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finished smoked then braised beef barbacoa recipe

Smoked Beef Barbacoa


  • Author: Kayla Demint
  • Prep Time: 10min
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Description

Smoked chuck roast braised in a combination of chiles and spices resulting in a tender and flavorful beef, perfect for tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, etc. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2.54 lb chuck roast
  • 1 7oz. can of chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 35 dried Guajillio chiles, stems and seeds removed 
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 orange, juice only
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 1 10oz. can of diced tomatoes & green chiles
  • 1 14.5oz. can of beef broth
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat up your smoker to 250-275 degrees. Once it comes up to temp, add your favorite wood (I like  post oak). It also helps to add an aluminum pan underneath the meat to catch the meat drippings.
  2. Make your spice mixture by mixing together garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Season the chuck roast all over with the mixture. Rub it into them eat.
  3. Once the smoker has come up to temperature, put the chuck roast directly on the grate. Cook for about two hours (time will vary some depending on roast size) until around 165 degrees. The roast should have developed a nice bark and look brown all over. 
  4. While the meat is cooking, in a blender add chipotle peppers in adobo, Guajillio chiles, juice of the orange, juice of the lime, the can of diced tomatoes and green chiles and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. 
  5. Once the roast comes up to temperature, put it in the aluminum pan with meat drippings (if using) and add in the sauce. Also add in beef broth, sliced onions and bay leaves. 
  6. Wrap the aluminum pan in foil and then put back on the smoker for another 2-4 hours or until the meat is probe tender (meaning a temperature probe slides in easily like butter). The meat should be around 200 degrees (but this can very depending on your roast). Alternatively, you can try sticking a fork in the meat and twisting. If it pulls apart easily, you know it’s done. 

Notes

  • You can also use beef cheeks instead of chuck roast.
  • If you want to add other spices, such as your favorite taco spices or seasonings, those would be a good addition too.
  • If you want this to be less spicy, don’t add all of the Guajillio chiles and don’t add all of the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo. Instead, just add 3 Guajillio peppers and the sauce only (or maybe just 1 or 2 peppers) of the Chipotle Peppers in Adobo. Otherwise, it can be pretty spicy.
  • The temperature of the Barbacoa when done will vary from roast to roast so the probe tender method really works best.Alternatively, you can use a fork and try to twist the meat. If the meat pulls apart easily, you know it’s done. 

 

  • Category: Beef
  • Method: Smoking
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 5 oz.
  • Calories: 360
  • Fat: 13.5g
  • Carbohydrates: 6.5
  • Fiber: 3.8
  • Protein: 50.3

Keywords: smoked beef barbacoa, smoking a chuck roast, smoked chuck roast

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