Pulled Mexican Beef Barbacoa Recipe: Easy and Irresistibly Flavor

You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can! 

This seasoning blend for this Mexican pulled beef is a simple combination of dry herbs and spices. And it’s the secret ingredient to ultra-flavorful Mexican beef! However, it’s totally customizable, so feel free to omit any spices you don’t have on hand. Or, if you are in a pinch, try using a store-bought or homemade taco seasoning instead.

• Cumin: While cumin is used more often in Tex-Mex than traditional Mexican cuisine, it delivers a distinctive earthy flavor.
• Oregano: Mexican oregano offers a pungent flavor with a subtle hint of citrus and licorice. If you can’t find Mexican oregano, you can use regular oregano; however, do not substitute Mediterranean oregano.
• Smoked Paprika: While it’s not a traditional Mexican spice, I absolutely love smoked paprika. It provides deliciously rich, smoky flavor. You can substitute chipotle powder for a similar smoky flavor. Or, you can use regular or sweet paprika for a more traditional blend.
• Chile Powder: Chile powder is made from dried ground chiles. I prefer to use ancho chile powder (moderately spicy) or chipotle chili powder (spicy) in this blend.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder provides a subtle onion kick.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder has a pungent flavor that plays well in this blend.
• Coriander: Ground coriander comes from the whole dried seeds of the cilantro plant. It has a citrusy, floral and sweet flavor.
• Bay Leaf: One Dried bay leaf adds a slightly floral and herbal flavor. Be sure to use a Mexican Bay leaf if you are looking for authentic flavor.
• Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper enhance all the flavors and allow the other ingredients in the blend to come together and shine through.

• Achiote powder: Achiote is made from the ground seeds of the annatto tree and it’s a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It is sweet and earthy in flavor.
• Allspice: Despite common misconception, allspice isn’t a blend of multiple spices – it’s actually the dried unripe berry of a Pimenta dioica tree. It’s an aromatic spice that flavors savory dishes beautifully.
• Anise: Ground anise has a sweet, fragrant aroma with a licorice-like taste. Be sure to use anise sparingly!
• Cayenne: If you like a lot of heat, add a bit of cayenne! It offers up a pungent aroma with a spicy, slightly earthy and neutral peppery flavor.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick adds a depth of flavor with a woodsy, sweet spice taste.
• Cocoa powder: While it may seem like an odd addition, unsweetened cocoa powder beautifully accentuates the smoky flavors found in this blend.

Traditional Mexican food is moderately spicy, depending upon the region. This Mexican pulled beef barbacoa recipe uses a variety of seasoning to flavor the Mexican chuck roast meat and barbacoa chipotle sauce. You can easily adjust this Mexican beef to be as mellow and mild, or as fiery and hot as you like – which makes it perfect for feeding your whole family.

To adjust the heat level:

• Chipotle Peppers: If you prefer an extremely mild dish, omit the chopped chipotle peppers in the dish; however, don’t omit the chipotle sauce. For moderately spicy Mexican beef, use 3-5 peppers. If you prefer to bring on the heat, use seven or more chipotle peppers.
• Cayenne: If you like your Mexican-style beef flaming hot try adding some cayenne pepper to your Mexican spice rub.
• Fresh Lime Juice: If you have fully prepared the shredded beef and find it to be too spicy, add a liberal amount of fresh lime juice. Acid does wonders for balancing out the spiciness.
• Dairy: If you have tried everything and still find the dish to be too hot, add a dollop of sour cream or even plain yogurt to the top of your pulled beef. Dairy has a wonderful cooling effect and is fantastic at counteracting spicy foods.

Mexican shredded beef is very easy and forgiving to prepare, however it’s imperative you start with the correct cut of beef.

While it may seem counterintuitive, the best cuts of beef for barbacoa are tough cuts of meat. Tougher cuts contain plenty of marbling and connective tissue. These tougher cuts become melt-in-your-mouth-tender and succulent after hours of cooking over low heat. There are two cuts of beef typically used to make Mexican pulled pork – beef chuck roast and beef cheeks; however, there is another cut that works great too.

• Chuck Roast: Beef chuck roast, which can also be labeled as chuck pot roast, shoulder roast, chuck eye roast or arm chuck, is one of the most common cuts of beef for preparing barbacoa. This cut is taken from the shoulder area of the cow and contains a good amount of marbling (or fat), which creates ultra-tender beef, perfect for shredding and pulling. I personally use this cut when making barbacoa as it’s easy to find.  Tip: This slow cooker barbacoa recipe calls for approximately 4 pounds of boneless beef. If you can’t find a single roast that large at the store, you can use two smaller roasts instead.
• Beef Cheeks: Beef cheeks are the other most popular cut of beef used to prepare barbacoa meat. This cut contains more fat marbling and connective tissue than a chuck roast, so it will result is slightly juicier pulled beef. However, beef cheeks are not easy to find.
• Short Ribs: Boneless beef short ribs are a great alternative to the above cuts of beef! Make sure you use short ribs that are well, but not overly marbled.

• Brisket: Beef brisket is from the foreshank/brisket part of the cow. This is a leaner cut which can turn out dry, so I would avoid using it. However, if you want to use this cut, look for a slab of brisket that is very well marbled with plenty of fat.
• Bottom Round: The round is from rear leg of the cow. It is leaner than all of the cuts listed above. I recommend avoiding this cut when preparing beef barbacoa; however, if you have your heart set on using it, look for a bottom round roast that has a plenty of marbling running through it.

Pro-tip: The quality of your beef is also important! USDA Prime beef has the most marbling and is of the highest quality. USDA Choice has less marbling than prime, while USDA Select is the bottom grade with the least amount of marbling. Remember that marbling helps transform tough meat into tender beef after cooking. For the best shredded beef, use the best quality meat.

Absolutely! If you don’t eat beef, or if you simply prefer a different type of meat, you can use either chicken or pork to make this Mexican recipe using chuck roast:

• Mexican Pulled Chicken: Chicken thighs are incredibly moist and flavorful, which makes them a wonderful alternative to beef here.
• Shredded Mexican Pork: Pork shoulder roast is from the shoulder of the pig. Shredded pork shoulder has a very similar texture to shredded chuck roast. If you like barbecue pulled pork or pork carnitas for tacos, you may love this version.

Once you have chosen your cut of beef and slowly cooked it to juicy perfection, shredding it into individual strands of tender meat is a breeze! The entire process for making Mexican pulled beef barbacoa is quick, easy and doesn’t require any fancy tools or kitchen gadgets!

• Two Forks: To shred beef, place two large forks adjacent to each other, with their backs facing each other. Pull the forks in opposite directions, breaking the beef into long shreds as you pull. Discard any large bits of fat or gristle. Repeat pulling the forks apart until all your beef is shredded.
• Meat Claws: If you prepare Mexican shredded beef or pulled pork often, you may want to consider purchasing meat-shredder claws. This kitchen tool makes shredding beef a breeze. You employ the same method – pulling – as if you were using forks (like above).

Pro-tip: Avoid shredding or pulling your Mexican beef too finely or it may cause the meat to dry out! Thick, juicy, succulent shreds of barbacoa beef are the end goal!

It’s almost impossible to overcook this Mexican chuck roast – as long as the moisture (cooking liquid) in your pot or slow cooker is maintained! However, once the beef starts to become tender, you want to keep an eye on it, as the texture can become mushy and unappetizing if it cooks for too long.

Barbacoa meat is perfectly done when it’s fork-tender and easily falls apart with a little bit of pressure. If your Mexican shredded meat isn’t fall-apart-tender, then it needs a little bit longer to cook! Simply continue to cook the beef, checking every 30 minutes for doneness, until the homemade barbacoa meat easily pulls apart with the help of two forks.