Slow Cooker Beef Cheek Tacos (Barbacoa de Cachete)
These slow cooker beef cheek tacos (barbacoa de cachete) are the perfect hands-off meal for any day of the week! Simply add your beef cheeks to your slow cooker along with some onion, garlic, bay leaves, and salt, and then let it cook while you go about your day! Use this tender and flavorful Mexican pulled beef for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
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Instructions
Cut 3 lbs beef cheeks into 1-2 inch chunks.
In the bottom of your slow cooker, add 1 cup yellow onion, 3 teaspoon garlic, 2 whole bay leaves, and 3-4 whole cloves. Top with the sliced beef and sprinkle 2½ teaspoon salt over the top. Mix to combine.
Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily.
Use two forks to shred the meat and return it to the juices in the slow cooker. Stir to coat the meat, then allow it to continue cooking for an additional 15-20 minutes on low.
Remove and discard the bay leaves then serve warm on corn tortillas.
Notes
If desired, you can pan-sear your shredded beef in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil before serving to create some crispy bits.
While beef cheeks are the best cut of meat for making barbacoa, you could also use beef chuck or boneless short rib.
Use this tasty meat for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, salads, nachos, and more!
To store: Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Let cool completely before placing the meat into a storage bag and freezing for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Heat a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of olive oil. Once hot, add the barbacoa and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.