Slow Cooker Barbacoa Tacoswith lime slaw / avocado
Last year our community members asked for a Cook Smarts take on barbacoa and we were happy to comply with these fresh, classic tacos!
Smarts: The barbacoa in this recipe could be made in the Instant Pot. For tips, join the Cook Smarts Instant Pot Facebook Group.
Smarts: In many tropical countries pineapple and other fruits are topped with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of chili powder - it's a unique way to balance out the natural sweetness of the fruit. Feel free to serve the pineapple spears without those toppings if you prefer.
Ingredients
- Onions, medium white - 1/2, chopped into large pieces
- Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped
- Chipotle peppers - 1, chopped (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
- Beef, boneless chuck roast - 3 lbs, cut into large pieces
- Cumin - 2 tsp
- Oregano - 2 tsp
- Salt - 2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1 tsp
- Stock, any type - 1 cup
- Vinegar, apple cider - 3 Tbsp
- Bay leaves - 2
- Lime juice - 1 Tbsp
- Onions, medium white - 1/2, diced
- Avocados - 1, sliced
- Cilantro - 2 Tbsp, chopped
- Limes - 1/2, wedges
- Tortillas, taco-sized corn or flour - 8
- Slow Cooker Barbacoa (ingredients listed separately) - ~2 cups
- Salsa - for serving
- Honey - 1 tsp
- Lime juice - 2 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Coleslaw mix - 5 oz
- Pineapple, medium - 1, sliced into spears (look for pre-sliced pineapple to save time)
- Chili powder (opt) - 1/2 tsp
- Salt (opt) - 1/4 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Onions (for barbacoa and tacos) / Garlic / Chipotle pepper - Prep as directed. Set onions for tacos aside. Combine onions for barbacoa, garlic, and chipotle pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Beef - Slice beef into large chunks. Tenderize with a fork. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Make slaw - Whisk together honey, lime juice (portion for slaw), and oil. Add coleslaw mix and toss to combine. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Slow-cook beef - Place beef in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper and stir to combine. Top beef with onions (portion for barbacoa), garlic, and chipotle pepper. Add stock, vinegar, bay leaves, and lime juice (portion for barbacoa). Cook until beef is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low (4 to 5 hours on high).
- Avocados / Cilantro / Limes - Prep as directed.
- Pineapple - Slice into spears. Spread out on a serving plate and sprinkle with chili powder and salt (or serve the spears without the topping if you prefer).
Make
- Use a slotted spoon to remove beef from cooking liquid (discard cooking liquid). Transfer beef to a cutting board and shred with forks or chop with a knife. (Shred / chop the barbacoa for Thursday night at the same time and set it aside.)
- Give slaw a stir and season with some salt and pepper.
- Heat tortillas according to package directions.
- Set out tortillas, barbacoa, slaw, onions (portion for tacos), avocados, cilantro, lime wedges, and salsa. Assemble tacos at the table (put slaw on the tacos or serve it on the side). Serve with pineapple. Enjoy!
- Note: If you want to get a head start on Thursday, you can make the filling and assemble the stuffed peppers now. That way you can just slide them in the oven on Thursday night!
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Reviews
This meal has 31 reviews
Made for Father's Day, husband really liked it. I made it with pork bc TJs didn't have a beef roast.
Shredded zucchini to incorporate it better. Pretty tasty!
About an average meal. Tasty but nothing exceptional.
Oh, this was SO good! Doubled all the spices (except salt) and the chipotle pepper. Made in the Instant Pot -- browned the beef chunks on the saute function, then added everything else and pressure cooked on manual for 32 minutes. Tender and flavorful! I let the meat cool in the liquid for several hours, and it was noticeably spicier -- lesson learned there! Definitely going on the make-again list.
Delicious, but the meat was even better the second day with the stuffed peppers.
Pretty good, though I needed a substantial amount of sour cream for it to be filling enough for dinner. I really enjoyed the salt and chili powder on the pineapple.