Easy Homemade Cheesy Enchiladas de Barbacoa Recipe

I’ve been gatekeeping this recipe for the longest time, but now, I want to share it with you.

So, let’s make some easy barbacoa enchiladas that are packed with rich seasoning and perfect for your next big dinner party!

Beef Barbacoa: Slow-Cooking, But Totally Worth the Wait

The secret to juicy, melt-in-your-mouth beef that falls apart effortlessly is cooking it low and slow. So, while this recipe is straightforward, it does take some time to prepare since the barbacoa needs plenty of TLC.

Must-Have Barbacoa Ingredients

Some ingredients you’ll need to make barbacoa include:

• Beef chuck roast, cut into chunks.
• Chipotles in adobo sauce: This gives the perfect amount of smoky flavor.
• Onion and garlic: These will be our key aromatics.
• Lime juice: This adds a hint of zing and zestiness to the dish.
• Apple cider vinegar: This helps break down the beef as it cooks, making it tender.
• Spices: You can choose whatever spices you want, but I like to keep it simple with a little bit of cumin, oregano, cloves, salt, and pepper. 
• Bay leaves: This spice adds a light and herbal note to the barbacoa, which ultimately helps round out the flavor.
• Beef stock: If you want to make your beef extra juicy, this is your go-to ingredient.

Once you have everything you need, the next step is to combine them all in a slow cooker and simmer on low for about 8 to 9 hours. After that, your beef should fall right apart. 

Red Enchilada Sauce: Easy Method, But Big on Flavor

The first time I made this recipe, I used store-bought enchilada sauce. And let me tell you, it was not all it was cracked up to be. 

Yes, it was accessible. Yes, it was affordable, but was it worth it? Not at the expense of taste. After that, I decided to make the sauce from scratch.

Once I tried this easy red enchilada sauce recipe, I never looked back. It has 10x the flavor of any store-bought version and it literally takes only 10 minutes to make. 

All you have to do is combine your ingredients — chili powder, tomato paste, all-purpose flour, and a bunch of spices — in a saucepan. Let it simmer until smooth and thick, and you’re done!

Easy Homemade Enchiladas de Barbacoa With Red Sauce

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours 45 minutes

Enjoy tenderly shredded beef barbacoa, layered with a simple homemade red sauce, and topped with a lot of cheese.

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Ingredients

For the Beef Barbacoa:

• 4 pounds of beef chuck roast (cut into 3-inch chunks)
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 3 to 4 chipotles in adobo sauce (diced)
• 5 cloves of garlic (minced)
• ¾ cup of beef stock
• ¼ cup of lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• ½ tablespoon of dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
• 3 dried bay leaves
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the Red Enchilada Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons EACH of cooking oil, all-purpose flour, and chili powder
• 2 cups of water (to thin the sauce)
• 3 ounces of tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon EACH of ground cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper
• Salt (to taste)

Other Ingredients and Toppings:

• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (or any other melty cheese you want)
• Jalapeño peppers
• A bunch of chopped cilantro

Instructions

To make the Beef Barbacoa:

1. Because the barbacoa takes the longest, we have to prepare it first. So, add all your barbacoa ingredients (minus the bay leaves) into the slow cooker.
2. Then, use your tongs to gently toss and turn them until they’re well combined. Add the bay leaves as the final touch before putting on the lid. 
3. Cook your beef on low for 8 hours. But, if you’re in a rush, you can cook it on high for 4 to 5 hours. 
4. After that, transfer your beef onto a cutting board and shred it into pieces using two forks. 
5. While you prepare the sauce, you can transfer the shredded beef back into the cooker to absorb the leftover juices. 

To make the Red Enchilada Sauce:

1. To make the sauce, add your oil, flour, and chili powder to a saucepan, then cook over medium heat. Whisk them until the sauce starts to bubble. 
2. After a minute, pour your water, tomato paste, and spices until they’re blended into the mixture. Let everything simmer until it starts to thicken. 
3. Give your sauce a little taste test and adjust the salt if needed.

Finishing off…

1. With your beef and sauce ready to go, it’s time to assemble your enchilada. So, grab a baking dish and add a thin layer of sauce at the bottom. 
2. On a separate plate, divide your shredded barbacoa into the 12 soft tortillas before rolling them up and placing them in the same baking dish (seam-side down). 
3. Pour the rest of your enchilada sauce on top, sprinkle some cheese, and place the dish in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes.
4. Once the timer’s up, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and garnish it with more cheese, cilantro, and jalapeño peppers.

Notes

Image credit to @bites_with_coco.

Featured image credit to @chef_andrewdavis.