Barbacoa Tacos

These barbacoa tacos are filled with deliciously tender beef flavored with smoky chipotle chile peppers, charred onions, tomatoes, and garlic.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 45 mins
• Calories: 771 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, or to taste
• 1 small white onion, quartered
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• corn tortillas, warmed
• 0.5 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Transfer charred vegetables to a blender and add chipotle peppers. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Step 2

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef in batches and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer browned beef to a large plate.

Step 3

Nestle beef back into pot and cover. Cook, stirring and re-nestling beef occasionally (about every 20 to 30 minutes), until beef is tender and pulls easily apart with a fork, 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard.

Step 4

Remove beef from Dutch oven, place on cutting board; shred beef using 2 forks.

Step 5

Return beef to the Dutch oven, add lime juice, and stir to combine.

Step 6

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Arrange whole tomatoes, onions (cut-side down), and garlic in the dry skillet in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 6 minutes for the garlic and about 12 minutes for the onions and tomatoes.

Step 7

Stir salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper together in a small bowl; season beef evenly with salt mixture.

Step 8

Pour water into the Dutch oven and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in onion-tomato mixture, brown sugar, oregano, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer.

Step 9

Serve in corn tortillas with avocado, radishes, and cilantro.