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The cooking method for this recipe is inspired by a slow-cooker recipe I developed as an Editorial Assistant at Cuisine at Home Magazine.
My assignment was to create a rotisserie chicken in a slow-cooker. No small feat considering a slow-cooker essentially steam-cooks while a rotisserie is a dry heat.
Regardless, after tons of tests and even more research, I nailed the method. This barbacoa recipe is similar in that the cooking method is a moist slow-cook that results in a juicy tender bird.
And it’s different in that is uses a Dutch oven and oven instead of a slow-cooker (why not?! One less piece of equipment to have on hand).
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Barbacoa Recipe
- An easy way to cook a whole chicken: slow cooked in a Dutch oven, this recipe is not as intimidating as a roast chicken. So, if you’re interested in cooking a whole chicken but don’t know where to start, this is a great recipe for you!
- Stays moist and juicy: since the chicken is roasted in a covered Dutch oven with broth and aromatics, the chicken comes out moist and juicy every time.
- Versatile! This chicken is so versatile. Cook a whole chicken on Sunday and use the leftovers to make tacos, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, soup and more.
What is Barbacoa Chicken?
At its simplest, barbacoa chicken is Mexican shredded chicken that’s been slow cooked. But let’s back up a bit. Traditional barbacoa is a Mexican barbeque technique which includes wrapping pig, goat, lamb or cow head in fragrant banana or avocado leaves and cooking over hot coals in a covered pit. Together, the leaves and smoky coals impart tons of flavor while also creating a cooking technique that both steams and roasts the meat.
As a city dweller, it’s impossible to cook meat this way, which is why I opted for the next best thing—roasting in a Dutch oven in the oven. This combination achieves both steaming and roasting.
So what is barbacoa chicken? It’s a lighter take on the classic dish made by steam-roasting a whole chicken in a smoky homemade adobo sauce with onions and a handful of dried bay leaves.
How to Make Barbacoa Chicken
This Mexican shredded chicken is easy, mostly hands-off and can feed a crowd. Here’s a quick rundown of how to make it, head down to the recipe card for the full recipe with amounts and timings.
- Make the homemade adobo sauce—all you need is a blender.
- Pat the chicken dry and season with kosher salt.
- Brown both sides of the chicken in a Dutch oven with onions and bay leaves.
- Add the adobo sauce and bring sauce to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the oven; roast the chicken until the meat can easily be pulled from the bone.
- Shred the chicken meat, meanwhile, simmer the sauce until reduced, thickened, and silky.
- Toss the chicken with the reduced sauce and serve.
How to Serve Barbacoa Chicken
This shredded Mexican adobo chicken is smoky, savory and not overly spicy, making it ideal for a variety of dishes.
- Tacos
- Enchiladas
- Burritos or burrito bowls
- Stirred into a simple soup like Sopa de Fideo
- Shredded chicken torta (sandwich) with smashed avocado and pickled red onions
How to Store Barbacoa Chicken
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Reheat leftovers in the microwave on high for 1–2 minutes or on the stove top over medium-low for about 5 minutes.
Mexican-Inspired Recipes You Might Also Like…
If you give this Barbacoa Chicken recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @zestfulkitchen on Instagram. I love hearing about and seeing your ZK creations!
More From Zestful Kitchen
Chicken Barbacoa Recipe (Mexican Shredded Chicken)
Description
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large (4-pound) whole chicken
- Kosher salt
- 1 white onion, halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon Quick Chile Adobo Sauce
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 ¾ cups water
Toppings:
- Corn or flour tortillas, warmed or charred
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Minced white onion
- Sliced radish
- Diced avocado
- Salsa verde
- Sour cream or whole milk Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 250ºF (121ºC) with rack set in lowest position. Heat oil in a large (7- or 8-quart) Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat chicken dry then season all over with salt, about 2 teaspoons total, rubbing some directly on breast meat underneath skin.
- Carefully add chicken, breast side down, to pot with hot oil. Add onions and bay leaves, nestling them around chicken. Cook chicken until breast is deep golden brown, 5–6 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken breast side up and brown until bottom side is deep golden brown, 5–6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add ⅓ cup adobo sauce to 1 ¾ cups water, stir until combined; pour over chicken. Brush remaining tablespoon adobo sauce over breast and legs of chicken. Bring liquid in pot to a simmer then cover with lid and transfer to oven.
- Roast chicken until meat can easily be pulled from bone and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast register 165ºF (74ºC) and legs register 172ºF (78ºC), 1½–1¾ hours.
- Using tongs, carefully transfer chicken to a cutting board (it may fall apart—that’s OK). Skim off and discard any grease from surface of broth. Simmer broth over medium-high heat until reduced and thickened, 20 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt (I start with ½ teaspoon).
- Meanwhile, remove and discard chicken skin. Remove meat from bones and shred into small pieces; add back to pot with reduced sauce and toss to combine.
- Served shredded chicken with lime wedges (a squeeze of fresh lime juice adds a lot here) tortillas and desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Delicious! Added some pico de gallo to the radish, avocado and cilantro. Everyone loved it!