Taste for seasonings, add more salt and pepper until it tastes just right, and serve.

To make ahead and reheat:

• Cover and refrigerate the shredded beef overnight. Reheat in a slow cooker on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or in a pot on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently. 

To freeze and reheat:

• Cover and freeze the shredded beef up to one month in advance. Reheat in a slow cooker on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours. Or, reheat in a pot (covered) on the stove over medium-heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Recipe Notes

1. To make the marinade with dried ancho chiles:
   1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles (wearing gloves is recommended). In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the chiles until fragrant but not smoking, about 5 minutes.
   2. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 cups (1 quart) water. Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes. Drain well.
   3. Split open each softened ancho chile and rinse the inside to remove the stem and all seeds (wearing gloves is recommended). Add to the food processor with the other marinade ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal