barbacoa

¹ American  

[bahr-buh-koh-uh] / ˌbɑr bəˈkoʊ ə /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

1. a style of cooking meat by applying low heat for a long time, especially over an open fire or in a below-ground pit: the meat is often served shredded or chopped, with tortillas, in burritos, etc.

2. meat that has been cooked slowly on low heat, especially over an open fire or in a below-ground pit.

---

Barbacoa ² American  

[bahr-buh-koh-uh] / ˌbɑr bəˈkoʊ ə /

noun

plural

Barbacoas,

plural

Barbacoa

1. an Indigenous people of Ecuador and Colombia.

2. the language of the Barbacoa.

---

Other Word Forms

• Barbacoan adjective

Etymology

Origin of barbacoa¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from Spanish; barbecue ( def. )

Origin of Barbacoa²

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

At lunch, they would celebrate with Sinaloa-style barbacoa.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

The goat barbacoa tacos are served every Friday and Saturday starting at 11 a.m.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

“Barbecue” comes from barbacoa, a word in the Arawakan language of the Caribbean for a wooden frame used for sleeping and for drying food, Tschann writes.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

Think: the chunky beef stew that is carne guisada or barbacoa or a bone-in pork chop.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2022

This arrangement was called by the Taino Indians, a barbacoa from which we get the English equivalent, barbecue.

From Agriculture in Virginia, 1607-1699 by Carrier, Lyman