Description
A tender, flavorful slow cooker beef barbacoa that serves as the anchor for a week of meal prep, yielding four distinct meals including tacos, burrito bowls, and quesadillas.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6–8 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup fresh lime juice
- 4–5 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2–3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lime, zested
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles. Soak in hot water for 15 minutes until soft.
- Drain chiles and blend with half the onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and beef broth until smooth.
- Place beef chuck roast in slow cooker. Pour blended sauce over meat, coating it completely. Add remaining liquid.
- Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until beef is tender and falling apart.
- Remove roast and discard bay leaves. Let meat rest for 10 minutes.
- Shred beef with two forks and stir back into the cooking liquid.
- Whisk together sour cream, lime zest, and salt to make lime crema.
- Portion beef into four containers. Refrigerate three and freeze one.
Notes
Do not cook on HIGH as it may dry out the meat. Let the beef rest before shredding to retain juices. The flavor deepens over a few days. Freeze the fourth portion flat for easier thawing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup shredded beef
- Calories: 450
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 35
Keywords: slow cooker, beef barbacoa, meal prep, tacos, chuck roast, mexican food, batch cooking