Guajillo Barbacoa Beef
Barbacoa is tender pulled beef coated in a toasted guajillo chile paste, with earthy cumin, clove, oregano, thyme, garlic, and onion balanced by apple cider vinegar and lime. Bay leaves and ancho chile add depth and gentle heat, making it a flavorful filling for warm tortillas at a relaxed family meal or festive gathering.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook6 hrs 10 mins
- Serves24
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Guajillo Barbacoa Beef, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 56 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 16 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 91 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 39
- Heart Health
- 67
- Metabolic
- 13
- Digestive
- 23
- Inflammatory
- 54
- Performance
- 45
- General Wellness
- 1
Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Place dried guajillo chiles in the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until they change color and puff, about 5 minutes. Set the chiles aside to cool briefly. Meanwhile, toast cumin and cloves in the hot skillet until the cumin seeds begin to pop. Remove them from the pan and set aside. Remove and discard the stems, seeds, and veins from the chiles, then place them in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over them and cover. Let the chiles soak for 1 hour.
- 2
Grind the toasted cumin and cloves into a powder and place it in a blender. Add ancho chile powder, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, vinegar, and lime juice. Remove the chiles from the soaking water and place them in the blender along with some of the soaking liquid. Cover and blend until a smooth paste forms.
- 3
Place the beef roast in a mixing bowl and pour the guajillo chile paste over it. Coat the beef on all sides with the paste, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- 5
Transfer the beef and marinade to a roasting pan and arrange the bay leaves over the beef. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven until the beef is very tender and easily pulled apart with a fork, about 6 hours. Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour before discarding the bay leaves and shredding the beef with two forks.
- Calories 158.59 kcal Moderate 8%
- Protein 24.24 g Good Source 48%
- Carbohydrate 1.49 g 1%
- Total Fat 6.1 g Moderate 8%
- Saturated Fat 1.52 g Moderate 8%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 74.84 mg High 25%
- Sodium 94.54 mg Low Source 4%
- Dietary Fiber 0.39 g Low Source 1%
- Total Sugars 0.46 g --
- Added Sugars 0.42 g Low Source 1%
- Calcium 27.65 mg Low Source 2%
- Iron 2.93 mg Moderate 16%
- Potassium 16.68 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin A 1.2 mcg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin C 0.4 mg Low Source 0%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Citrus 🍊
- Sulfites
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Guajillo Barbacoa Beef is made with 15 ingredients and serves 24. It takes about 6 hrs 40 mins and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Ancho Chile Powder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Chuck Roast, and Dried Bay Leaves. Each serving provides about 158.59 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Guajillo Barbacoa Beef made of?
- The main ingredients are Ancho Chile Powder, Apple Cider Vinegar, Chuck Roast, Dried Bay Leaves, Dried Guajillo Chili. The full list of 15 is above.
- How long does it take to make Guajillo Barbacoa Beef?
- About 6 hrs 40 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 6 hrs 10 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 158.59 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Guajillo Barbacoa Beef easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 15 ingredients and 5 steps.
- Is Guajillo Barbacoa Beef healthy?
- Guajillo Barbacoa Beef has an easyChef Pro health score of 54/100. Per serving, it provides 158.59 calories and 24.24 g of protein, or 48% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 1.52 g (8% of the Daily Value). It contains Citrus, Sulfites, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required