As a Texan living in the Northeast, I’m always hunting for authentic barbecue, Tex‑Mex and Mexican food. I love my region, but restaurants that match the quality I expect are rare. I’ll admit it: I’m picky when it comes to barbecue and Tex‑Mex.

Chipotle Barbacoa

Although Chipotle is a fast‑casual chain, I appreciate how it fills a flavor gap for many of us. One of my favorite menu items is Chipotle’s Barbacoa—a spicy, Mexican‑style shredded beef. The recipe below is inspired by several “copycat” versions found online, but my goal was to create a flavorful, Paleo‑friendly barbacoa rather than an exact clone.

For this batch I used a 12‑pound tri‑tip roast I picked up at Costco (see earlier post). The meat was lean and inexpensive at roughly $2.59/lb, but it was far too large for a single crockpot or pressure cooker. I solved that by cutting the roast in half and cooking parts in both appliances.

I cut the roast into eight large pieces so each piece could be seared easily and fit into my crockpot and pressure cooker. The recipe below is scaled for about 6 pounds of meat so it’s practical for most kitchens. Instructions are included for both the slow cooker (crockpot) and pressure cooker methods.

Ingredients for Chipotle Barbacoa

6 lb. beef roast (cut into 4 or more large pieces, fat trimmed)
2 tablespoons oil (coconut, ghee, lard or tallow recommended)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
6 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo (about 6 peppers)
8 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken or beef stock
5 bay leaves
2 juniper berries (optional)

Instructions for Chipotle Barbacoa

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium‑high heat. Sear each side of the meat until browned, about 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer the seared pieces to a crockpot or pressure cooker.

2. In a blender or food processor combine apple cider vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and ground cloves. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour the blended sauce over the seared meat. Add stock, bay leaves and juniper berries if using.

Crockpot method

Cover and cook on low for at least 6 hours, until the meat is very tender and easily pulls apart.

Pressure cooker method

Seal and bring to pressure following your pressure cooker’s instructions. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes, maintaining pressure. After cooking, remove from heat and let the pressure release naturally for about 15 minutes.

Final steps (both methods)

Remove the meat and pour the cooking liquid into a wide saucepan. Simmer the liquid on high until it reduces by half to concentrate the flavors.

Shred the beef with two forks, then pour the reduced sauce back over the shredded meat to coat it well.

We enjoyed the pressure‑cooked batch the same night (it cooks in about an hour) and had leftovers for several lunches and dinners, including a barbacoa beef salad. The crockpot batch froze well in smaller containers for later meals. This method makes a generous amount of richly flavored meat you can portion, freeze, and use for tacos, salads or plates. It’s an economical way to get a Paleo‑friendly version of Chipotle‑style barbacoa at home.