Barbacoa de Cabrito (Mexican Goat Barbacoa) Recipe

Barbacoa de Cabrito is a traditional Mexican dish where young goat is seasoned simply, wrapped, and slow-cooked until the meat turns fall-apart tender and juicy. The cabrito is often rubbed with garlic, chiles, and herbs, then cooked in a sealed environment so it steams in its own juices and a light broth. Once done, the meat is shredded and served in tortillas with onion, cilantro, salsa, and lime for rustic, deeply flavorful tacos.

Barbacoa de Cabrito (Mexican Goat Barbacoa) Recipe

Slow-cooked young goat, seasoned with chiles, garlic, and herbs, cooked until tender and shredded for classic Mexican barbacoa-style tacos.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Marinate Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Calories: 480

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For The Cabrito

• 4 lb young goat cabrito, bone-in pieces
• 1½ tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

For The Chile Marinade

• 5 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
• 3 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
• 4 garlic cloves peeled
• ½ white onion roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano Mexican-style if available
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1½ cups hot water

For The Roasting Pan

• 1 medium onion sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups water

For Serving

• Warm corn tortillas
• Chopped white onion
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges
• Your favorite salsa

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board
• Chef’s knife
• Large roasting pan with rack
• Blender
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups and spoons

Method

 

Prep And Season The Cabrito

1. Place the cabrito pieces on a cutting board and trim off any very thick hard fat using a chef’s knife, leaving some fat for flavor.
2. Put the goat pieces into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle salt and black pepper over them, and rub the seasoning all over with your hands until the surface is evenly coated.

Make The Chile Marinade

1. Place the guajillo and ancho chiles in a small pot or heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water from a measuring cup; let them soak for 15 minutes until softened.
2. Add the softened chiles to a blender along with garlic, onion, vinegar, cumin, oregano, cloves, black pepper, salt, and 1½ cups of the chile soaking water.
3. Blend on high until the mixture is very smooth, stopping to scrape the sides with a spoon if needed so no large chile pieces remain.

Marinate The Cabrito

1. Pour the chile marinade from the blender over the seasoned cabrito in the large mixing bowl.
2. Use a wooden spoon and your hands to work the marinade into every surface, lifting pieces so chile sauce coats all sides.
3. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 120 minutes so the flavors soak into the meat.

Set Up The Roasting Pan

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Place the sliced onion and bay leaves in the bottom of the roasting pan or deep baking dish and pour in 2 cups water using a measuring cup.
3. Set a rack inside the pan if you have one, or make a simple rack by crumpling a few pieces of foil and arranging them so the meat can rest slightly above the liquid.

Wrap And Roast

1. Arrange large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on the counter, overlapping if needed, and place the marinated cabrito pieces on top, spooning extra marinade from the bowl over the meat.
2. Wrap the cabrito tightly in the foil, sealing all edges so juices and steam stay inside, then set the foil packet on the rack in the roasting pan.
3. Cover the entire pan with another large sheet of foil, crimping it around the edges to trap steam, and place the pan in the oven on the middle rack.
4. Roast at 325°F for 240 minutes, leaving the pan sealed the whole time so the meat cooks low and slow in its own juices and the steam from the pan liquid.

Check For Tenderness And Shred

1. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and peel back the top foil away from your face so the hot steam escapes safely.
2. Open the inner foil packet and use a fork to pull at a piece of cabrito on the cutting board; it should shred easily and pull away from the bone without much effort.
3. Transfer the tender cabrito pieces to the cutting board using tongs and shred the meat with two forks, discarding bones and large tough bits of fat.
4. Skim excess fat from the juices in the bottom of the roasting pan with a spoon, then ladle some of those juices over the shredded meat to keep it moist.

Serve

1. Warm corn tortillas on a dry pan on the stove until soft and flexible.
2. Pile shredded barbacoa de cabrito onto tortillas, then top with chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
3. Serve extra pan juices in a small bowl on the side for dipping or spooning over the tacos, along with salsa of your choice.

Notes

• Using young goat (cabrito) gives naturally tender meat and a milder flavor; older goat will need more time and may taste stronger, so keep the low temperature and extend the cook if needed.
• Soaking and blending dried guajillo and ancho chiles creates a smooth adobo that flavors the meat without overpowering it; strain the sauce if your blender leaves small bits and you want an extra silky marinade.
• Wrapping the cabrito tightly in foil inside a covered pan mimics pit-style cooking at home by trapping steam and juices, so resist opening the oven during the cook or you will lose heat and moisture.
• The onions, bay leaves, and water in the bottom of the pan help create moist heat and also produce a simple, flavorful broth you can spoon over the shredded meat or serve as a light consomé.
• If you prefer a smokier flavor, you can briefly sear the marinated pieces on a grill or hot pan before wrapping and roasting, or add a small amount of smoked paprika to the marinade.
• Leftover barbacoa de cabrito makes killer quesadillas and tortas the next day; reheat gently in a pan with a splash of the cooking juices so it stays juicy and flavorful.