5-Ingredient Beef Barbacoa
Craft high-protein burrito bowls effortlessly in just a few simple steps
Nothing screams “burrito bowl” more than beef barbacoa.
Whether you’re making it at home or getting it from Chipotle, you’re probably having it in the form of a burrito bowl.
And if you’ve done either recently, you’ve probably found yourself internally screaming as you’ve run into at least one of two unideal situations:
Making it yourself usually requires a laundry list of ingredients.
Getting your beef barbacoa fix from Chipotle costs somewhere around $13.
I don’t know about you, but when the craving for a burrito bowl hits, the last thing I feel like doing is pulling out half my pantry or a good chunk of my cash to have one.
At the same time, if I’m tired of the meal prep routine I might not feel like thinking about tons of cooking directions or techniques.
That’s why today I’m excited to bring you a version that is so low maintenance, that you’ll probably remember the recipe after making it once.
All you’ll have to do is complete one active cooking step, throw 5 ingredients into the slow cooker, and walk away until the beef is ready.
Of course, when you go to make the burrito bowl itself you’ll need more ingredients but you’re going to be spending a lot less time cooking than you normally would.
That will leave you more downtime to enjoy the burrito bowl you’ll be making with it, which has 53g of protein and is under 600 calories.
So, if you’ve been wanting to have beef barbacoa more often but have run into these inconveniences like me, then this might be your new go-to recipe!
Enjoy and see you next weekend!
Here are some notes about this recipe:
Look for beef stew cubes with 140 calories per serving.
Angus beef stew cubes will be more tender if you can find them.
If you want to save more time, skip browning the beef cubes.
Taste your salsa before using it in the recipe, to make sure you like it.
Salsa has plenty of sodium, so when seasoning to taste make sure to add a little at the time.
53G Protein Per Serving | 565 Calories | 8 Hours | 4 Servings
RECIPE
Ingredient List
5-ingredient Beef Barbacoa
3 lbs beef stew cubes
16 oz jar chipotle salsa or another pepper salsa
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Burrito Bowl
5-ingredient beef barbacoa
8 oz fire-roasted corn
10 oz lettuce
8 oz guacamole or avocado
16 oz store-bought pico de gallo or salsa
3 cups cooked basmati rice
3 cups cooked cauliflower rice
Cooking Instructions
Sear The Beef 🥩
Coat a large skillet or pot with cooking spray or oil, and preheat to medium-high heat. Add the beef stew cubes.
Sear them on all sides and transfer them to a slow cooker.
Make The Barbacoa 🍛
Pour in the salsa, add the spices/herbs, and bay leaves. Slow-cook the beef on low for 8 hours or until tender.
After the beef is done, remove it from the slow cooker and add it to a cutting board. Make sure to reserve the liquid in the cooker.
Chop or shred the beef then add to a container. Pour over some of the reserved liquid. Taste and season with salt.
Add 1/2 cup each of cooked cauliflower rice and basmati rice to a plate. Top with the beef.
Serve with 2 oz guacamole, 1/3 cup of fire-roasted corn, lettuce, and pico de gallo. Pour over additional reserved liquid if desired. Enjoy!
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Eat Well,
Marcus Matkins