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Home » Wild Game » Venison » Venison Barbacoa

Venison Barbacoa

By Hank Shaw on October 28, 2013, Updated May 30, 2020 - 209 Comments

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4.94 from 113 votes
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Venison barbacoa with all the accompaniments
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

OK folks, here it is: The best recipe for a deer’s front shoulder I’ve yet to find: Venison barbacoa.

This is a classic Mexican barbacoa, a mildly spicy, long-braised variant on barbecue works perfectly with the tough, sinewy front legs on a deer, or really any animal. Historically I’ve mostly used front legs for stew and for grinding, but this is even better. The meat cooks very slowly, and all that connective tissue dissolves into the broth and makes everything richer and just a little slick. Keeps your lips shiny.

Barbacoa, if you’ve never had it, is more warming than picante. Yes, there are chipotles in adobo in it, which can be bought in every Latin market I’ve ever been in, but not so many that your head blows off. The cloves are a stronger element, as are the cumin and bay.

If you want to test this recipe before making it, go to your nearest Chipotle restaurant and try their barbacoa: my venison barbacoa is virtually identical.

Serve it in tacos, burritos or over rice. And be sure to have at least a few of the traditional accompaniments, like cilantro, crumbled queso seco cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, fresh or pickled chiles, avocados — basically anything that works well on a taco.

You can buy chipotles in adobo in many supermarkets, and definitely in Latin markets or online. Oh, and read closely: My barbacoa recipe calls for 2 to 4 chiles in adobo, not cans of chiles en adobo! Many have made that mistake to their peril…

Still not convinced? Well, barbacoa may well be in the Top 5 Easiest Recipes on this website. It’s literally a crockpot-it-and-go dish. Minimal chopping, and the only thing you need to do as a cook is to shred the meat.

Want to up your barbacoa game even more? Smoke your venison neck, shanks or shoulder first. Real simple, just salt it well let it sit overnight, then smoke it for a few hours at about 200°F. Then proceed with the recipe. You’re welcome. No, seriously, doing this makes your barbacoa smack-yo-momma-in-the-face good!

Stupid crazy easy. Try it and you will not be sad. If you want a hot-weather variant of this recipe, try my Venison Yucatan.

One more thing: This stuff reheats beautifully, so make a big batch.

venison barbacoa with all the accompaniments
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4.94 from 113 votes

Venison Barbacoa

This is maybe the best recipe ever for the front shoulders of deer, which can be sinewy and tough to deal with. Cooking with this method really lets nature take its course, and all that connective tissue will dissolve and the meat will be super tender. But it will still be really lean, so I add about 1/4 cup of lard, bear fat or duck fat to the shredded venison before I serve. You would use olive or vegetable oil. Of course, if you use fatty meats like beef or lamb or pork, you won't need to do this.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time3 hrs
Total Time3 hrs 20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 126kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 pounds venison, from the shoulder or legs
  • 2 to 4 chipotles in adobo, canned
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup lime juice
  • ½ cup cider vinegar
  • 1 quart beef or venison stock
  • 1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
  • Smoked salt (optional)
  • Cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados and hot sauce for garnish

Instructions

  • Put everything in a slow cooker or Dutch oven and cook, covered, until the meat falls off the bone, which will be between 2 hours (for many domestic meats and young deer) and 6 hours if you have a very old animal. If you use a slow cooker, set it to “high.” If you use a regular pot, put it into the oven set to 300°F.
  • Pull all the meat from the bones and shred with forks or your fingers. Stir in the lard and as much smoked salt as you want. You want the lard or oil to coat the shreds of meat. Pour over some of the juices from the pot and put the meat in a pan for the table. Serve with tacos, in a burrito or on a bun.

Notes

Have lots of accompaniments for your barbacoa: It's a base for a meal, the do-it-yourself construction of your tacos is more than half the fun!
 

Nutrition

Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1543mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
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Filed Under: Featured, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for Beatriz on the borderBeatriz on the border says

    February 12, 2023 at 6:16 pm

    I blended the solids and a little of the broth from the dutch oven, thickened it into a sauce and coated the meat in this sauce instead of lard. Essentially made it venison barbacoa guisada. Best tacos I’ve ever made.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for Robert BachRobert Bach says

    January 24, 2023 at 9:12 pm

    This is such a terrific recipe for so many of our Puget Sound divers. It’s been my go to for roughly five years. I serve it over rice.

    Reply
  3. Avatar for DougDoug says

    January 19, 2023 at 8:09 am

    Thanks for this site, it’s great, and this is a great recipe. I’ve done it with a boned out neck roast as well and find the neck shreds perfectly for this. I have a question though, can you roast a bone-in neck, or should you remove the spinal cord prior to cooking?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      January 19, 2023 at 8:47 am

      Doug: Absolutely you can do a whole neck, but I typically only do this in places where CWD is not an issue.

      Reply
      • Avatar for DougDoug says

        January 21, 2023 at 4:51 am

        Thank you. I wasn’t sure if it affected the taste. No CWD issues here in NJ I’m aware of.

  4. Avatar for Doug B.Doug B. says

    December 27, 2022 at 7:33 am

    My go to recipe for venison roasts. Also, my most shared recipe when someone else is asking what to do with their venison roasts.

    Reply
  5. Avatar for RalphRalph says

    December 24, 2022 at 11:01 am

    I used an entire can of chipotle with a small venison neck roast. I think there were 8 peppers. Fantastic result – best tacos I’ve ever had! It was a little hot but sour cream took the edge off.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for Neil Van DalsemNeil Van Dalsem says

    December 19, 2022 at 4:03 pm

    I made this with a bone-in venison neck. After 5 hours in the oven, it was tender and delicious. Very similar to cabeza taco meat like I get from local taco trucks. I used four chiles in adobo. It was nowhere near being too spicy to me, but I eat a lot of very spicy food. Next time I will use six to eight chiles, although four would probably suit people who are not into hot food.

    One thing that’s very clear to me is that this is a better way to use neck meat than grinding it up.

    I want to figure out a recipe to use the leftover broth, which is pretty sour. I am thinking that I could take some of the broth, add some soy sauce, brown sugar, and coconut milk to make a Filipino style adobo with chicken thighs.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for RobRob says

    December 16, 2022 at 8:44 am

    Very good, but I would never use vegetable oil in this, or any of my cooking, for that matter. Got rid of that stuff from my house years ago. If you do a little research on how the gunk is made, you will be sickened. All of the industrial seed oils (veg oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, etc) are made using a chemical extraction process, using bleaches, deodorizers, and toxic chemicals like benzene. . Best to use something natural, like beef tallow or lard if you need to add fat (or a good quality olive oil).

    Reply
  8. Avatar for Jenn SigmonJenn Sigmon says

    December 9, 2022 at 7:14 am

    I was given a hind quarter roast by a neighbor and searched for a tasty way to prepare it as I am not well versed in game meats. I found this recipe and used all the ingredients, but made a few tweaks. I seasoned the hind quarter (mine was small, under 2 pounds and boneless), with kosher salt, cumin, New Mexico chili powder, pepper, and smoked paprika. I added some duck fat and canola oil to my Dutch oven, heated it to high heat and seared the roast on all sides. I removed from pot and set aside. Then I lowered heat a bit, added red onion and garlic. Once fragrant and softened somewhat, I added the spices. I cut down on measurements some because my roast was smaller and I was using less liquid. I thought a full tsp of ground cloves would be much. I added chili powder and chipotle peppers (I used 2). I let the spices toast some before adding liquid (I had an open chicken stock, so I used that up). I halved all the liquid ingredients. I brought to a good simmer before adding roast and juices back to the pot. Covered and put in oven at 300. It was ready in just over 2 hours. I served this as a soft taco filling with lime crema, avocado, radish slivers, and cilantro. Incredibly delicious. My partner may take up hunting again. We live in the North Country, so why not? Thank you for your inspiration.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Mel FiegenMel Fiegen says

    December 5, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    We love this recipe when eaten same day as burrito bowl or tacos. We used 2 cans adobo sauce, but found it to be too spicy after it was frozen and thawed a few weeks later. But we are Midwesterners . . . . . .

    Reply
    • Avatar for Mel FiegenMel Fiegen says

      December 5, 2022 at 12:41 pm

      OOps, just saw the “to your peril” part above. I will count out the chilis next time.

      Reply
      • Avatar for JulieJulie says

        December 15, 2022 at 4:39 am

        I think he meant to use 2-4 chipotle peppers from one can. NOT 2-4 cans of chipotles.

  10. Avatar for natashanatasha says

    November 23, 2022 at 9:30 am

    this is our go to recipe! we always have a lot of venison roast and this has been a favorite for those that didn’t think they even liked venison. We do “burrito bowls” with this with rice and beans and all the toppings. Most say it’s better than chipotle!

    Reply
  11. Avatar for PaulPaul says

    October 31, 2022 at 8:01 am

    Can the chipotles in adobe be substituted for anything else? I am finding these hard to source in the shops in the UK.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 31, 2022 at 9:14 am

      Paul: You can skip them, or add moderately hot chiles to taste.

      Reply
    • Avatar for Susan Elizabeth WarrenSusan Elizabeth Warren says

      December 3, 2022 at 11:30 am

      Hey Paul, Culinaris has them online in the UK. Or if you live in/nr Edinburgh or Glasgow, Lupe Pintos always has them.

      Reply
  12. Avatar for Dennis ScottDennis Scott says

    August 23, 2022 at 8:04 am

    Has anyone tried this in an Instantpot? It seems like it would work pretty well.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      August 23, 2022 at 8:15 am

      Dennis: It would, but I am not sure of the settings.

      Reply
    • Avatar for Cat W.Cat W. says

      November 18, 2022 at 11:01 am

      I just made this for the first time in my InstantPot. I browned the meat first and then added everything else and cooked on high pressure for 1 hour. I will say it was not as tender as I was expecting. next time, I might try skipping the browning and adding another 15 minutes cook time.

      P.S. Did anyone else find the cloves way overpowering? I thought there must have been a typo in the recipe because that was all we could taste. Next time I’ll go for more Chipotles (I used 3) and about 75% less cloves (from 1 tsp to 1/4 tsp).

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        November 23, 2022 at 11:14 am

        Cat: The Instant pot is what did it. Pressure cookers will accentuate spices and seasonings, so the clove won’t mellow out.

      • Avatar for Susan Elizabeth WarrenSusan Elizabeth Warren says

        December 3, 2022 at 11:25 am

        Hey Cat, I used my Instapot but used the slow cooker & stew setting (high heat) for 6 hours. The meat just falls apart and is so tasty. Cloves are in no way over powering. (I did the same as you with the chipotles and am going to up them as well. )

    • Avatar for Brian TimkoBrian Timko says

      December 30, 2022 at 1:47 am

      Brown the venison then cook on high for 70 minutes….delicious!!

      Reply
  13. Avatar for Amanda WiersmaAmanda Wiersma says

    August 9, 2022 at 6:33 pm

    Wow! Have made several times, and this is so flavorful! Have done venison and even a store bought pork roast with excellent results! Thanks again!!

    Reply
  14. Avatar for Cleve DixonCleve Dixon says

    August 9, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    Doing a homecooked “catering” job for my daughter’s wedding in NJ in October. They want to do a taco bar. I will be making several crock-pots full of this lusciousness for that party.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for Heidi ChayaHeidi Chaya says

    August 9, 2022 at 12:26 pm

    A MUST-cook recipe and a very crowd-pleasing way to cook venison neck. Deep flavors, lots of leftovers – it’s a yearly tradition in this house.

    It’s also a great way to learn how to use dehydrated peppers. I was inspired and now use guajillos regularly.

    Reply
  16. Avatar for BrianBrian says

    March 27, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    I’ve currently got 6lbs of elk neck roast rocking for a double batch of this recipe. Hands down my favorite barbacoa recipe and my favorite use for venison neck roast ever. When I first started hunting, my mentors would tell me to add the neck meat to the grind pile. I turned them on to this recipe and now they save the neck roasts instead of grinding. Smoked salt or smoking the meat prior to starting in the crockpot is a really nice addition.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Michelle R.Michelle R. says

      June 5, 2022 at 12:45 pm

      I pulled up this recipe in the past, grabbed a roast and surprised my husband by having this ready after a hunting trip. He was amazed by the final product! Today we decided to do a neck roast and you aren’t kidding….5 hours and perfection! We will try smoking it on the target first next time. Do you add the spices as a rub before smoking or just smoke it then follow the recipe?

      Reply
      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        June 5, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        Michelle: I just salt the meat and smoke it, because it will simmer in the broth for hours later.

  17. Avatar for Wally LowryWally Lowry says

    March 9, 2022 at 8:33 am

    After buying Buck,Buck,Moose and finding this recipe, we have a favorite. Absolutely a winner every time we have cook it, Thank you Hank! The left overs are great too, the next day I just put some over some chips have “nat yourrrs”….MINE.

    Reply
  18. Avatar for TaraTara says

    March 7, 2022 at 4:26 pm

    This is absolutely delicious!! Can it be pressure canned? I’m pretty new to canning and not quite sure what can – and cannot – be done. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      March 7, 2022 at 4:51 pm

      Tara: I think it should pressure can well. I’d try it before the finishing stage, so you can take it out of the jar and sear that one side crispy. If it were me, I’d can it as if it were “beef stew,” which has set USDA protocols for safety.

      Reply
      • Avatar for BrandonBrandon says

        March 1, 2023 at 4:45 pm

        How much of the roast should be submerged in liquid ? In my small crock pot the roast is fully submerged… thinking perhaps it would be better to use the larger one and have it 1/4 to 1/2 submerged?

      • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

        March 1, 2023 at 5:12 pm

        Brandon: No, you want it totally submerged.

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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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