BBQs often feel like an American tradition. Unfortunately, we can’t claim ownership of this method of cooking. In fact, Mexican barbacoa recipe ideas show us that BBQs transcend international borders.

These easy Mexican barbacoa recipe ideas are versatile and can help with your meal planning, so you can easily prepare dinner at home any night of the week. What is barbacoa? Most of us are familiar with barbacoa from places like Chipotle or barbacoa tacos from taquerias in California.

We order a barbacoa burrito bowl and get a juicy, tender beef covered in a sauce. But did you know that barbacoa isn’t referring to the meat itself? Instead, it is referring to the overall recipe of the meat.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas a Small Serving Plate of Tacos with Lime Wedges

Translate barbacoa from Spanish to English, and you get barbecue! Barbacoa is a Mexican BBQ, plain and simple. We often get some cuts of beef like beef chuck roast, brisket, and beef cheeks in the US when we order barbacoa, but there are more options in Mexico.

For example, you take a trip to Mexico and ask for Barbacoa. They will ask what type of meat you’d like. Traditionally, barbacoa is made with tougher cuts of meat that benefit from slow roasting over an open flame.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas Two Tacos on a Griddle Cooking with Cheese Melting on Top

You can get beef, but also goat, lamb, and even mutton. Then there is the seasoning. Like American BBQ, Mexican barbacoa recipe ideas vary greatly, though the general idea is in each recipe.

The same American BBQ ideas are also here, like marinating the meat in the seasoning. The two staple seasonings in barbacoa include dried guajillo and ancho chiles.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas Close Up of a Row of Tacos with Shredded Meat, Cilantro and Onions

The guajillo peppers add a mild sweetness, and the ancho peppers bring a smoky flavor. Ultimately, there are plenty of different options for barbacoa. You could go with a classic barbacoa beef recipe or venture out and try traditional Mexican barbacoa recipes.

Of course, these recipes benefit greatly from using a slow cooking method like a crockpot or on the grill for an open flame experience. But you can use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker for any barbacoa meat.

But there is another way if you want to get really traditional.

Beef Barbacoa Crockpot Recipe

Authentic Mexican Barbacoa Recipe | Mexican Food by Laura

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa | Diethood

Lamb Barbacoa Burritos | Thomas Farms

Chipotle Copycat Beef Barbacoa | Wholesome Yum

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas

The original way of making barbacoa is to dig a hole in the ground and use open fire and steam to simmer the beef brisket with low heat. Of course, we don’t recommend digging a hole for your first time making barbacoa.

But we can keep the recipes traditional with flavors. We already know the basics of the Mexican spices we need to make barbacoa. But we can’t skip the sauce. Barbacoa sauce is traditionally made with a combination of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, a dark ale or beef stock, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic cloves, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, and cloves.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas a Burrito Cut in Half with Black Beans, Shredded Meat, and Tomatoes Spilling Out from Each Half

It’s easy to see that there are a lot of complex flavors here, and the spice levels can get out of control for some. But most barbacoa recipes are not considered spicy food in Mexico.

Still, you can adjust these recipes as much as you’d like to fit into your preferred spice levels. Either way, you will get great flavor, whether with a spicy beef barbacoa recipe or a milder lamb recipe.

Shredded Beef Barbacoa | Skinnyish Dish

Pulled Smoked Goat Barbacoa | Shepard Song Farm

Chicken Barbacoa | Zestful Kitchen

Sweet Pork Barbacoa | The Girl Inspired

Barbacoa de Cachete (Beef Cheek Tacos) | Bake it With Love

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas Close Up of Three Enchiladas on a Plate

How to Serve Barbacoa

One of the best aspects of Mexican barbacoa recipe ideas is the customization options we get when it’s time to serve. Find your favorite recipe, and then gather all your favorite things for toppings.

Barbacoa goes well with things like pico de Gallo, fresh cilantro, white onions, red onions, fresh lime juice, sour cream, or just some cheese. Then, you can use the barbacoa in a burrito with a flour tortilla or taco with a corn tortilla.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas a Table of Mexican Food Including Meat, Salsa, and Tacos with a Person Dipping a Tortilla Chip into the Salsa

You can even make some pretty amazing taco bowls using barbacoa. You can even claim it is a healthy meal by adding barbacoa meat to rice bowls or taco salads. Find a way to serve that the whole family loves, and you will have a guaranteed repeat recipe on your hands.

Let’s just say Taco Night has gotten a huge upgrade with barbacoa.

Barbacoa Burrito Bowl | Downshiftology

Backyard Barbacoa | Learning to Smoke

Weber Kettle Smoked Barbacoa Tacos | Dad with a Pan

Oaxacan Barbacoa (Made with Pork) | Barbecue Bible

Barbacoa Beef Taco Bowls with Hash Browns | Carlsbad Cravings

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas a Plate of Nachos with Cheese, Shredded Meat, and Jalapenos

Side Dishes for Barbacoa

Making a full meal out of Mexican food is not very difficult at all. The hardest part will be deciding what type of Mexican barbacoa recipe ideas you like most. But making a meal just means adding some sides to go with your main dish.

Luckily, the side is often Mexican rice or black beans. But you can spice things up by making different types of rice and beans. For example, cilantro lime rice is straightforward to make.

Mexican Barbacoa Recipe Ideas A single Taco on a Red Plate with a Bottled Coke in the Background

You can change the beans and go with pinto beans or refried beans. No matter what, you will not have difficulty putting a meal together for large crowds or small families using Mexican barbacoa recipes.

Beer-Braised Beef Barbacoa | Hola Jalapeno

Slow-Coked Lamb Barbacoa Tacos | Frontera

Beef Barbacoa Sliders | Pati Jinich

Spicy Crockpot Barbacoa | A Spicy Perspective

Cachete de Res Barbacoa | A Cowboy’s Wife