Some of the best Dutch Oven Barbacoa Tacos that you'll ever have with perfectly braised beef chuck roast, sliced radishes, avocado, and cotija cheese. This braised beef has the perfect amount of flavor and spice and is perfect to serve a crowd!

Whenever I have a lot of guests over, I love to pull out the Dutch oven. These Dutch oven barbacoa tacos are a crowd-pleaser and can feed a whole bunch of people. Whether it's barbacoa, Authentic Bolognese, or Bison Ragu, braising is always a great option.

Braising beef is one of my favorite things to do when I have a lot of people over because I love it when people walk into our house and say, "wow, it smells great in here." No matter what you're braising, it always makes your house smell amazing.

A Quick Look at The Recipe

✅Recipe Name: Dutch Oven Barbacoa Tacos
⏲️Ready in: 5 hours
👪Makes: 10 servings
📋Main ingredients: Beef Chuck Roast, Beef Broth, chipotle peppers.
⭐Why You'll Love This Recipe: This Dutch oven barbacoa is rich and delicious with so much flavor, perfect for tacos, burritos, or meal prep. It's even better on day 2!

[feast_advanced_jump_to] Dutch Oven Barbacoa vs. Slow Cooker Barbacoa

I find a marked difference between using a dutch oven vs. the slow cooker. The dutch oven is my favorite piece of cooking equipment in my house, maybe tied with my cast-iron pans. You can sear your meat before braising it right in the same pot, and you don't have to worry about pulling the slow cooker out of the garage or the basement (Mine is forever hidden in the garage).

The rich flavor you can develop in a dutch oven for Italian Short Ribs, White Bean Pumpkin Chili, or barbacoa beef is unmatched. It's a tool everyone should have and learn to use, especially if you cook for a big family or have guests over often.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Beef Chuck Roast. A good chuck roast is the perfect meat for barbacoa tacos because of its marbling and connective fatty tissue. Cooked over a long period of time, the connective tissue breaks down, and the marbling of fat will keep the meat moist.
Citrus. I love to add a combo of citrusy flavor, so I use limes and oranges. You could substitute lemon or other citrus, like grapefruit. It's about ⅓ of a cup of citrus together.
Tequila. I love to deglaze with tequila for my Dutch oven barbacoa. When in Rome, right? Well, when in Mexico! Deglazing with tequila adds another depth of flavor, and it's great for scraping off all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. You can substitute vodka or white wine.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce. These add a little bit of spice. This dish really isn't too spicy, but you can leave these out if you're completely averse to spice. You can also use the rest of the can to make a chipotle mayo perfect for Volcano Shrimp Tacos!
Vegetables. I keep it simple with a green pepper, an onion, and a jalapeno. This should be all you need for this recipe. Leave out the jalapenos if you want zero spice.
Beef Stock.Homemade Beef Stock is the way to go if you can get some from a local butcher, or you can make your own. But you have to go with beef broth here. Chicken broth will not match the flavor!

*Please see the recipe card below for more information about the ingredients.

The "How-To" for this Barbacoa Recipe

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Searing the beef

Cutting beef into 1-2 inch pieces and searing in dutch oven.

Step 1: Start with a well-marbled chuck roast, about 3-4 pounds for this recipe, and adjust as necessary. Cut the beef into 1-2 inch pieces, trimming off any large chunks of fat. Leaving too much fat will make this very oily. Salt and pepper the meat generously.

Step 2: Bring your dutch oven to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the avocado oil.

Step 3: Carefully sear the beef in batches until each side develops a golden-brown crust. About 1 minute per side. Don't cook the meat all the way through.

Top Tip: Searing with a high temperature helps avoid overcooking the meat and allows for a crispy outer layer on the beef. You lose this crust texture if you braise barbacoa in a slow cooker. It becomes mushy and almost a pureed texture.

Step 4: Remove the beef and set it aside for later.

Sautéing the Veggies

Sauteing the vegetables in the dutch oven and making the sauce.

Step 5: Lower the heat to medium and stir in the onion, green pepper, and jalapenos. Sauté over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. If the onions start browning quickly, you may need to lower the heat.

Step 6: Stir in the garlic. It's always good to season in layers to help the flavor develop. Combine your seasonings and add in about half.

Step 7: Sauté the garlic for 1 minute, then pour in the tequila to deglaze the pan. Scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan and take a shot of the tequila to make sure it's not poisoned for your guests.

Step 8: Once the tequila is reduced by half, you'll add in the beef broth, chipotle peppers, bay leaves, green chiles, lime juice, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and the rest of the seasoning. Bring the sauce to a low simmer.

Braising the Beef

Step 9: Add the beef back to the sauce. If the sauce isn't "almost" covering the beef, add in a little more beef broth. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Now, take some time to learn how to make margaritas and wait approximately 3-4 hoursfor the most incredible dutch oven barbacoa you can imagine.

Step 10: Pull the dutch oven out at about 3-4 hours to check on it. You'll know it is finished if the beef shreds with a spoon. The sauce should have been reduced slightly below the beef.

Shredding the Beef

Step 11: Remove the beef from the pot, leaving behind the sauce and vegetables. Set it in a bowl.

Step 12: Use two forks to shred the beef until it is completely shredded.

Step 13: Transfer the sauce to a food processor along with ¼ cup cilantro. Use a high-powered food processor - or a really little $15 food processor that your mom bought you, and you told her you would never use, but here you are writing in a blog about it - blend the sauce, veggies, and cilantro.

Step 14: Return the sauce and the beef to the pot and combine. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve! Serve with a Cowboy Caviar Salad and top with Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing!

Beef barbacoa in a bowl alongside tacos with sliced radish, avocado, and cotija cheese.

Pro-Tips

Searing is the most important step 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 and develop the flavor.
Sear the chuck roast in batches. Let the dutch oven get nice and hot to develop a crust and a nice sear!
Check the beef in the oven at the 2-hour mark. If there is no liquid or just a little liquid, add more beef broth.
Serve barbacoa as tacos. The thinly sliced radishes and cotija cheese pair perfectly with this dish over tortillas is delicious!

What to do with Dutch Oven Barbacoa

Barbacoa is a versatile food because the beef itself can just be the final product, or it can go on tacos, nachos, sandwiches, breakfasts, and anything you can think of. I love it over rice with a sunny-side-up egg on top.

Beef barbacoa tacos with sliced radish, avocado, and cotija cheese.

My personal favorite is barbacoa beef tacos. I like to use corn tortillas, while my wife prefers flour. Either is perfect, but the heavier the taco, the more flour is preferred.

Prepare the tacos with barbacoa, avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro, and cotija cheese. Or try it with an Avocado Lime Crema.

This is a great dish for meal prep because it can be the main event in different types of dishes. You can have it in tacos for dinner and then bring it to lunch the next day with rice and veggies, or serve it with Crispy Garlic Parmesan Potatoes or Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes.

If you love these tacos. Try out our Shrimp Tacos with Mango Lime Salsaor Chimichurri Steak Tacos. They're slightly less time-consuming, but another tasty meal.

FAQs about Dutch Oven Barbacoa

What is the difference between Birria and Barbacoa?

Birria is another type of Mexican stew that involves stewing the beef slowly for hours, similar to how we made this barbacoa recipe. The two main differences are that birria is stewed with tomatoes, and when served, the tortillas are dipped in the layer of fat on top of the stew. The beef is then placed in the tacos and fried on the griddle, giving the tortillas a crispy texture.

What cut of beef is best for barbacoa?

Beef chuck roast is probably the easiest to find and will give you a great beef barbacoa, but authentic barbacoa is made with beef cheeks because they have the most fat and connective tissue.

How long to cook barbacoa in the oven?

Braise in the oven for at least 3-4 hours for the meat to completely tenderize. The collagen will start to break down, and the chuck roast will easily tear apart.