Tender slow-cooked shredded lamb in a spicy Mexican-style barbacoa sauce, piled onto soft tacos and loaded with toppings.
I’m making a Lamb Barbacoa taco FEAST today, and most of the work is done by the slow cooker.
Everyone will adore this special dish — perfect for a family gathering and a brilliant alternative to the traditional Sunday roast.
I wanted to show how versatile lamb can be and how well it handles bold flavours. We’re going Mexican with barbacoa-style lamb carnitas — slow-cooked until meltingly tender, then crisped for texture and piled into warm tortillas with plenty of vibrant toppings.
Table of Contents
- 📋 Ingredients
- 🧑🍳 How To Make It
- 🌮 How to serve Lamb barbacoa
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- 🇲🇽 More Mexican Inspired Recipes
- ? Frequently Asked Questions
- More Delicious Lamb Recipes
- Lamb Barbacoa Recipe
📋 Ingredients
For the lamb barbacoa:
- 2–2.2 kg (4.4–4.8 lb) bone-in shoulder of lamb
- Adobo paste and chipotle paste for smoky heat
- Aromatics and spices: garlic, cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, ground cloves
- Chicken or lamb stock (about 480 ml / 2 cups)
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
To Serve:
- Soft corn tortillas or warmed flatbreads
- Toppings: red onion, fresh coriander (cilantro), sliced jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole and lime wedges
🧑🍳 How To Make It
Full recipe details are in the recipe card below.
- Sear the lamb: Heat oil in a large frying pan and brown the lamb on all sides to develop colour and flavour.
- Add adobo and chipotle pastes, minced garlic, cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, ground cloves, stock, salt, pepper and lime juice. Bring to the boil briefly.
- Transfer the lamb and cooking liquid to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8–9 hours or on high for 6 hours. (If you prefer, you can cook in the oven — see notes below.)
- Remove the lamb and shred the meat with two forks. Reserve the cooking liquid — it’s packed with flavour.
- Fry the shredded lamb in a hot pan with a little oil until crisp and golden for extra texture.
🌮 How to serve Lamb barbacoa
- Divide the shredded lamb between warmed tortillas.
- Drizzle some of the reserved cooking liquid over the meat for extra moisture and flavour.
- Top with sliced red onion, fresh coriander, jalapeños, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
- Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over the tacos.
Be generous with the toppings and offer small bowls of the cooking liquid for dipping — it really lifts the dish.
📺 Watch how to make it
🇲🇽 More Mexican Inspired Recipes
If you enjoy this lamb barbacoa, try one of these next:
Dinner
Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe
One Pot
Chilli Con Carne
Fish
Crispy Fish Tacos with Pico De Gallo
Street Food
Chicken Tinga
Meat
Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef
BBQ
Mexican Chicken Skewers with Rice and Picante Salsa
? Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cook the barbacoa through to the point of shredding, then cool, cover and refrigerate the lamb and the cooking liquid for up to two days. To reheat, fry the shredded lamb in a large pan with two tablespoons of oil until piping hot and golden. Reheat the cooking liquid separately until hot.
Yes. Use a heavy-based ovenproof pan with a lid and cook at 160°C for about 3 hours. Add an extra 180 ml (3/4 cup) stock and check occasionally; add boiling water or more stock if it looks dry.
Yes. Shred the lamb, cool and freeze in a suitable container. Freeze the cooking liquid too (leave space for expansion). Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
Yes. For 2–3 people, use a half shoulder joint or 2 lamb shanks and reduce ingredients by about one quarter. Cook in the same way.
More Delicious Lamb Recipes
- Slow-Cooked Pulled Lamb Curry
- Greek Lamb Souvlaki Kebabs
- Slow Roast Shoulder of Welsh Lamb with Vegetables and Cider Gravy
- Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
- Crispy Lamb Salad
- Homemade Lamb Koftas — perfect on the BBQ
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Lamb Barbacoa Recipe
Tender shredded lamb in a spicy barbacoa sauce, piled onto soft tacos and loaded with toppings. Most of the work is done in the slow cooker.
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
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tbsp)
To serve:
- 10–12 soft tacos, warmed
- 1 red onion, peeled and sliced
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 2 jalapeños, sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 4 tbsp salsa
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream
- 200 g (1 cup) guacamole
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Instructions
Make the lamb barbacoa
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Add the lamb and sear on all sides.
- Add the adobo paste, chipotle paste, minced garlic, cumin, ground coriander, oregano, stock, salt, pepper, ground cloves and lime juice to the pan.
- Bring to the boil, then transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8–9 hours or on high for 6 hours.
- Once cooked, remove the lamb from the cooker, discard the bones and shred the meat with two forks.
- Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat and fry the shredded lamb for 3–4 minutes, turning so it becomes crisp and golden.
Assemble the lamb tacos
- Divide the meat between warmed tacos and drizzle over some cooking liquid.
- Top with red onion, fresh coriander, jalapeños, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
- Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Cooking in the oven rather than the slow cooker
If you prefer the oven, cook the lamb in a heavy-based ovenproof pan with a lid at 160°C for about 3 hours. Add an extra 180 ml (3/4 cup) stock and check occasionally, adding more liquid if it looks dry.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cook up to shredding, then cool, cover and refrigerate the meat and cooking liquid for up to two days. Reheat the lamb by frying in oil until hot and golden; reheat the liquid in a saucepan.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Cool and freeze the shredded lamb and the cooking liquid (leave space in the container). Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
Scaling down
For 2–3 people, use a half shoulder or 2 shanks and reduce ingredients by about 25%.
Nutrition
Calories: 385 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 29 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 87 mg | Sodium: 1069 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 3 g
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guide.
This lamb barbacoa recipe was first published in July 2020 and updated in March 2025 with extra information and housekeeping updates.
Some links on the original site may be affiliate links. Nutritional information is approximate and can vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.