Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa
Tender shredded beef slow-cooked with onion, bay leaves, garlic, vinegar, tomato sauce, and chili powder develops a rich, gently tangy flavor with warming spice. Spoon it into flour tortillas for an easy meal, or serve it as a hearty filling for casual lunches and dinners.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook6 hrs
- Serves8
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 52 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 14 / 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.
- 32
- Heart Health
- 67
- Metabolic
- 17
- Digestive
- 28
- Inflammatory
- 57
- Performance
- 45
- General Wellness
- 1
Place roast, onion, bay leaves, black pepper, garlic powder, and vinegar in a slow cooker; cover the ingredients completely with water. Cover and cook on High until the meat is very tender and falling apart, about 4 hours.
- 2
Remove the meat from the slow cooker and discard the liquids. Return the meat to the slow cooker; shred it with a fork and knife. Stir tomato sauce, chili powder, and salt into the shredded meat. Cover the cooker and cook the meat and sauce on High for an additional 2 hours.
- Calories 263.41 kcal Moderate 13%
- Protein 38.14 g Good Source 76%
- Carbohydrate 6.46 g 2%
- Total Fat 9.5 g Moderate 12%
- Saturated Fat 2.34 g Moderate 12%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 112.64 mg High 38%
- Sodium 292.87 mg Moderate 13%
- Dietary Fiber 1.2 g Low Source 4%
- Total Sugars 2.09 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 40.75 mg Low Source 3%
- Iron 4.49 mg Good Source 25%
- Potassium 174.3 mg Low Source 4%
- Vitamin A 32.38 mcg Low Source 4%
- Vitamin C 4.34 mg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa is made with 10 ingredients and serves 8. It takes about 6 hrs 30 mins and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Chuck Roast, and Dried Bay Leaves. Each serving provides about 263.41 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa made of?
- The main ingredients are Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Chuck Roast, Dried Bay Leaves, Garlic Powder. The full list of 10 is above.
- How long does it take to make Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa?
- About 6 hrs 30 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 6 hrs to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 263.41 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 10 ingredients and 2 steps.
- Is Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa healthy?
- Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa has an easyChef Pro health score of 52/100. Per serving, it provides 263.41 calories and 38.14 g of protein, or 76% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 292.87 mg (13% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 2.34 g (12% of the Daily Value). It contains Tomatoes, 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.
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.
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