Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nachos
These Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nachos take this bar food staple to the next level! Made with tender spicy shredded beef and tons of toppings, these nachos will have your mouth watering. What could get any better than this?!?
ELEVATED GAME DAY SNACKS!
There’s nothing better than sitting around a table full of appetizers and watching a good movie or a football game! With the weather getting colder, I couldn’t think of a better time to make these delicious nachos!
My Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nachos are full of so many flavors! The tender shredded beef paired with some of m favorite toppings made these nachos amazingly delicious. All I can remember is that I couldn’t stop eating these. Trust me, one bite will have you hooked!
NACHO TOPPINGS GALORE!
Nachos are one of my favorite appetizers! But, they wouldn’t be right without a TON of toppings. The great thing about this recipe is that you can choose what you love and add as much as you want! Here are some amazing toppings to use:
Diced Red Onion
Queso
Shredded Lettuce
Guacamole
Refried Beans
Black Beans
Sliced Jalapenos
Diced Tomatoes
Chopped Cilantro
Assorted Salsas
Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nacho Ingredients:
Okay now, let’s talk ingredients! These ingredients are very easy to find and use! You might already have a few sitting in your pantry.
Beef Chuck Roast: For the barbacoa, you want to use a cut of beef that’s great for slow cooking such as beef chuck roast, short ribs, top round, etc. Make sure to keep some of the fat on them as well when you’re prepping them. You want to add as much flavor as possible to them.
Salt & Ground Black Pepper: Since we’re adding so many different flavors to the chipotle sauce, we want to keep the main seasonings pretty simple. Salt and Ground Black Pepper will work just fine for this recipe.
Vegetable Oil: Vegetable oil is used for both searing our meat and helping the seasoning mixture to stick to the meat before searing.
Beef Stock or Broth: Whenever you’re braising meat, you want to have some type of liquid for the meat to cook in. You want to make sure that the meat is ½ to ¾ of the way covered before cooking. Beef stock or broth is ideal for the recipe.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: Here’s where we get some major flavor! The chipotles in adobo sauce are smoky and spicy. A few will go a long way. If you’re not that into spice, only add 3 peppers.
White Onion: In most barbacoa tacos, white onions are served with them. I added a few to the chipotle sauce for some added flavor. Make sure they’re roughly chopped before blending them.
Garlic Cloves: You can’t have this recipe without adding in a few garlic cloves! They add so much flavor. Plus, you don’t have to cut them at all! You can just throw them in with your blender.
Ground Cumin: The ground cumin adds an earthy and warm taste to the chipotle sauce, with a hint of citrus. It works with the spiciness of the chipotle peppers beautifully.
Dried Oregano: The oregano adds a bit of pungency and earthiness to the beef. Plus, it adds a little bit of a bitter note.
Lime & Apple Cider Vinegar: To help cut some of the overall spice in the chipotle sauce, I added some lime juice, lime zest, and apple cider vinegar. The acid helps to balance out all the flavors as well.
Bay Leaves: The bay leaves add some additional herbaceousness to the sauce. Make sure to remove them when the beef is finished cooking.
Shredded Cheese: You can use your favorite shredded cheese to top your chips. I used a mexican blend, but a simply shredded cheddar will work great as well.
Tortilla Chips: Any style of tortilla chips will work for this recipe. I like using restaurant or catina style of chip. They’re a little heartier and hold their shape a lot better.
Your Choice of Toppings: queso, sliced jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onions, guacamole, chopped cilantro, etc.
How to make Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nachos:
This recipe might look intimidating, but it’s actually REALLY easy! The beef is the only thing that you really need to cook. Plus, there are so many different ways to cook it. So, don’t worry at all!
The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.
STEP 1: Preheat Oven & Heat Oil. Preheat oven to 325°F. Cut roast into 6 - 8 portions, removing any excess fat. Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.
STEP 2: Season & Brown the Beef. Drizzle 2 tbsp of vegetable oil onto the beef. Season with salt and ground black pepper (about 2 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of ground black pepper). Working in batches, sear the pieces of beef until browned on all sides. Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish or aluminum pan.
STEP 3: Make the Chipotle Sauce. In a blender, add the beef stock, chipotle chilies, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, apple cider vinegar, lime zest, and lime juice. Blend until fully combined and smooth. Pour the mixture over the beef and then nestle bay leaves in between.
STEP 4: Braise the Beef & Prep Toppings. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook for 3 - 3.5 hours or until the beef is fully tender and falling apart. While the beef is cooking gather and prep some of your favorite toppings (see suggestions above).
STEP 5: Shredd the Beef. Remove the beef from the oven and place it in a large bowl. Shred the meat as desired. Add ½ cup of the cooking liquid to the meat and mix. Hold the meat warm.
STEP 6: Assemble your Nachos & Serve. On a ½ sheet pan lined with parchment paper, add your tortilla chips and top with your shredded cheese. Bake in the oven just until the cheese is melted. Top with the shredded beef and your favorite toppings. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can I make this recipe in an Instant Pot?
Yes! If you are pressed for time and have an Instant Pot, you can definitely make this recipe in no time at all. It’s a pretty simple process. Here are the directions plus a few tips:
STEP 1: Add vegetable oil to Instant Pot and select "Saute". When hot, add the beef in batches and cook until browned on all sides.
STEP 2: Press "Cancel - or Keep Warm/Cancel". Return browned beef to the pot and pour pureed chipotle sauce over the top.
STEP 3: Close the lid securely and make sure the valve is set to "sealing". Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook." Cook on "HIGH" and adjust the +/- button until it reads 60 minutes.
STEP 4: When finished cooking, carefully turn the valve to "venting" for a quick pressure release. When the steam has all escaped, and the pin has dropped, remove the lid and discard bay leaves.
STEP 5: Remove the beef and shred as desired. Continue with the instructions above.
Can I make this recipe in a SLOW-COOKER?
Now, all of us don’t have an Instant Pot. So, here’s an easy way to cook this delicious beef barbacoa in a slow cooker. You can either cook it on HIGH or LOW depending on how much time you have. Here are the directions plus a few tips:
STEP 1: After searing off the beef, add the beef to a slow cooker. Top the beef with the pureed chipotle sauce. Add the bay leaves.
STEP 2: Cook on HIGH for 3 - 4 Hours or on LOW for 6 - 7 hours (or until tender).
STEP 3: Remove the beef and shred as desired. Continue with the instructions above.
I’d love to hear your feedback about these EASY Loaded Beef Barbacoa Nachos! Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!
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