My slow cooker has been earning its keep lately — almost embarrassingly so.
With book photography taking over my life, our kitchen has been full of food. After prepping ten or more recipes a day, I don’t have the energy to make an entirely new dinner every night, so I’ve been using the slow cooker whenever I can. While it’s out, I figure I might as well test every slow cooker recipe that might end up in the book.
In the process, I keep discovering incredible recipes that I love.
My slow cooker has been busy for five days straight — five different meals, not nonstop — usually cooking overnight for about 10 hours, then photographed in the morning before starting the next one. This trusty slow cooker has truly been a lifesaver.
One of my favorites from these sessions is this barbacoa beef. I love shredded, fall-apart barbacoa on salads, in rice bowls, enchiladas, burritos and — most of all — tacos.
Tacos that are piled with pickled onions, pineapple pico de gallo, thinly sliced radishes and plenty of cheese. I like to char my tortillas directly on the gas flame until they have those smoky, blistered spots — a small, theatrical ritual that sometimes makes me feel like I live dangerously.
Truth be told, the beef is so flavorful on its own that I once ate it plain in a tortilla mid-prep — no cheese, no salsa, no cilantro. I was starving. It still tasted fantastic, but the toppings really elevate the whole thing.
The barbacoa’s base is inspired by a trusted recipe that yields deeply seasoned, tender beef. I kept the approach simple: a bold, blended sauce with chiles, garlic and aromatics, then low-and-slow cooking until the meat falls apart. The result is concentrated, savory meat that shines on its own and pairs beautifully with bright, acidic toppings.
Pineapple pico adds sweet-tart freshness, and pickled red onions bring a crisp, tangy contrast and a lovely dash of pink color. My husband Eddie loves the pickled onions so much he snacks on them straight from the jar. Combined with a squeeze of lime and thinly sliced radish, these tacos are irresistible.
Yes, we could eat tacos every day. And honestly, with barbacoa this good, I’d be perfectly content if we did.
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Tacos with Pickled Onions and Pineapple Pico
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed canola or vegetable oil
- 1 4 pound beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ½ red onion diced
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- corn or flour tortillas
pickled onions
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
pineapple pico
- 1 cup fresh pineapple cubes diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and diced
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Add the garlic, chipotle peppers, diced red onion, adobo sauce, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, ground cumin, dried oregano and ground cloves to a food processor. Blend until smooth and well combined.
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Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. If your slow cooker allows searing, heat it to the highest setting; otherwise, heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high. Add the oil, and when hot, sear the beef until deeply browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
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Pour the blended sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the seared beef on top (or if you seared it in the slow cooker, lift it and pour the sauce underneath). Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender.
pickled onions
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Place thinly sliced red onion in a jar or small container. Whisk warm water, sugar and salt in a bowl until dissolved, then whisk in the apple cider vinegar. Pour this mixture over the onions and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container if you make them ahead.
pineapple pico
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Combine the pineapple, seeded and diced jalapeño, diced sweet onion, chopped cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let sit for about 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
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But why do I always just miss Taco Tuesday?