Healthy Barbacoa Beef (Slow Cooker or Stove-Top)

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Recipe

This Healthy Barbacoa Beef Recipe is just 210 calories and has 24g of protein!

You can use this recipe for Mexican Barbacoa in tacos (my preferred method) over homemade nachos, enchiladas, salads. The possibilities are endless!

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Recipe

The meal as shown with 1/2 cup barbacoa beef, 3 extra thin corn tortillas, cilantro and onions has 340 calories. It’s a filling meal that I always have the day I make this healthy Barbados beef. Then I package up the leftovers to make more healthy meals for the week.

Healthy Barbacoa Beef

Ingredients for Low Calorie Barbacoa Beef

This low calorie barbacoa beef recipe is packed with flavor! Many of these ingredients are pantry staples, so don’t be put off by the number of ingredients.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Recipe

Shopping List for Skinny Barbacoa Tacos:

Beef Barbacoa:

  • Beef brisket or beef chuck roast
  • Chipotle chilis in adobo
  • Beef broth
  • Garlic cloves
  • Ground cumin
  • Dried oregano
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Ground cloves
  • Lime

Barbacoa Tacos Toppings:

  • Tortillas
  • Fresh Cilantro
  • Onions
  • Salsa or Hot Sauce (optional)
  • Shredded Cheddar (optional)
  • Avocado (optional)

How to Make Low Calorie Barbacoa Beef

To make this barbacoa recipe authentic we would need to roast it in a pit. That’s not easy for most of us. So I made this low calorie recipe for barbacoa in a slow cooker and supplied stove-top directions too!

I also added storage information below in the recipe card.

Healthy Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

How to Make Barbacoa Beef:

Slow Cooker Directions:

  1. Cut the beef into 4 large cubes and add to the slow cooker.
  2. Add the chilis, beef broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce over the beef and cover. 
  4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.
  5. Shred the meat with two forks either inside the slow cooker, or move to a plate to shred then add back to the slow cooker.
  6. Mix well in the sauces, and serve hot in tacos, enchiladas, over salads, nachos, of just about anything!

Oven Directions:

  1. Cut the beef into 4 large cubes and add to a large pot.
  2. Add the chilis, beef broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  3. Pour the sauce over the beef and cover. 
  4. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours mixing often to avoid burning. 
  5. Shred the meat with two forks either inside the pot, or move to a plate to shred then add back to the pot.
  6. Mix well in the sauces, and serve hot in tacos, enchiladas, over salads, nachos, of just about anything!

Healthy Barbacoa Beef Recipe

This low calorie recipe for Mexican Barbacoa is easy to make and so yummy! At just 201 calories for 1/2 cup it’s the perfect barbacoa taco recipe.

I was able to cut lots of calories by omitting all the oil, this also helped save time when skipping the browning of the meat. Now I know that is more traditional, but I have made it both ways, and I can’t tell the difference, so I skipped the step to save time and calories.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Recipe

Low Calorie Barbacoa Beef

Lose Weight By Eating
This low calorie recipe for barbacoa beef is easy and yummy, and best of all, it can be made in a slow cooker, or on the stovetop.
My slow cooker barbacoa beef recipe is just 201 calories for 1/2 cup and has 24g of protein! And if you made barbacoa tacos, 1/2 cup would make about 3-4 tacos! That's a lot of beef barbacoa…
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 18 servings
Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 lbs beef brisket or beef chuck roast
  • 3 chipotle chilis in adobo
  • 1 ¼ cups beef broth
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Juice of 1 lime

Instructions
 

Slow Cooker Directions:

  • Cut the beef into 4 large cubes and add to the slow cooker.
  • Add the chilis, beef broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce over the beef and cover.
  • Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6 hours.
  • Shred the meat with two forks either inside the slow cooker, or move to a plate to shred then add back to the slow cooker.
  • Mix well in the sauces, and serve hot in tacos, enchiladas, over salads, nachos, of just about anything!

Oven Directions:

  • Cut the beef into 4 large cubes and add to a large pot.
  • Add the chilis, beef broth, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  • Pour the sauce over the beef and cover.
  • Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours mixing often to avoid burning. 
  • Shred the meat with two forks either inside the pot, or move to a plate to shred then add back to the pot.
  • Mix well in the sauces, and serve hot in tacos, enchiladas, over salads, nachos, of just about anything!

Storage:

  • Freezer: Will hold for 1 month in the freezer.
  • Fridge: Will hold for 5 days in the fridge

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 1.4gProtein: 24gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 3.9gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 276mgPotassium: 33mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 0.5gCalcium: 21mgIron: 3mg
Keyword beef, healthy barbacoa beef, low calorie barbacoa beef, Main Course
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition and Calories in Barbacoa Beef

The taco ingredients are not included in the nutrition label below, the label reflects the barbacoa beef calories. The tacos shown are 340 calories for 1/2 cup barbacoa beef, 3 extra thin corn tortillas, cilantro and onions.

Low Sodium Tips: Get low sodium beef broth, and remove the salt from the recipe. When you shred the beef, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the sauce and mix together.

Important Note: As a reminder, at Lose Weight By Eating it is my goal to make you healthier, all-natural versions of your favorite recipes… not all will be “diet worthy” depending on the diet you are on. But they will be healthier versions to help curb your cravings.

What to Read Next:

Nutrition and Calories in Mexican Barbacoa Recipes

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Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef Recipe

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2 thoughts on “Healthy Barbacoa Beef (Slow Cooker or Stove-Top)”

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