In honor of National Hispanic Month, I decided to make Barbacoa. When I googled some Barbacoa recipes, I noticed that almost of them used butt roast but that isn’t how we make it. We use Cachete de Res, aka, Beef Cheeks and this is the only way I’ve known how to make it. And in actuality, we make Barbacoa de Cabeza (a cow head) and make barbacoa out of that but for this, we are just using the beef cheeks.
Before I get to the very easy barbacoa recipe, I thought I’d share with you a tidbit about us. My real dad’s side of the family is Mexican, which makes me half. My husband and his family are Spanish. They all speak Spanish, sing Spanish, and often talk in Spanish when together. My kids who very much look white, call themselves Hispanic because that’s what they are and how we live. I’ve always considered myself Mexican because 1) you’re supposed to go by your Dad and 2) I just feel it.
We cook Mexican food all the time with homemade tortillas being a staple around here. We haven’t had homemade barbacoa in a long time so I thought the timing was perfect for it. One of the things I love about our Walmart is that I can find those unique cuts that I need, in this case, cachete de res (beef cheeks). They also carry other parts of the beef head like tongue which we would have also put in this but they were sold out.
Barbacoa is probably one of the easiest foods to make. While many might dress it up, we prefer an original, plain version.
- 6lbs of Cachete de Res (Beef Cheeks)
- Handful of Comino
- Handful of Salt
- Pepper to taste
- 32oz Beef Broth
- Water to Cover
- Pour your broth, salt, pepper, and comino into your slow cooker.
- Add your cachete de res and cover with water.
- Cook on low for 10 hours.
- When done, shred with forks and serve with rice, beans, and homemade tortillas. I also recommend you top with fresh cilantro and onion!
So if you want to be truly Authentic with this, buy a cow head and cook it in the ground, shred all the cheeks, tongue, eyes, etc and you’ll have barbacoa. We think is easier and for me, slightly more appealing than the other…….
Have you ever tried Barbacoa?
Thanks for this recipe! I have been looking for an authentic Barbacoa recipe with beef cheeks or tongue ^¬^ Love Barbacoa
Omg this is the best barbacoa and it’s so easy.
Que delicia~! Loved your recipe and cooking. Gotta make some “cachetes” here as well! Thank you for sharing such nice photographs of your cooking.
Thanks for this “authentic” recipe. Also, the picture of your rice and beans made me wish I had the recipes for those. ‘Any chance you could post them?
I’ve used Walmart’s Rumba beef cheeks once for braised beef cheeks in red wine. Oh lord, it was good. I didn’t really know what I was doing however, and I think I may have trimmed more than I needed. Do you ever trim these down first? Can I use the entire cheek? I want to try this recipe next, so thank you!
Thankyou for this recipe!!! I grew up on a farm/ranch & haven’t had this in Years?
We’ll have it tomorrow for sure!!!
I know I am a bit late to this post but, I grew up in San Antonio, tx and now live in Tennessee. I love it here, but they do not have breakfast tacos anywhere!! No one even knows what barbacoa is! I am so excited to find this and cannot wait to try it!
I think your recipe is great except for one thing. I worked with a friend that owned a barbacoa cafe. He taught me to clean the cheeks after cooked and cooled. The cheeks have a lot of blood vessels and part are black. That has to be cleaned to really make it good.
Great advice!!! I will be doing that!!
I just came from visiting California relatives and while there purchased some barbacoa, for my sister who lives in Washington state, but because I had a very small suitcase, did bring any for myself. I can’t wait to try this. I am Mexicans and knew it doesn’t take a lot of ingredients to make delicious. Thank you! Thank you!
In the crockpot right now!! Will update tonight!! Sure wish i had your rice recipe!! Lol
Here in South Texas we eat barbacoa on sundays for breakfast- I like mine with scrambled eggs and refried beans on the side! This will be my first time making it! Gracias por la receta!
The most authentic one to date, I put tong, onion, tomatoes, bay leaf, vinegar put in crock pot. Blend or buy ground cumin, garlic, allspice, cloves, vinegar, chilies guajillos. It is very brothy for the broth will be used as a botana which is a appetizer. A shot of broth with finely chopped onion and cilantro, salsa and lime to tast. Thank you for your recipe
Hi Lori! Just found you on Pinterest and read your Blog info. You are an amazing lady and am very impressed with your accomplishments! Another thing I was pleased to read is that you are from Sweetwater, Tx. We lived in San Angelo, Tx for seven years as my husband was stationed in Goodfellow Air Force Base and on our way to Abilene for shopping excursions we passed by Sweetwater. Your write up brought back memories as we moved back to California in 1989! Loved the bar b qure in Austin but Real Mexican Barbacoa is the best!
I’m so happy I found this.
I made beef cheek with my own recipe for short ribs in a pressure cooker for 2:45mins…it melts in the mouth…no need to bite at all….lol
Am going g to try yours one of these days…Thanks for sharing.
I did this recipe in an insta pot. I set it on high pressure for 110 minutes. It came out perfect. Only thing I changed was I added a few garlic cloves and a little bit of vinegar.
Love to cooking Mexican food your barbacoa looks good
I have ti try this. Looks yummy
what no bay leaf? lol… Its almost exactly how I make mine! Got the recipe from a local place in my hometown…. pass the onions and cilantro!
The best,easiest recipe I’ve found. Thank you! I am not a cook. I followed your recipe EXACTLY! The barbacoa that I made following your instructions tasted like a higher quality barbacoa than any barbacoa I’ve had before. Thanks again 👍🏼 It’s a 5 star recipe