Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos

Chipotle has ruined my life.

It has ruined it so good because it is pretty much all I live for. I said PRETTY MUCH.

The other day I’d spent an excruciating afternoon trying on new clothes so that I don’t look like an orphan at BlogHer Food in a couple of weeks. I gave the whole stinkin’ ordeal the bird and came home to continue riding the grumpleupagus train when I decided the dinner I had planned sounded like hammered earwax.

 

So I email Aaron, completely rational and calm, of course:

“I CAN’T DO IT. I JUST CAN.NOT. DO IT. If I have to lift A SINGLE FINGER in the kitchen right now, ah. will. dah. I will. I will RIP my hands off with rusty pliers if I have to cook tonight. I’m completely exhausted and famished and about to pass out and I can’t even take it. I CANNOT TAKE IT.

We have to have Chipotle.

OMG we haaaaaave to have it. If I don’t have 3 chicken tacos with pico, hot salsa, corn salsa, cheeselettuceandguacomole I will wither away to a collection of dust bunnies that you will NEVER get around to cleaning up and then you’ll have to deal with selling the house and caring for Charlie and WAIT. Make that barbacoa. I want barbacoa tacos. I want it so bad that I can’t even think right now and it’s hurting. I’m going blind. I can’t feel my face. Will you PLEAAASESESESESEE pick up Chipotle on your way home pleaaaaaaaaaaassssseeeeeaaaaaaaa. UGH, I’m already starting to shake and I think death is at my door step RIGHT NOW WHAT IS THAT GLOW.”

He replies, “Sounds good.”

   

Okay, I didn’t want to cheat on the chickens, but I have shed a new skin (sorry?) and seen the light as I’m now a barbacoa mistress and I don’t even care. I’m making tube tops. Plus “barbacoa” really is a sexy word, am I right or what?

This might be sort of close to their version, I don’t know. But it’s mine and it makes me shiver. Beware, there’s a whole can of chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce up in this piece. You know how I like my head to rain.

 

I barbabeg you, make this with some grilled corn and creamy guacamole and feel your coa collapse.

That’s going on the tube tops!

Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos:

What it took for 8ish tacos:

* 2 pounds beef chuck roast (any major fat trimmed)
* 1 (7 oz) can chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce
* 1 Tbs. cumin
* 1 Tbs. chili powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 Tbs. Mexican oregano
* 8 spinach flour tortillas (or whatever you want!)
* 1 cup fresh salsa
* 2 ears corn
* 1 tsp butter
* 1 tsp garlic salt
* 2 avocados
* 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
* juice from 1/2 lime
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the beef, chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder and Mexican oregano into a slow cooker. Throw in a pinch of salt and pepper too. Turn it on medium and cook for 6 hours. Flip the meat every 2 hours or so. During the last hour, take two forks and shred the meat, right there in the pot. Close the lid and let it finish cooking. You have NO IDEA how good your life smells right now.

Heat an indoor or outdoor grill to medium high. Smear the butter over the corn and sprinkle with garlic salt. Grill until the corn has blistered on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and cut the kernels off the cobs.

Mash the two avocados in a bowl. Toss in the cilantro, lime juice, another pinch of salt and mash mash mash. Gauc, there you go.

Heat the tortillas in the oven or microwave.

Arrange some of the amaaaazing spicy barbacoa in the center of each tortilla. Top with guacamole, salsa and grilled corn. Garnish with cilantro and another squeeze of lime and seriously.

Oh, hi.

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47 Responses to Spicy Barbacoa Soft Tacos

  1. Laura May 23, 2012 at 2:27 pm #
    Love, love, love barbacoa. And, love the idea of a fresh corn salsa on top of it! Love both of those things at Chipotle, and the homemade versions are always so much better. A great way to use a cheaper cut of beef in the summertime, that's not something heavy like pot roast!
  2. Tracey May 23, 2012 at 2:36 pm #
    Looks good and you could easily subsitute chicken sometimes so they don't think you cheated on them! :)
  3. kelsey May 23, 2012 at 3:01 pm #
    yum! I don't eat beef but I think this would be perfect with pork. love crockpot recipes!
  4. Cassie May 23, 2012 at 3:08 pm #
    Barbacoa is definitely a sexy word. I'm on the lookout for these tortillas too, they look amazing!
    • Bev Weidner May 23, 2012 at 3:09 pm #
      Trader Joe's, guuuurl!
  5. Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables May 23, 2012 at 3:23 pm #
    You can't blame a girl for loving chipotle :)
  6. Natasha May 23, 2012 at 3:50 pm #
    These look awesome Bev!
  7. Heather {ModernMealsforTwo} May 23, 2012 at 4:08 pm #
    OMG! You have me rolling with "I decided the dinner I had planned sounded like hammered earwax." I've totally been there. And your email to Aaron: HILARIOUS!!! :) Also, this recipe looks great.
  8. Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out May 23, 2012 at 4:10 pm #
    Hahahahahaha I love your hubby's reply to your email. "Sounds good." That's a saint, right there.
  9. Kelly May 23, 2012 at 4:24 pm #
    These look absolutely amazing!! Your presentation is gorgeous and I want to devour these immediately! :)
  10. Karriann May 23, 2012 at 4:45 pm #
    That would be a wonderful snack :) "Happy Cooking"
  11. Averie @ Averie Cooks May 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm #
    Grilled corn is so good and you are the taco making queen! Perfect for summer parties I'm thinking!
  12. Shannon May 23, 2012 at 5:42 pm #
    It is not even funny how much I love Chipotle. I don't have one where I live anymore so when I get to eat at one, I make at least 2 trips during a weekend. In fact-- I made mock Chipotle burrito bowls last night!!! We must be thinking the same thing. But it just wasn't the same...
  13. Deanna B. May 23, 2012 at 6:05 pm #
    I was just thinking the other day that I hadn't had Chipotle in ages. Then I remembered I used to down a whole burrito, and decided it might be in my best interest to stay away. At home barbacoa I could do.
  14. Tony May 23, 2012 at 6:07 pm #
    Phillip Phillips!
  15. Heather May 23, 2012 at 6:59 pm #
    gah! chipotle is the best - and thank goodness you didn't really go blind and turn into a pile of dustbunnies!
  16. Katie {Epicurean Mom} May 23, 2012 at 7:57 pm #
    Holy yum!!!!! Looks AH-Mazing!!!
  17. Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray May 23, 2012 at 8:06 pm #
    I want this to be my dinner so badly I CANNOT EVEN TELL YOU. Barbacoa. It even soundssss delightful.
  18. Elizabeth May 23, 2012 at 8:09 pm #
    These look great! But, if you're in love with Chipotle, you should stop by Cafe Rio next time you're out west. Warning: it will ruin Chipotle forever ... it's got NOTHING on Cafe Rio!!
    • Bev Weidner May 23, 2012 at 8:11 pm #
      You are the second person to tell me about Cafi Rio and how it KILLS the Chip! I h-a-v-e to have it. Or I maght dah.
  19. Cookin' Canuck May 23, 2012 at 8:26 pm #
    Love the gratuitous Phillip Phillips photo! As for the soft tacos...well, let's just say I now I have a serious craving for all-things barbacoa and chipotle.
  20. Natalie @ Cooking for My Kids May 23, 2012 at 8:34 pm #
    AMAZINGLY delicious, Bev! Now I want to change my dinner plans. But, I cannot do that because my mind is occupied with trying to get everyone bathed and fed so that I can sit down and enjoy seeing your boy crowned king of the world tonight. :)
  21. Karly May 23, 2012 at 9:19 pm #
    I just discovered your blog from Pinterest, and oh hai, I think I love you. I want to marry you just so I can get your crazy emails.
  22. Michelle May 23, 2012 at 10:58 pm #
    I love chipotle's barbacoa! I need to make this! And yes, barbacoa is a very sexy word.
  23. Michelle May 23, 2012 at 10:58 pm #
    I love chipotle's barbacoa! I need to make this! And yes, barbacoa is a very sexy word.
  24. Julie @ Table for Two May 24, 2012 at 12:12 am #
    i love chipotle!!! haha, we have it quite often and i'm pretty sure that's why my clothes don't fit me anymore ;) i love the phillip plug at the end, lmao, you crack me up
  25. Deborah May 24, 2012 at 2:36 pm #
    I've only been to chipotle once. If it was a little closer, I'd probably go more!! But I guess I don't have to, I can just make these. Because they look pretty amazing!!
  26. Ali @ Gimme Some Oven May 24, 2012 at 6:41 pm #
    Eeeeeee! Barbacoa tacos are my FAVORITE!!! I cheat on the chickens every time -- they are SO good! And THESE look SO good!
  27. Kara May 24, 2012 at 7:32 pm #
    I dont know where you come up with this stuff Bev, but you make me laugh. You also make me hungry.
  28. Kevin (Closet Cooking) May 25, 2012 at 11:25 am #
    Those tacos look so good and now I have a craving for some barbacoa!
  29. Vita @ Juicer Depot May 29, 2012 at 5:41 am #
    So glad phillip phillips won. He sure does look handsom in this picture. My stomach is growling for Chipotle right now.
  30. Gwen September 5, 2013 at 10:55 am #
    My slow-cooker only has "high," "low," and "keep warm"... do you know how this will convert to your cooking time? I've started it on low as to avoid tough, dry beef. Any ideas?
    • Bev Weidner September 5, 2013 at 11:40 am #
      Yes! Start on low and go for 3 hours. If after 3 you feel like it could be cooking quicker, switch it to high for an hour or two. I hope that helps!
  31. Nona January 18, 2015 at 9:04 pm #
    I came across this on Pinterest. I usually don't read the "blah, blah, blah" before the actu al recipe on any site but after reading the first few sentences I couldn't help myself By the end,I was hysterically laughing. Even if the barbacoa tacos weren't amazing, Bev's humor is worth reading. Except- the tacos were ahhhhmazing. Thank you, Bev, for the laugh and the recipe. I can't wait to try more!

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