Description
This Mexican Shredded Beef recipe features tender, flavorful chuck roast slow-cooked with a rich blend of spices, salsa, and smoky undertones. Perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more, it’s a versatile, crowd-pleasing dish that’s easy to prepare using multiple cooking methods including slow cooker, stovetop, oven, or pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
Beef
- 3-4 lb. boneless beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat, cut into 7-8 pieces
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
Spice Rub
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 ½ teaspoons table salt)
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle chili pepper (use 1 ½ teaspoons if you love heat)
Braising Liquid
- 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 1 cup mild salsa (medium if you like spicy)
- 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies, do not drain
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1-3 teaspoons liquid smoke (adjust depending on desired smokiness)
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules, cubes, or base (crush cubes if used)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Make the Spice Rub: In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, ground cumin, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground pepper, ground coriander, and chipotle chili pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare the Beef: Pat the beef pieces dry with paper towels. Generously season all sides with the prepared spice rub, pressing gently to make the spices adhere. Reserve any extra rub for later.
- Sear the Beef: Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the cubed beef and sear on all sides until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. This step locks in flavor.
- Assemble in Slow Cooker: Transfer the seared beef to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Add the braising liquid ingredients including beef broth, salsa, diced green chilies (with juice), tomato paste, lime juice, brown sugar, liquid smoke, beef bouillon, dried oregano, and any leftover spices. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook the Beef: Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 ½ hours or LOW for 8 hours, or until the beef is tender and shreds easily with two forks.
- Shred the Beef: Remove the beef pieces to a large bowl or rimmed plate. Using two forks, shred the meat, discarding any excess fat.
- Combine and Absorb: Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker and mix well with the cooking juices. Cook on LOW for an additional 20 minutes to allow the beef to soak up the flavors.
- Final Seasoning and Serving: Taste the beef and adjust seasoning with hot sauce, cayenne pepper, lime juice, or brown sugar as desired. Remove the beef using tongs or strain it to prevent sogginess. Serve in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, salads, or nachos.
Notes
- For stovetop cooking, after searing beef, add all ingredients with an extra ½ cup beef broth (1 ½ cups total) and simmer covered for 3 ½ hours till tender.
- For oven method, preheat oven to 300°F. After searing, add all ingredients with an extra ½ cup broth, bring to simmer, cover, and bake for 3 to 3 ½ hours until beef is fall-apart tender.
- In pressure cooker or Instant Pot, sear beef then add all ingredients and cook on Manual for 50 minutes with quick release.
- You can make this dish ahead by seasoning, searing, and storing beef for up to 2 days before cooking, or fully cook and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, cool completely and store shredded beef with juices in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in fridge.
- Reheat in microwave in short intervals or simmer gently on stove. Slow cooker reheating on low for 1-2 hours works well too.
- Use leftover cooking liquid as flavorful base for cooking rice or enhancing other dishes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
