Barbacoa Beef (Beef Sliders)

Cuban sliders are a favorite around here. Whether you’re making a spin-off of the classic Cuban sandwich Cuban sliders or this Cuban barbacoa beef sliders, you are in for a treat!

Football season is in full force right now. Living right out of Philadelphia, I see that some people go crazy with the big bird over here. Growing up, my father was more interested in chess and history documentaries. But living in the Eagles territory, I realized, football fans are serious. With that being said, I love food and throwing little fiestas, so the big game is a perfect time to whip up these BBQ beef sliders!

Best part? The barbacoa beef is made in the slow cooker.

What Is Barbacoa Beef?

Barbacoa beef is simply barbecue beef. It is not your traditional American red sauce barbecue sauce we’re accustomed to seeing across slider recipes. Barbacoa beef is basically a butter beef and soy sauce dish. Butter and soy sauce are the two main components in a Cuban barbacoa sauce. You can personalize it by adding in garlic, oregano, cumin, and in this case, hot sauce!

Trust me, this beef sliders recipe is juicy, tender, and smooth!

HOW TO MAKE CUBAN SLIDERS (using barbacoa beef)

For this sliders recipe, we’re going to be using beef in the slow cooker. It is one of those set and forget recipes we all love to have around.

I’ve only made barbacoa with chicken before, so I was super excited to make this recipe. I knew I wanted to elevate the Cuban barbacoa sauce to really compliment the beef, so I added in freshly minced garlic and salsa picante. But seriously, how easy is this? Soy sauce, butter, garlic, hot sauce. Come on now! Oh, and the sauce, the sauce! Ay ya yi, save the sauce it’s like an au jus sauce for sliders. It’s perfect to dip in your wings or other sandwiches too.

Add your ingredients to a slow cooker, cook for a few hours. Beef and butter recipes always please. Together the ingredients create a velvety texture that makes you think you ordered your meal from a steak house.

Now that your beef is cooked and shredded, it’s time to assemble your spicy Cuban BBQ beef slider.

How To assemble a cuban sliders recipe

I used small whole grain rolls (found it on clearance, can I get a woot woot). I spread a thin layer of homemade ketchup mayonnaise sauce (recipe below), shredded cabbage and carrots, a generous amount of Cuban barbacoa beef, sweet caramelized onions, a thin slice of pickle, another layer of ketchup mayonnaise on the top half on the bun, and I closed the sandwich and for extra support, I add a fun football toothpick that I picked up at Party City.

I was skeptical when I made this slider, I mean, there’s no cheese and minimal ingrediets. I assure you, this slider is the sliders recipe you need in your arsenal of best game day slider recipes. The caramelized onions gives sweetness to go with the smoky heat from the hot sauce, and the cabbage and pickle give the perfect amount of crunch. 

Leave a comment below to keep the conversation going! Let me know if you’ve ever had Cuban barbacoa before and what your favorite sliders recipe is! Buen provecho!

*This post has been updated on 1/25/2019 for a better user experience.*

5 from 1 vote

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Slow Cooker Spicy Cuban BBQ Beef Sliders

Easy and full of amazing Cuban flavors, this spicy Cuban BBQ slider is perfect for dinner!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Servings 6

Author Latina Mom Meals

Ingredients

• 4 pounds beef roast
• 2-4 tablespoons of El Yucateco Black Label Reserve hot sauce
• 1 stick of salted butter
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup ketchup mayonnaise sauce
• 1/4 cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, mix together
• 2-3 cups of caramelized onions
• thin pickles
• 2-3 cups of shredded cabbage and carrots mixture
• 12-16 whole grain rolls

Instructions

1. In a slow cooker, add in beef, hot sauce, butter, soy sauce and garlic. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Shred beef once cooked.
2. Assemble sliders by slicing rolls in half, horizontally. Adding a thin layer to both halves of the roll. Sprinkle a tablespoon of cabbage mixture. Add a generous 2 tablespoons of meat mixture, then 1 tablespoon of caramelized onions, then a pickle, and close the slider. Secure the slider with a toothpick and serve.