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Barbacoa Street Taco Recipe

The Best Barbacoa Street Tacos

This barbacoa is bold, flavor-packed, juicy, & tender. This recipe is easy to throw together and slow-cooked to perfection! Taco night just got a lot more interesting!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For The Barbacoa
For The Street Tacos
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 1/2 onion, small diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Method
 

  1. Place cubed chuck roast in slow cooker. Set aside.
  2. In a food processor or blender, blend the remaining ingredients listed under "For The Barbacoa" until smooth. Pour sauce over the meat, toss to combine, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until the beef falls apart easily when shredded with a fork.
  3. Set the slow cooker to the "warm" setting. Using 2 forks, shred the meat inside of the crockpot. Toss. Allow the newly shredded beef to sit with the juices for an additional 10 minutes while you prep the fixings.
  4. Optional: Spray a skillet with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook corn tortillas 1-2 minutes per side to char. This also helps the tortillas to remain intact. You could also double-up the corn tortillas to prevent tearing.
  5. Using tongs, serve the meat on corn tortillas and top with cilantro & onion. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Re-purpose, Store, & Reheat

Re-purpose

In this particular post, we are focused on street tacos. However, this recipe is fantastic for meal prep because it can be tossed into a multitude of dishes throughout the week! After your street taco night, you can throw the barbacoa on top of nachos, in a burrito bowl, on taco salads, burritos, or quesadillas. I'm the queen of mixing it up with minimal effort, and this recipe is one of my secret weapons.

Store

Fridge: Transfer meat to a large glass storage container with an airtight lid. Allow it to cool to room temperature before securing the lid (about 30-45 minutes; the exact time depends on the amount of meat). Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze the barbacoa for up to 3 months. Place the barbacoa in the fridge to thaw overnight for best results.

Reheat

Microwave: Place meat in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and microwave on high for 1-3 minutes or until heated through. If reheating larger amounts, stir the barbacoa halfway through to warm it evenly.*
Stovetop: Place barbacoa in a skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of water (this helps keep it from drying out). Once the water is simmering, reduce to medium-low and cover for 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Stir occasionally.*
Oven: Preheat oven to 350 °F. Place meat in an oven-safe dish with a splash of water (this helps keep it from drying out), cover it with foil, and cook for 10-15 minutes.*
* Total time depends on the amount you are reheating.