Lamb Barbacoa Recipe
Tender shredded lamb in a spicy barbacoa sauce, piled onto soft tacos and loaded with toppings. All the work is done in the slow cooker!
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs) bone-in shoulder of Welsh lamb
- 1 tbsp adobo paste
- 1 tbsp chipotle paste
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or lamb stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbsps of fresh lime juice)
To serve:
- 10-12 soft tacos warmed
- 1 red onion peeled and sliced
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 2 jalapenos sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes quartered
- 4 tbsp salsa
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream
- 200 g (1 cup) guacamole – shop-bought or homemade guacamole
- 2 limes sliced into wedges
Instructions
Make the lamb barbacoa
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan. Add the lamb and sear on all sides.4 tbsp vegetable oil, 2.2 kg (4.8 lbs) bone-in shoulder of Welsh lamb
- Add the adobo paste, chipotle paste, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, stock, salt, pepper, cloves, and lime juice to the pan.1 tbsp adobo paste, 1 tbsp chipotle paste, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 480 ml (2 cups) chicken or lamb stock, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, juice of 2 limes
- Bring to the boil, then turn off the heat and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 6 hours (see tip below for cooking in the oven).
- Once cooked, remove the lamb from the slow cooker.
- Place on a board and shred the meat using two forks. Discard the bones.
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Fry the shredded lamb for 3-4 minutes, turning every minute or so, until crisp and golden.
Assemble the lamb tacos
- Divide the meat between warmed tacos and drizzle on some of the sauce from the slow cooker.10-12 soft tacos
- Top with red onion, fresh coriander, jalapenos, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.1 red onion, 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, 2 jalapenos, 10 cherry tomatoes, 4 tbsp salsa, 120 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream, 200 g (1 cup) guacamole
- Serve with wedges of lime.2 limes
Video
Notes
Cooking in the oven rather than the slow cooker:
If you don't want to cook the lamb in a slow cooker, you can cook it in a heavy-based, oven-proof pan, with a lid, in the oven at 160C for 3 hours. Add an extra 180ml (3/4 cup) of stock and check a few times during cooking to ensure the lamb doesn't cook dry. Add good splash of boiling water or stock if it starts to look too dry.Can I make it ahead?
Yes - you can make up the barbacoa right up to the point you've shredded the meat. Then cool, cover and refrigerate the lamb for up to two days.Cool, cover and refrigerate the cooking liquid too. To reheat, fry the lamb in a large frying pan in two tbsp of oil until golden and piping hot throughout.
The cooking liquid can be reheated in a saucepan until piping hot.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Same as the make ahead instructions above, you can make up the barbacoa right up to the point you've shredded the meat. Then cool, cover and freeze.Freeze the cooking liquid too (leave a little space in the container as the liquid will expand slightly upon freezing.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as per the 'make it ahead' instructions above.
How to scale down this recipe to serve fewer people
If you want to scale down this recipe for 2-3 people (around 6 tacos), replace the lamb shoulder with a half shoulder joint or 2 lamb shanks. Reduce the all of the other ingredients by one quarter and cook in the same way. Nutritional Information is approximate, per serving, including the tacos and toppings (this whole recipe serves 10).Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1069mg | Potassium: 624mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg
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