Dutch Oven Barbacoa Tacos

Barbacoa in a bowl topped with cilantro.

5 from 3 votes

Barbacoa beef braised for hours in the dutch oven making for the tastiest tacos. Great recipe if you have a lot of people to serve or if you're looking for a meal prep idea. A dutch oven barbacoa recipe will take your hosting to the next level!

Prep Time1

Cook Time4

Total Time5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 334kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $25

Equipment

dutch oven
1 food processor

Ingredients

3-4 pounds Beef Chuck Roast
2 Jalapenos Chopped
1 Onion Chopped
1 Green Pepper Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic Minced
2 Limes
1 Orange
3 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce chopped
1 4 oz Can of Green Chiles
2 Cups Beef Broth
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
⅓ Cup Tequila
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
2 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Oregano
2 teaspoon Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
3 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°
Cut your Chuck Roast into 1-2 inch squares. Trim excess fat to avoid too much oil while braising. Salt and pepper the pieces of chuck roast on all sides.
Heat your Dutch Oven to Medium-High heat. Once hot, add avocado oil. Sear the beef in batches to avoid overcrowding. Each side of the beef should sear for about 1 minute until golden brown. Remove from dutch oven and place on a plate for later. Repeat until all the beef is seared.
Keep the Dutch Oven on the stove and lower to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and add in jalapeno, green pepper, and onion. Sauté for about 8 minutes or until softened. Add in half of your seasonings, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper about halfway through cooking. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute stirring often.
Add in tequila and allow to pan to deglaze. Stir to get brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Once tequila is reduced by half, add in beef broth, apple cider vinegar, juice from 2 limes and 1 orange, green chiles, chipotle peppers, and the rest of the seasoning. Add the beef back in. Cover and put in the oven for 3-4 hours.
Remove from oven. Beef should be shredded easily with two fingers. Remove beef and place in a separate bowl. Pour peppers, onions, garlic and sauce into a food processor with cilantro. Process until smooth. Place barbacoa beef and sauce back in Dutch oven and stir together.
Barbacoa beef can be served on tacos with radishes, avocado and cotija cheese. It can also be eaten over rice with vegetables. Let us know how you used this dutch oven barbacoa beef!

Notes

Searing is the most important piece for braised chuck roast. It will make a world of difference in texture. If you don't sear, you'll just be eating mush. The sear will give a bit of crust to every bite. Sear the chuck roast in batches. Let the dutch oven heat back up for a minute after you remove a batch to make sure each batch gets a good sear.
I love serving barbacoa with tacos. The thinly sliced radishes and cotija cheese pair perfectly with this dish over corn tortillas.

Nutrition