Made by Hand · Dinner
Oven-Braised Beef Barbacoa (Make-Ahead Recipe)
Make-ahead oven-braised beef barbacoa, shredded and refrigerated overnight in all its sauce and juices. Best eaten the next day in tacos, bowls or quesadillas.
By Stephanie
Tested in my home kitchen · Updated Oct 2026
Prep
20 min
Cook
240 min
Makes
6
Difficulty
Easy
A note from my kitchen
Why this recipe stays in rotation
Make tender oven-braised beef barbacoa in one heavy cooking pot—no slow cooker or Instant Pot required. With your seasoning blend prepared, there is no sauce to blend. Adjust the heat to suit your family and cook a day ahead for next-day tacos, bowls, or quesadillas.
MAKE AHEAD — BEST EATEN THE NEXT DAY: Plan to cook this beef the day before serving. Shred it and refrigerate it overnight with all its sauce and cooking juices, then reheat the next day.
The recipe
Oven-Braised Beef Barbacoa (Make-Ahead Recipe)
Make-ahead oven-braised beef barbacoa, shredded and refrigerated overnight in all its sauce and juices. Best eaten the next day in tacos, bowls or quesadillas.
Ingredients
1× batch · Quantities change; cooking time and temperature do not. Use suitable cookware for larger batches.
- 3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into approximately 5 similarly sized chunks. Match the chunk size used for the original 5 lb roast cut into 8 pieces.
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth or prepared Goya chicken bouillon, plus a little extra if needed for the pan.
- 1 bay leaf.
- 2–3 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, according to preference.
- 3.5 oz (100 g) tomato paste, a little over half of a 6-ounce can.
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon birria seasoning. Preferred homemade blend: Whitney Bond’s Birria Seasoning — https://whitneybond.com/birria-seasoning/
Method
- 1
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Cut the 3 lb chuck into approximately 5 similar chunks and pat dry. Do not add separate black pepper or salt. Add the birria seasoning with the tomato paste after searing, as directed below.
- 2
Heat the braiser over medium-high heat according to the pan manufacturer’s guidance. Sear the beef in the dry pan, without added oil, in batches if needed. Allow the meat to brown and release before turning. Sear until deeply browned without burning, allowing the meat to release before turning. Transfer to a plate.
- 3
With the seared beef removed from the pan, reduce the heat to low-medium. Add the tomato paste and birria seasoning. Toast in the pan for 1–2 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching.
- 4
Add the chicken broth (or prepared chicken bouillon) and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful browned layer (fond). Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 bay leaf. The tomato paste and birria seasoning are already in the pan; do not add them again.
- 5
Return the beef to the pan. The liquid should reach about halfway up the meat, rather than completely cover it. Adjust with additional chicken broth or prepared chicken bouillon as needed for the size of the braiser.
- 6
Cover and transfer to the oven. Allow 3–4 hours of cooking, checking for meat that pulls apart readily with a fork. Continue cooking if it is still resistant; timing varies with the cut, size, and pan. Check the liquid if cooking longer.
- 7
Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and any other whole seasonings that should not be served.
- 8
Shred the beef, discarding unwanted pieces of fat. Mix the shredded beef thoroughly with ALL the sauce and cooking juices; do not drain them away.
- 9
Make ahead: Divide the shredded beef together with all its sauce and juices among shallow containers. Refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of cooking (within 1 hour if the surroundings are above 90°F/32°C). Do not leave it on the counter to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator overnight. This recipe is best eaten the next day.
- 10
The next day, reheat the beef with its sauce and juices, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 165°F (74°C) throughout. Keep the juices with the beef for storage and reheating; drain only the individual portions you are using to fill crispy quesadillas.
Stephanie’s notes
Prep: 10–20 minutes. Cook: 3–4 hours, until fork-tender. The recipe card uses the upper ends of these ranges. Rest for 10 minutes, then refrigerate promptly as directed. Overnight refrigeration and next-day reheating are additional to the listed prep and cook times. Yield: approximately 6 servings from a 3-pound boneless chuck roast, using a standard 3-ounce (85 g) cooked-beef portion as a conservative guide. Actual yield depends on trimming and cooking loss; this is an estimate, not a measured yield. This recipe is scaled from my original 5-pound batch; the 3-pound batch has not been separately tested. Use a snug-fitting pan and adjust broth to reach roughly halfway up the meat. Do not scale cooking time in proportion to ingredient weight. No separate oil, salt, black pepper or garlic is added. The birria seasoning and bouillon may already contain salt and garlic. For the bouillon concentration used here, dissolve 1 Goya chicken bouillon packet in 2 cups water, then measure 1¼ cups prepared broth. This is the recipe concentration, not a statement of the package directions. The searing photograph is a method reference from my Sunday Pot Roast; the seasonings differ. The oven-braise photograph shows the barbacoa before shredding. Make this recipe using the oven method. Slow-cooker and pressure-cooker conversions have not been tested.
Notes from testing
The details that make the difference
I prefer a homemade birria seasoning blend because you can adjust the heat to suit your family.
Reduce the amount of chiles—especially the hotter varieties—for a milder blend that still has plenty of flavor.
Dry the beef before searing for better browning.
Deglaze thoroughly, but do not scrape burnt material into the sauce.
Keep the lid on during the oven braise and judge doneness by tenderness, not time alone.
Store and reheat the shredded beef with ALL its sauce and juices; drain only individual portions just before filling crispy tortillas.
Use it well
Make it yours, store it well
Storage and reheating
For best flavor, make the beef the day before serving and refrigerate it already shredded and mixed with all its sauce and cooking juices. Divide into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly within 2 hours of cooking (1 hour above 90°F/32°C); do not wait for it to cool completely on the counter. Keep covered at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3–4 days of cooking, including the overnight rest. Freeze portions with their sauce and juices for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Serving ideas
Serve the shredded beef in tacos, rice bowls or quesadillas. The main photograph shows a quesadilla serving suggestion; tortillas and cheese are not included in the beef recipe ingredients.
For quesadillas, drain only the portion of beef you are using, add to tortillas with grated cheese, and cook in a skillet until golden and the cheese has melted. Keep the remaining beef stored in its sauce and juices.
Reader questions
A few things you may be wondering
Can I make barbacoa without a slow cooker?
Yes. The main method uses a covered pot in the oven; no dedicated countertop cooker is needed.
Do I need a Dutch oven?
A Dutch oven works well, but a deep heavy-bottomed braiser or pot also works if the vessel, handles and fitted lid are suitable for stovetop and oven use.
Why is my beef still tough?
It may need more braising time. Keep it covered, check the liquid, and continue cooking until a fork easily pulls it apart. Roast size and cut affect the timing.
Can I make the seasoning milder?
Yes. Make the linked homemade blend with less of the hotter chile powders. Reduce arbol or cayenne first; chipotle also contributes heat. Keep the other spices for flavor.
When should I make it?
The day before serving. Shred and mix with all the juices, refrigerate promptly in shallow containers overnight, and reheat together the next day.
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