Beef Barbacoa Sliders

Name: Beef Barbacoa Sliders
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 210 min
Ingredients: 10 guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded); 10 ancho chiles (stemmed and seeded); 5 cups water; 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 medium Roma tomato (quartered); 1/2 medium white onion (coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)); 3 medium cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 5 whole cloves (stems removed); 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt; 3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil; 4 pounds beef round roast or brisket (cut into 4-inch chunks); 1 pound Banana leaves (or aluminum foil); 12 ounces light beer (1 bottle); 24 small slider buns (brioche or challah buns are specially good with this!); Pickled jalapeños (optional)

Bocados de Barbacoa

Recipe Yield

24 sliders

Cooking time

3 hours 30 minutes

Rate this recipe

4.43 from 7 votes

Ingredients

10 guajillo chiles stemmed and seeded
10 ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
5 cups water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 medium Roma tomato quartered
1/2 medium white onion coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 whole cloves stems removed
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons safflower or vegetable oil
4 pounds beef round roast or brisket cut into 4-inch chunks
1 pound Banana leaves or aluminum foil
12 ounces light beer 1 bottle
24 small slider buns brioche or challah buns are specially good with this!
Pickled jalapeños optional

To Prepare

For the marinade:

Heat a large skillet or comal over medium heat. Add the dried guajillo and ancho chiles and toast them for no more than 20 seconds per side, taking care not to burn them. Transfer the toasted chiles to a medium saucepan and add the water, place over medium heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chiles have softened and rehydrated.
Transfer the chiles to a blender, and add 2 cups of their cooking liquid (discard the remaining liquid), the vinegar, tomato, onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, cloves and salt. Puree until smooth.
Wipe out the medium saucepan and add the oil. Place over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the pureed chile mixture, being careful to avoid any splatters. Partially cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the color darkens and the mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency.

For the meat:

Place the beef in a large bowl and cover it with the marinade. If you will not cook it that day, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Wrap the individual meat chunks in pieces of banana leaf or aluminum foil as you would wrap burritos or tamales - making sure to add a generous amount of marinade in each packet.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the meat packets inside a large, heavy ovenproof French oven or casserole, pour in the beer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Roast for about 3 hours, until the meat is succulent and comes apart when pulled with a fork. Transfer to the stovetop (off of the heat), and let everything rest for 10 to 15 minutes before opening the meat packets.
Serve on slider buns with drunken salsa and/or pickled jalapeños.

Comments

99comments inBeef Barbacoa Sliders

mary wheeler

Dec 27

I’ve made this recipe 5 times already and have the leftovers frozen for fast dinners, I live alone, tonight I had Barbacoa tacos for dinner thank you for such a delicious recipe for dinner

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Dec 28
  
  I am so glad you like my barbacoa Mary, enjoy!
  
Crystal

Oct 04

I was not able to find those chillies where I am in Australia, so used 2 jalapenos and a big spoon of diced Chipotles in adobo sauce…. Tasted pretty good so I can only imagine how amazing it would be with the right ingredients (I will source for next time)

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 05
  
  Great subs Crystal, so glad you liked this sliders 🙂
  
Renee S

Sep 10

Hello Pati, my son and I spend Sundays with my parents and my Mom and I always watch a few episodes of your delightful show. She and I take turns making your recipes and they never fail to be yummy. Would tri tip work in this recipe? Thank you

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 03
  
  I don’t see why not Renee, go for it ! Big hugs to you, your son and your Mom.
  
Anonymous

Jun 06

OMG this recipe is delicious
Great thank you Pat

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jun 12
  
  Glad you liked it!
  
Carol P.

Apr 10

Hi Patti! Yum! Made the barbacoa beef. I was hesitant to add the sweet spices but followed your recipe exactly and now my family thinks that I really can cook. Haha. Love you, love watching you with your sweet family & your travels. God bless you. Carol

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 11
  
  You CAN cook now Carol 🙂 So happy the family approved, un abrazo to all!
  
JONATHAN LAUDUN

Apr 03

Hi Pati,

I am Creole and from New Orleans. I moved to Tucson after husband Katrina and was lucky enough to meet my husband to be a few years after settling in to Arizona. His family is from Magdalena so I have learned to cook a lot of Sonoran style foods. His favorite was his mother’s traditional Sonoran style barbacoa but now this is his requested version. I am bringing it as the main meat for Easter this year and am 100% certain that once his mom tries it she will ask for the recipe!

Thanks for being such a wonderful chef and sharing your travels and recipes with all of us.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 04
  
  OMG I feel honored Jonathan, so glad you and your husband love this recipe and thanks so much for sharing with the family. Fingers crossed for mom’s approval 🙂
  
  1. JONATHAN LAUDUN
    
    Apr 30
    
    My mother in law loved it as did all the other guests. They were truly shocked that this “gringo” could cook such authentic and delicious barbacoa. She pulled me aside after it was all over and said that next time I make it to make extra for her house! Trying your carnitas this weekend. Every recipe that I have made from your cookbooks have been a homerun!
    
    1. Pati Jinich
      
      May 11
      
      Yay, good job Jonathan! As long as mother in law approves 🙂
      
Lisa Kaye Lacey

Feb 15

Amazing recipe

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 15
  
  Gracias Lisa!
  
Jane H.

Jan 25

I wanted to share what I did based on this recipe. I followed the marinade recipe, but cut back to roughly 3/4 of proportions because i only had about a 2.5 lb piece of chuck roast. I used chili powders of type ancho and guajillo (7 tsp of each) and since i had no cooking liquid, just water. Then I placed the marinade in a crock pot, with the chunks of meat (cut into smaller 2 in chunks) and cooked on low for about 6 hours. I removed the very tender meat to a bowl and set it aside. Then I took most of the liquid marinade, and reduced it on the stove for about 25 minutes in a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat to get to a thicker gravy consistency. Then I poured the sauce over the meat, and served. I realize I kinda went “rogue” but I was curious about taking a crock pot approach. I think the method was very successful for getting tender meat. And the sauce was really good. It was “hands off” all afternoon while the crock pot did its thing.

Thank you for posting these interesting recipes.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 10
  
  Thanks to you Jane for sharing your crock pot version of this Barbacoa, I am sure it will be very useful here. Un abrazo!
  
Carol Fierro

Nov 03

Can I use a pork loin instead of beef?
Love your show…have made many of your delicious recipes….
Thank you.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Nov 03
  
  I’d say yes, go ahead Carol. However, if you want to eat pork, your best bet will be to make Carnitas! Here one of my recipes for you https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/brown-sugar-carnitas/ And thanks for the kind words 😉
  
  1. Chris Dycus
    
    Jan 08
    
    That carnita recipe is amazing! I use it all the time
    
David

Aug 25

Hola Pati, I’m making this recipe tonight for my friends, and I’m serving it with your drunken salsa too! I love your recipes and your show😃

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Aug 26
  
  Awesome David! Barbacoa and Salsa Borracha are perfect together, I hope you had fun 😉
  
Noe

Aug 16

Hi Pati. My wife and I love making your dishes. Our favorite is tacos empedrador. I want to make this recipe. What size Dutch oven do you use?
Thank you and keep sharing your kitchen.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Aug 18
  
  Hola Noe! The bricklayer tacos are really yummy; I think I used a 3.5 qt dutch oven but it really does not matter, you can make them in a deep cast iron pan as well if you have one. Have fun and enjoy the tacos 😉
  
Edgar

Aug 05

Hi Pati,

What do you mean by removing the stems from cloves? Is it the little bulb at the top or is it the long piece?

Thank you!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Aug 05
  
  What you will be using is the little round bulb Edgar 😉
  
Mary

Jul 05

Can this recipe be made in a crockpot

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jul 08
  
  Sure Mary, go for it!
  
Jessica

Jan 29

How long would it cook in an instant pot? I’m thinking 1hour….

Alfredo

Jan 29

Hola Pati!
Love your show and your recipes.
Question, do I wrap the meat in the banana leaves before or after the marinade and before cooking?

Gracias!
mm mmm mmm!!!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 04
  
  Alfredo, first marinade, then wrap in banana leaves with a generous spoonful of the marinade, then cook. Let me know how it goes 😉
  
  1. Alfredo
    
    Feb 27
    
    It was great! Going for round two this weekend! We love your show and we have cooked a few of recipes.
    Gracias!
    
    1. Pati Jinich
      
      Feb 27
      
      Yay!
      
Julie

Dec 24

Thank you for this recipe.
I see that the recipe on this page calls for 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt, but in the YouTube video you share and show that it takes 2 and 1/2 tablespoons. Could you share which it should be?

Also, in the corresponding YouTube video your range was absolutely stunning. Would you share what brand it is, and if it performs in the way that you would expect?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2fteDH6vzPU

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Dec 24
  
  I sometimes tweak recipes after the show, so follow what is on my website, Julie. And it’s a Viking stove. Enjoy the barbacoa!
  
Monica

Jan 26

Hola querida Pati, I love you and your show soo very much! I just discovered you a few weeks ago. Gracias a Dios!!! 🙂
I was making this recipe tonight, I seeded the chiles AND then soaked them! I completely forgot to toast them! Can I set them out to dry and use them again or am I doomed!
I should mention that they soaked for maybe one full minute before I realized my error and quickly drained them. Will the flavour have left these delicate morsels or can I still dry, toast and reuse them again tomorrow?
Mil gracias

1. Pati
  
  Feb 06
  
  Oh don’t worry, Monica! Part of the fun of cooking is making mistakes and adapting…and Mexican cooking is very forgiving. If you didn’t have a chance to toast them…you can keep going with the recipe and it will still be delicious.
  
Maria Alicia Solorio

Jan 10

Hola Pati. Me encanta su programa y sus resetas
I have a question. I watched your video on Youtube and you serve the sliders with some cabbage. Is it pickled or just plain? My family loves pickled ingredients.
I am planning on making these for my daughter’s 12 birthday party.
Gracias
Con mucho carino
Maria

1. Pati
  
  Jan 11
  
  Oh I don’t have a recipe for that slaw specifically, but here are some creamy versions: https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/creamy-green-slaw/ https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/creamy-slaw/ And here are some pickled recipes too: https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/pickled-red-onions-a-la-yucateca/ https://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/pickling_jalapenos/ I hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday, Maria Alicia!
  
  1. Maria Alicia Solorio
    
    Jan 13
    
    Mil Gracias Pati!
    Prepare este paltillo y a todos les encanto. Mis suegros quedaron muy impresionados!
    Mi camisa está manchada con chile pero valió la pena!
    Gracias de nuevo por compartir sus platillos deliciosos!
    No puedo esperar para probar otra receta!
    
    1. Pati
      
      Jan 14
      
      Super!
      
Rita

Feb 26

Can I substitute a chuck roast?
Thanks!

1. Pati
  
  Feb 27
  
  Sure! Any meat that likes to be braised will be great.
  
Gabriela

Jan 09

Hola Pati, preparé este platillo y mi esposo que es americano quedó fascinado tanto que declinó el sábado en ir a su restaurante Tex-Mex preferido. Yo misma quede boqui abierta del delicioso sabor que explota en la boca. Yo le tengo pánico a cocinar porque pensaba que era malísima pero seguí todos los pasos y orale!!!! Hasta me sentí chef!!!😎
Me sentí como la rata de la película Rattatuili y el libro del chef Custoe, everybody can cook!!!
Por cierto las hojas de plátano se me quebraron. Una amiga me dijo que las calentara un poco en un comal antes de envolver la carne.

Gracias Pati por quitarme el miedo de aventurarse a la cocina, mi esposo le encanta verte en TV y en youtube dice que tenemos el mismo acento y le encanta.

Saludos
Gaby

1. Pati
  
  Jan 11
  
  jajaja fantástico! 😄
  
Jessica

Jan 06

I’m so excited to try and make this! I just have two questions.. Using aluminum foil, should the meat be wrapped a little loose? If it’s completely sealed can the beer penetrate it to do its thing? Also, how would I use a crockpot instead of the oven? Low? High? How many hrs?

I guess that was more than two, hah. Thanks for taking the time. You and your recipes are inspiring!

1. Pati
  
  Jan 10
  
  You know? You can skip the wrapping. If you are using a crock pot, follow same method as when you braise a similar kind of meat!
  
Nixya

Dec 16

As a full time worker, student and mom the weekdays are chaotic, so I look for hearty home made meals to make on the weekends. This one was AMAZING! The banana leaves gave it a delicious flavor. My parents enjoyed it as well. Instead of making sliders, I made it as an entree with rice, beans and homemade flour tortillas. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

1. Pati
  
  Dec 21
  
  Thank YOU for trying it, Nixya! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!
  
Jenn & Dan B.

Nov 10

Hi Pati, we love your show! Is there a style of premade store marinade you can recommend as a substitute?

1. Pati
  
  Nov 11
  
  Gracias! I still have not found one…
  
David B.

Oct 12

Pati, Wow! This is a great recipe. We have an old family recipe (Sonora style) that we make and love. It does not compare to how good this one is. I made it along with tortillas de harina (homemade) and it was a match made in heaven. Thank you for all of your hard work!

1. Pati
  
  Oct 12
  
  Oh wow thank you David!
  
Terry W Coggins

Sep 26

Terrific recipe, fun to prepare and tastes great. One question though. Since this was traditionally cooked underground over hot coals, would the addition of a tsp or 2 of liquid smoke to the marinade/sauce help achieve smokey flavor of the traditional cooking method? By the way leftovers freeze well, too. Thank you

1. Pati
  
  Sep 27
  
  Terry…give it a try and let me know if you like it!
  
  1. Terry W Coggins
    
    Oct 17
    
    Pati:
    I added 2 tsp of liquid smoke to the pureed and cooked pepper mixture. The meat was marinated as instructed, then cooked in banana leaves in a slow cooker. The liquid smoke did add a smokey flavor. However, more than a tsp or 2 would probably not be too good because too much liquid smoke would make the dish bitter. This is a terrific recipe that I hope one day to prepare in an underground oven just to taste the dish as it is traditionally prepared. Thank you.
    
Asael Paniagua

Sep 24

Pati,

You are my hero. I saw your video and I was amazed.

I changed the recipe so the meat was left marinating over night. Then I put it in the oven with 12 oz of fresh squeezed orange juice. It was succulent.

1. Pati
  
  Sep 25
  
  Oh thank you so much Asael!
  
Liz

Aug 08

Can you make this in a crock pot?

1. Pati
  
  Aug 08
  
  Absolutely!
  
Vincent T.

Jul 23

How do you keep the Banana leaves from cracking when wrapping. Sadly, most of my banana leaves cracked and leaked some filling, but it was still excellent to eat. Thoughts?

1. Pati
  
  Jul 27
  
  Oh, you should pass them through a burner flame and/or rinse with warm water. That should help!
  
Marion j Rojas

Jun 08

My children, 3 girls, LOVE these!

1. Pati
  
  Jun 08
  
  Yay!
  
Ana

Jun 06

Quick question, what about the five cups of water. When does that get used?

1. Pati
  
  Jun 08
  
  It’s for the marinade, once you have toasted the dried chiles, put them in a medium saucepan with the water to rehydrate them.
  
J.Chapa

Jun 05

Hi Pati,
My mom has moved in with me to care for her. We love looking at all your cooking shows for new recipes.That is “our” time. I’m looking forward to making this for my mom. Thank you,God Bless & continued success! ?❤?

1. Pati
  
  Jun 08
  
  That’s amazing that you are cooking and taking care of your mom. Sending you my best!
  
Joan

May 21

Hi again Pati,
I have a question about the peppers. When I make Chile Colorado, I use New Mexico and Guajillo chiles. To prepare them, I remove the stem and seeds, toast them in a hot skillet, put them in a pot with water, bring to a boil and then let them soak for 30 minutes. I process them and then I put them through a strainer to remove the bits of skin. If I don’t do this step, there will be flecks of skins in my Chile Colorado. I noticed when you make the Barbacoa, you simmer the Ancho and Guajillo chiles and put them through a processor, but don’t strain them to remove the skins. Won’t there be flecks of the skins in your Barbacoa?
I want to make the Barbacoa and I’ve already purchased my 9.5 quart Le Cruset but I don’t want the pepper skins in there. Thank you for a great show! I never miss and always record them for reference. Gracias!

1. Pati
  
  May 25
  
  Hi Joan! If you don’t want the flakes of skin, I recommend that you strain it. Enjoy!
  
Aaron Gold

May 18

I’ve now made beef barbacoa two weekends in a row! The first weekend I followed the recipe verbatim and it came out gorgeous. The second weekend I used a whole cut of brisket and applied the recipe to a slow cooker. I am seriously considering making this recipe again this Friday because it is so so good! Thanks for an amazing recipe!

1. Pati
  
  May 18
  
  I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Aaron!
  
Joan

May 14

Pati, I love, love, love watching you cook and I can’t wait to make this. Can you please tell me the size of the large orange French oven you used to cook the beef wrapped in the banana skins? I want to be sure I have one large enough. Gracias!

1. Pati
  
  May 15
  
  It’s 9.5qt!
  
  1. Joan
    
    May 15
    
    Thank you Pati!
    
Carlos Ayala

Apr 04

This recipe looks so yummy! I always loved making American BBQ pulled pork or beef. I had a question though. I know it says to serve it with salsa borracha. But can you also heat up any leftover barbacoa not used for cooking the meat as extra sauce?

1. Pati
  
  Apr 07
  
  Of course! It will concentrate its flavors even more. YUM
  
Jamie York

Jul 14

Is the drunken salsa you mention here the drunken prune & orange salsa?

1. Pati
  
  Jul 15
  
  Yes =)
  
2. Pati
  
  Jul 17
  
  Indeed!
  
Anabel

Feb 14

My husband and I Just seen show for 1st time, looked so delicious n easy to do. Can’t wait to try it!! Thank you.

1. Pati
  
  Feb 14
  
  Oh good! Hope you like them.
  
Kathy Melendez

Jul 18

The picture shows red cabbage slaw. I tried to find a recipe on your site, but no luck.

1. Pati
  
  Jul 19
  
  True! It is shredded red cabbage (2 cups) mixed with lime juice (3 tablespoons), olive oil (3 tablespoons), agave syrup (1 tablespoon) and salt to taste.
  
  1. Kathy Melendez
    
    Jul 20
    
    Thank you so much. Mucho gracias!
    My family loved the sliders and the crab jicama salad!
    
Cheryl

Mar 12

Hola,
If you don’t wrap the meat in packets, would you just mix in the beer with the marinade before roasting in the oven?
Thanks

1. Pati
  
  Mar 12
  
  What you would do is place the meat on a chicken or turkey holder, without cutting it in smaller pieces and pour the beer under it, the close the baking dish with aluminum foil or banana leaves.
  
Javier

Nov 27

my wife and I would like to say we enjoyed your show we saw it for the first time today and will be trying some recipes soon thanks once again from Texas

1. Pati
  
  Dec 01
  
  Hi Javier, So happy you guys found my show! You will have to let me know what you try!!
  
Connie

Jun 11

I’ve seen this recipe on PBS. The concept of slow cooking in banana leaves with guajillo sauce and light beer was very interesting. I tried using beef short ribs in place of lean meat in a slow cooker. The result was very good and the flavor was great. My husband and I loved it so much.

Thanks for the recipe, Pati.

1. Pati
  
  Jun 11
  
  Your variation sounds awesome, Connie!
  
  1. Norma G
    
    Mar 13
    
    Pati, what is the purpose of wrapping individual pieces of meat? Do the banana leaves impart a particular flavor to cooking?
    
    1. Pati Jinich
      
      Mar 15
      
      It does! The banana leaves are amazing not just to add flavor but also to prevent the meat to dry in the oven 🙂
      
Barbara

Jun 01

What could I substitute the beer with?

1. Pati
  
  Jun 02
  
  Hola Barbara, For the Pasilla, Prune and Orange Salsa, you can just use an extra cup of boiling water to replace the beer.
  
  1. Barbara
    
    Jun 03
    
    Thank you!
    
Sara

May 24

I made this last night and it’s already all gone! My mother (my pickiest eater) even had seconds. I knew it.was a winner when I blended it all together and it smelled like my suegras coveted birria. I actually didn’t cook the sauce beforehand. I simply forgot and by the time I remembered, itwas already in the baking dish. I also didn’t individually wrap the meat. I made it more like a cochinita pibil and it was still incredibly delicious and tender!

1. Pati
  
  May 26
  
  YUM! So happy to hear you made it your very own, sounds delicious.

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