Barbacoa-Style Slow Roasted Lamb

Illustration generated by AI. The recipe is hand-curated and checked by MealPrep's allergen, diet and nutrition rules.

Mexican · 345 min · Lamb · dairy-free, keto, low-carb, high-protein

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb bone-in lamb shoulder
• 1 dried guajillo chiles
• 1 dried ancho chiles
• 2 chiles plus 1 tbsp sauce chipotles in adobo
• 1 large white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 limes

Method (tap to check — screen stays awake)

1. Stem and seed the guajillos and anchos, toast them in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side until fragrant, then soak in hot water 15 minutes until pliable.
2. Blend the soaked chiles with the chipotles and their sauce, half the onion, the garlic, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, vinegar, 1 cup of the stock, and 2 tsp salt into the smoky barbacoa adobo — it should be thick and brick-red.
3. Heat the oven to 300F. Cut deep slashes into the lamb shoulder and coat it heavily with the adobo, working it into every cut.
4. Set the lamb in a Dutch oven, pour the remaining 1 cup stock around it, tuck in the bay leaves, and cover tightly.
5. Roast 4 to 4 1/2 hours — no shortcuts on a shoulder — until a fork twists easily in the thickest part and the meat is pulling from the bone.
6. Uncover, raise the oven to 400F, and roast 20 minutes more to crisp and darken the edges.
7. Rest 20 minutes, then shred the meat off the bone. Skim the fat from the braising liquid, discard the bay leaves, and toss the shredded lamb back through the juices.
8. Warm the tortillas, dice the remaining onion half, chop the cilantro, and cut the limes into wedges. Serve build-your-own barbacoa tacos.

Nutrition figures are estimates. Verify allergens on every ingredient label before cooking.

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