Venison Barbacoa
Venison Barbacoa takes a tough cut of venison and turns it into rich, tender, shreddable meat sitting in a spicy red sauce. It's a slow braise, and every minute of simmering is worth it.
Venison Barbacoa Recipe
Traditional barbacoa is usually made from beef cheek cooked low and slow in a pit until it falls apart. Most home cooks make a quicker version with chuck roast in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. This one swaps in venison and skips the pressure cooker for a long simmer on the stovetop instead.
Venison doesn't carry much fat, so a fast sear and a short cook won't get you tender meat. A tougher roast, like shoulder, neck, or a front leg cut, needs low heat and plenty of time to break down. That's exactly what this braise gives it.
If you want to see this same technique done with beef instead of venison, check out my Smoked Shredded Rump Roast Tacos. The braising liquid is nearly identical, just smoked on our pellet grill instead of cooked on the stovetop.
Like any good pot roast, you're not cooking this to a safe minimum temperature and calling it done. You're going well past that, until the collagen breaks down and the meat shreds easily with a fork. That's usually somewhere around 200-205°F internally, though a fork test works just as well if you don't want to pull out a thermometer.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Big, Bold Flavor - Rotel and two kinds of El Pato bring layers of tomato and chili flavor to every bite.
- Great Way To Use Tougher Cuts - Turns a roast that isn't great for quick cooking into something tender and craveable.
- Mostly Hands-Off - Once the sauce goes in, the Dutch oven does the rest of the work.
- Endlessly Versatile - Shredded barbacoa works in tacos, burritos, nachos, or spooned over rice.
- Feeds A Crowd - Three pounds of venison makes plenty for a family dinner or a taco night with friends.
Try my Homemade Guacamole Recipe!
Recipe Shopping List
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here's the list of items you'll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Venison - A tougher roast (shoulder, neck, or leg all work) that turns tender after a long braise. Beef chuck roast is a good substitute if venison isn't available. OWYD SPG - Our own smoked salt, pepper, and garlic blend. Any SPG you like will work fine here.
- Onion Powder - Adds savory depth to the seasoning without any added texture.
- Garlic Powder - Rounds out the dry rub alongside the onion powder. Salt - Seasons the meat on top of what's already in the rubs.
- OWYD Spicy Pork Rub - Adds extra heat and spice. It works great on venison too, despite the name.
- Oil - Used to brown the venison and build flavor in the bottom of the pot.
- Onion - Diced and browned alongside the venison for a savory base.
- Garlic - Minced and sauteed briefly for a punch of flavor.
- Rotel - Adds diced tomatoes and green chilies straight into the braising liquid.
- El Pato (Yellow Can) - A Mexican-style tomato sauce with mild heat. It's the backbone of the sauce.
- El Pato Jalapeno (Green Can) - Adds more heat and a different pepper flavor than the yellow can.
- Water - Thins the sauce enough for a low simmer.
- Jalapeno Peppers - Whole peppers add background heat as the barbacoa simmers.
Top it all off with some Pickled Red Onions!
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Season The Venison - Cut the venison into 1-2" chunks and coat with the SPG, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and Spicy Pork Rub.
- Brown The Meat - Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the venison in batches.
- Add The Aromatics - Add the onion to the pot and let it brown along with the venison. Stir in the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Build The Sauce - Add the Rotel, both El Pato sauces, water, and jalapeno peppers.
- Simmer - Reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Cover and cook until the venison is fork tender, stirring occasionally.
- Shred And Serve - Shred the venison and stir it back into the sauce. Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Try My Traeger Beef Birria Tacos!
Recipe FAQ
Plan on 2 ½ to 3 hours at a low simmer, depending on the size of your venison chunks and how tough the cut is. Check for fork tenderness rather than watching the clock too closely.
Yes. For a slow cooker, brown the meat first, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours. For an Instant Pot, pressure cook on high for about 60-75 minutes with a natural release.
Shoulder, neck, or a front leg roast all work well. These tougher cuts have more connective tissue, which is exactly what breaks down into tender, shreddable meat during a long braise.
Store the shredded venison in its sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.
Yes. Leave out the whole jalapenos, or cut back to just the yellow El Pato can instead of using both. The yellow can alone brings much less heat than the green jalapeno version.
Try my Venison Chili too!
Serve This With...
More Venison Recipes
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Venison Barbacoa
Tender, shredded venison barbacoa simmered low and slow in a spicy red sauce made from Rotel and El Pato. Pile it into warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds venison
- 3 tablespoons OWYD SPG (optional)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon OWYD Spicy Pork Rub (optional)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel
- 1 (27-ounce) can El Pato (yellow can)
- 1 (7-ounce) can El Pato jalapeno (green can)
- 2 cups water
- 2 whole jalapeno peppers
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Instructions
- Cube the venison into 1-2" chunks and season well with the SPG, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and Spicy Pork Rub.
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Brown the venison in batches. Add the onion and let it brown along with the venison. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Rotel, both El Pato sauces, water, and jalapeno peppers.
- Reduce the heat to low or medium-low for a gentle simmer. Cover and cook until the meat is fork tender, stirring occasionally.
- Once tender, shred the meat and return it to the sauce. Serve with warm tortillas and your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 446mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 52gNutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
