Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks
Beef cheek meat is slow-cooked with onion and garlic until juicy and tender, with cumin, black pepper, and salt adding warm, savory depth. Serve it in tortillas with hot sauce and cilantro for a hearty meal, especially suited to a relaxed taco dinner.
- Prep10 mins
- Cook7 hrs
- Serves12
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 51 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 11 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 92 / 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.
- 22
- Heart Health
- 58
- Metabolic
- 17
- Digestive
- 20
- Inflammatory
- 54
- Performance
- 43
- General Wellness
- 1
Coat beef cheek meat with olive oil. Rub salt, cumin, and pepper into the meat. Wrap the meat in aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
- 2
Pour water into a slow cooker.
- 3
Arrange onion and garlic around the beef cheek meat in the aluminum foil. Wrap the foil tightly around the meat and vegetables. Add a second sheet of aluminum foil around the meat mixture, sealing it tightly; place the packet in the slow cooker.
- 4
Cook on Low, adding more water if it has evaporated, until the meat is very tender, 7 to 8 hours. Remove the foil packet from the slow cooker and shred the meat using 2 forks.
- Calories 166.76 kcal Moderate 8%
- Protein 22.57 g Good Source 45%
- Carbohydrate 3.45 g 1%
- Total Fat 8.36 g Moderate 11%
- Saturated Fat 5.22 g High 26%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 61.23 mg High 20%
- Sodium 321.91 mg Moderate 14%
- Dietary Fiber 1.33 g Low Source 5%
- Total Sugars 2.1 g --
- Added Sugars 1.65 g Low Source 3%
- Calcium 15.85 mg Low Source 1%
- Iron 5.99 mg Good Source 33%
- Potassium 44.13 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin A 5.22 mcg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin C 0.24 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.
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Slow Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks is made with 9 ingredients and serves 12. It takes about 7 hrs 10 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Beef, Beef Stew Meat, Black Pepper, and Garlic. Each serving provides about 166.76 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks made of?
- The main ingredients are Beef, Beef Stew Meat, Black Pepper, Garlic, Ground Cumin. The full list of 9 is above.
- How long does it take to make Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks?
- About 7 hrs 10 mins in total: 10 mins to prepare and 7 hrs to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 166.76 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 9 ingredients and 4 steps.
- Is Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks healthy?
- Slow-Cooked Barbacoa Beef Cheeks has an easyChef Pro health score of 48/100. Per serving, it provides 166.76 calories and 22.57 g of protein, or 45% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 321.91 mg (14% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 5.22 g (26% of the Daily Value). It contains Garlic and Onions, 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.
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