Chipotle Barbacoa Bowls
I love Chipotle Barbacoa Bowls something fierce. However since Chipotle made it “big” in the news last year, I haven’t visited very often. My lack of visits have only made me crave that delicious barbacoa beef even more.
When I stumbled across this recipe to recreate Chipotle’s barbacoa in a Crockpot, I knew I had to try it! Plus, I love making my own guac and building my burrito bowls at home, so this was the perfect opportunity to combine the tasty flavors of Chipotle with my own condiments.
The flavors are spot on, with a little extra kick. (Which we love.) Plus, this is wicked easy to make since the prep time takes only 10 minutes to cut the beef and puree the sauce and your slow-cooker does all the work. You’ll come home to a house full of yummy aromas and an awesome dinner waiting for you.
It’s hard to make shredded beef look pretty, so don’t judge this recipe by the below picture, but I wanted to show what just the beef looked like. You can just SEE the flavor – can’t you!?
Since we’ve been keeping mostly paleo during the week, we dressed up our Barbacoa with fresh romaine, sautéed peppers and onions, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños and hot sauce. 
Next time I’ll probably build a burrito bowl with some nutty brown rice and maybe some freshly shredded cheese.
Some suggestions as you build your bowl:
- brown or white rice
- black beans
- sautéed peppers and onions
- guacamole (click here for my recipe, or here for Chipotle’s exact recipe)
- corn salsa
- hot tomato salsa
- hot sauce
- fresh or pickled jalapeños
- sour cream
- cheese (any shredded cheese or cotija cheese would be great!)
- romaine lettuce
- pico de gallo
- crushed tortilla chips
I know you’re going to love this recipe as much as we do. I may even try it with chicken next time! What toppings do you like on your burrito bowls? Share your creations on Instagram or Facebook with #hugsnkitchen!
This bowl also pairs deliciously with an ice cold margarita… just saying.
Cheers!
Chipotle Copycat Crockpot Barbacoa Bowls (paleo, gluten-free)
- Total Time: 4-6 hours (on low) or 8-10 hours (on high)
- YIELDS 8 servings
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Instructions
- Trim the meat and cut into two inch chunks.
- Combine the broth, chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, garlic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, dried oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and cloves in a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Place the beef chunks in the slow cooker.
- Pour the pureed mixture from the blender on top of the beef, and add the whole bay leaves.
- Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
- Remove the bay leaves.
- Shred the meat using two forks and stir into the juices.
- Cover and rest for 5-10 minutes to allow the beef to absorb more flavor.
- Serve with a slotted spoon over your favorite Chipotle bowl-stye condiments and enjoy!