Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dora S. · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Barbacoa means so many different things to different people, as with any other Mexican dish it varies from state to state. This traditional vegan barbacoa Sinaloense uses Gardein beefless tips instead of pork or beef, but still holds all the chiles, spices, and flavors that characterize barbacoa in Sinaloa.

Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (1)

It is a hearty stew full of vegetables like potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and olives simmered in a mixture of Anaheim, chile guajillo, cumin, oregano, and beer. In Sinaloa, it is served with cold macaroni salad and refried beans.

Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (2)

Our Vegan Mexico Project

This recipe is part of anamazing project called Our Vegan Mexico, where 32 talented cooks will beshowcasing, right here onDora’s Table, 32 vegan Mexican recipes. Each recipe will be representing onestate of the Mexican union.

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With this project, I am hoping to encourage the Mexicancommunity in the U.S., and the people of my country to take a chance and makethe change to a plant-based diet. This recipe, which is representing the stateof Sinaloa, is the creation of the talented Fabby Gastelum, and here she issharing her story with us.

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Fabby’s Story:

Hi my name is Fabiola Gastelum and I was born in CuliacánSinaloa. My family and I moved here when I was 7 years old, we lived in MesaArizona and I spent all my childhood there. That’s Home! I currently live inAlbuquerque New Mexico with my toddler and my husband.

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Growing up I remember hating the feeling of knowing where my food came from. I would cry after every zoo trip thinking of the animals incarcerated there. I always considered myself a “tree hugger” because I hated plastic and I would try and safe water. When I became a mother I became so conscious of what products I used on my son -all-natural plant-based products. He never had cow milk and very little red meats. I remember watching What The Health for the first time on August 2017 (knowing that I would come out of it feeling different) that day our lives changed.

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My inner wish of always wanting to be vegetarian finally madeit out. And by vegetarian I mean growing up I watched a kids show where one ofthe girls was an animal activist and I dreamt of having her courage to fightfor animal rights. Our vegan journey began 1 week after that. We stoppedbuying, wearing, eating and exploiting animals. As much as I wished our journeywould have come sooner I’m happy to say we are one big happy vegan family! Ihave not left my culture, my food or my identity. I’m a true Sinaloense and Iwill continue to veganize my states dishes! #LosVeganosComenMejor

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The Recipe: Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense

  • If you can’t find Gardein beefless tips you can use mushrooms, TVP or seitan or your favorite meat substitute.
  • If you can’t find no-chicken or no-beef bouillon cubes you can use vegetable stock instead of water.
  • Adding beer is very common in the state of Sinaloa and I wanted to make this as traditional as possible. Yes it's safe for children since it's only a small amount and the alcohol taste disappears with all the other spices. I added Michelob.
  • The beefless tips are already seasoned, I didn't want that flavor to overpower the barbacoa. I washed them very well and added a squeeze of lime juice and let it rest for 15 mins with lime juice and water. It helped, and the "meat" got the original taste of the barbacoa spices added but this is totally optional
Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (8)

Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense

This traditional vegan barbacoa Sinaloense uses Gardein beefless tips instead of pork or beef, but still holds all the chiles, spices, and flavors that characterize barbacoa in Sinaloa.

Pin RecipePrint Recipe

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 422kcal

Author: Dora S.

Ingredients

  • 1 package Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips *see note
  • 5 Small russet potatoes (about 4 cups diced potatoes)
  • 5 Small carrots (about 1 ½ cups diced Carrots)
  • 3 Small tomatoes (about 1 ¼ cup diced tomato)
  • ¼ White onion (about 1/3 cup diced onion)
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Anaheim chile, fresh
  • 5 Guajillo chiles, dried
  • 1 Pinch Cumin (about 1/4 tsp.)
  • 2 Not Beef Bouillon Cubes
  • 1 Not-Chick'n Bouillon Cube
  • 1 tsp. Dried oregano
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • ½ cup Manzanilla olives
  • 2 Bay leaves, dried
  • ¼ cup Preferred beer, *see notes

Instructions

  • Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. Add guajillo chiles and let simmer slowly for 5 – 8 minutes to soften the chiles.

  • Continue by dicing tomato, anaheim chile and onion in to very small-fine pieces.

  • Heat a large pot to medium-low heat and add 1 tsp. oil (optional). Add onion, Anaheim chile, and tomato and sweat for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender,

  • Meanwhile chop carrots and potatoes into small-medium chunks. Add only carrots and olives to pot; cover and continue to cook for another 3-5 mins.

  • When guajillo chiles have softened, drain, and place in the blender with 1 cup of water, garlic, cumin, dried oregano, and a pinch of salt and black pepper, blend till smooth.

  • Take that chile mixture and strain it, add strained liquid to pot and simmer for another 5 mins

  • Add potatoes and both not-beef cubes, 1 chkn cube and 2 bay leaves. Increase heat to medium, cover, and keep cooking for another 10 mins depending how soft or hard you like your potatoes to be. (If necessary add more water.)

  • Heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tsp. of oil. Add beefless tips and brown them on both sides until golden brown.

  • Add the beefless tips to the pot with the vegetables, add another 2 cups of water, and ¼ cup of beer. Stir and let cook on low heat for 5 more mins. (You can add more than 2 cups of water. Today I did because I wanted my barbacoa to have plenty of broth. Add as much or little as you like.)

  • 1Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  • Turn off heat, make some frijoles puercos and sopa fria to go with it and voilà

Notes

*The beer is only for a different kick on the taste of this barbacoa, in Sinaloa (my Mexico native state) adding some beer to it is very common and I wanted to make this as traditional as possible. Yes it's safe for children since it's only a small amount and the alcohol taste disappears with all the other spices. I added Michelob. (of course I drank the remaining of it #bosslife #momlife #winning)

*The beefless tips are already seasoned, I didn't want that flavor to overpower the barbacoa. I washed them very well and added a squeeze of lime juice and let it rest for 15 mins with lime juice and water. It helped, and the "meat" got the original taste of the barbacoa spices added but this is totally optional

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 635mg | Potassium: 1708mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 14753IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @dorastable or tag #mexicangonevegan!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (10)Lupita Barba

    Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (11)
    Pronto la probaremos

    Reply

  2. Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (12)Lupe Switala

    Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (13)
    Wow, this guisado was soooo tasty! I used Butler Foods Soy Curls (I order online) instead of the Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips (couldn't find them here) and it was wonderful. Thank you!

    Reply

  3. Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (14)Karla Sotomayor

    Is there anything else I can add to this other than beer? Vinegar maybe?

    Reply

  4. Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (15)Michelle

    How is the macaroni salad made? I’d love to recreate that whole plate!

    Reply

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Vegan Barbacoa Sinaloense (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan barbacoa made of? ›

The base of this 1-pot recipe is onion, garlic, shredded carrots, and cooked lentils (I used canned to save time). The smokiness comes from ground smoked paprika, cumin, and cloves. And the heat comes from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – a favorite ingredient for adding smoky, earthy spice.

What is barbacoa seasoning made of? ›

Grind the toasted cumin and cloves into a powder, and place into a blender. Add the ancho chile powder, onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, vinegar, and lime juice. Remove the chiles from the soaking water, and place into the blender along with 1/3 cup of the soaking liquid. Cover, and blend until a smooth paste forms.

Is barbacoa cooked underground? ›

Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

Where is barbacoa from in Mexico? ›

Along the roads in Texcoco, a rural area approximately 15 miles east of Mexico City, Barbacoa stands and small restaurants serve this favorite food. The region is generally recognized as the home of barbacoa in Mexico.

Why is barbacoa healthy? ›

In addition to its delicious flavor, barbacoa is also a great source of nutrients. The slow cooking process helps to retain the meat's natural juices, which makes it moist and flavorful. The spices used to season the meat also have health benefits, such as helping to reduce inflammation and improve digestion.

Is barbacoa made from brain? ›

Barbacoa de cabeza, also known as Cabeza guateada in Argentina and Paraguay, consists in roasting an entire cow head, including tongue and brains, in an earth oven. After being cleaned and seasoned, the beef-head is wrapped either in maguey or banana leaves, or in a burlap sack.

What's the difference between birria and barbacoa? ›

Barbacoa can be made on an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker. However, the traditional method mimics an oven made from the earth, banana leaves, and agave plants, heated with hot coals. Birria, on the other hand, sits very much in the vein of a stew.

What do you serve with barbacoa? ›

Barbacoa can be served in a variety of ways, and salsas are the customary accompaniment. The most popular way to enjoy barbacoa is to serve it with tortillas for barbacoa tacos. Zaragoza recommends making tacos dorados (fried tacos) and topping your barbacoa with Mexican crema, shredded cabbage, and salsa.

Is barbacoa always shredded? ›

The meat is marinated with spices and seasonings, wrapped in leaves, and placed on hot coals. The pit is covered, and the meat is cooked low and slow for several hours or overnight, resulting in tender, flavorful meat. After cooking, the meat is typically shredded or sliced and served in various dishes.

What is birria made of? ›

Birria (Spanish: [ˈbirja]) is a meat stew or soup, mainly made with goat or beef. The meat is marinated in an adobo made of vinegar, dried chiles, garlic, and herbs and spices (including cumin, bay leaves, and thyme) before being cooked in a broth (Spanish: consomé).

What is a tripa? ›

Tripas, in Mexican cuisine (known as chitterlings in English-speaking countries), are the small intestines of farm animals that have been cleaned, boiled and grilled. Tripas are used as filling for tacos, and then dressed with condiments such as cilantro, chopped onions, and chile sauce.

What is pastor meat? ›

The Al Pastor meat is usually made from boneless pork shoulder, which is a triangular cut from the area just above the front leg of the pig. Butchers often sell pork shoulder with the skin on and a layer of fat. The al pastor taco has to be cooked on a rotating spit.

What is buche? ›

(Buche is the term used for pork stomach; tripa is beef tripe.)

Is Chipotle barbacoa real barbacoa? ›

Barbacoa at Chipotle is made from tender and moist seared beef that's been braised in an incredible blend of adobo, lime, cumin, garlic, and oregano. This slow-cooked masterpiece can be added to tacos, salads, bowls, and more!

What is barbacoa traditionally made with? ›

When done traditionally, barbacoa is made with large cuts of meat or whole animals. In the United States, barbacoa is usually associated with beef. However, in Mexico, barbacoa is made from beef, goat, lamb or mutton.

What part of the animal is barbacoa? ›

“Barbacoa, made from the meat of a cow's head, is cheap yet rich in flavor.” Customarily served at weekend breakfasts, the cheek, or cachete, is loaded with collagen, and slow-roasting enhances its savory flavor and silky texture.

Is barbacoa the same as shredded beef? ›

Barbacoa (or Mexican shredded beef) is made out of tougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times with flavorful chiles and seasonings. It's usually hand shredded and used for tacos, burritos, etc.

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