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This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more!  Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest.
This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos

This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos

Is there anything better than knowing your fridge is stocked with food and you won’t need to cook dinner for a few days?  That was how I felt after I finished a batch of this easy Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded beef. This may seem odd coming from a food blogger – and don’t get me wrong, I do love cooking.  But sometimes, especially when cooking is part of your job, you need the occasional night off.
This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos
That is why I LOVE this recipe  First of all, it is super easy to throw together.  Unlike some slow cooker recipes that require browning and sauteing and all kinds of prep work, this one requires minimal prep work without sacrificing flavor.  The key to success with this is time.   The chuck roast requires slow heat to break down the tough fibers and turn it into a delicious, juicy feast.  So after you throw everything into the crockpot you can go do something else for 8+ hours – like work (boooo)  or play (yay!) and the slow cooker does the hard work for you.
This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos
When you get home you can get creative and make all kinds of delicious meals with your Mexican shredded beef – tacos, obviously, burritos, or even better, burrito bowls.  You might even want to stash some of this in your freezer for a lazy rainy day.  Because I bet you, like me, could use a day or two off from cooking.
This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos

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Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef

4.82 from 48 votes
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 9 hours
Total 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings 10 Servings
This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more!  Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest.

Ingredients 

  • 3 pounds beef chuck roast
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1-2 tablespoons juice of one lime
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

Instructions 

  • Mix together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, oregano and red chili flakes, set aside.
  • Add the chopped onion and garlic to the slow cooker with the tomato paste, lime juice, and just 1-2 teaspoons of the spice mixture.  Stir everything together until fully mixed.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the spices all over the chuck roast, patting to help it stick to the meat.
  • Place the meat on top of the onion mixture and set cook on low for 7-8 hours. Total cooking time will vary for different roasts. 
  • After meat has cooked, use two forks to shred the meat, removing any large pieces of fat or gristle as you find them.   (If the meat is still too tough to shred, it needs to be cooked a little longer.  Cook for an additional 30-60 minutes and check it again.)  Stir to mix well with the sauce.  Cover and continue to cook on low for another 30-60 minutes. 
  • Before serving stir well again to mix the meat with the sauce.  Taste meat and season with more salt to taste.

Notes

This type of meat will get tender buy cooking low and slow.  If it seems too tough when you think it is done, try cooking for another 30-60 minutes, then check again.  The longer you cook it, the more tender it will get.

Nutrition

Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 2.3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 3.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinners, Sandwiches/Burgers/Tacos
Cuisine: Mexican
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

This all purpose Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef is great for tacos, burritos and more! Quick and easy prep work and the crock pot does the rest. |crock pot recipe | Slow Cooker Recipe | Crock Pot beef | Slow Cooker Taco | Crock Pot Tacos

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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195 Comments

  1. Hi! I would love to try this recipe. I only have insta pot. How long it will take to cook it? Thank you in advance!

    1. Hi, I haven’t perfected this in the instant pot yet, so I don’t know exactly the best time, I would try manual for 50 minutes, then allow for natural release. Let us know how it turns out!

  2. 5 stars
    This is our favorite Mexican shredded beef recipe so far! My husband loves it! I followed the recipe without changing anything. We both felt it could use more salt but it’s easy to add to your taste.
    .
    We make burritos with it and I’ve used it for nachos and tostadas.

    Thank you for posting!

    1. 5 stars
      Made this again today with a beef shoulder roast. I typically don’t have tomato paste. I just don’t use it. So today I used about 1/4 cup of red salsa instead of using the tomato paste. 4 hours on high in the crockpot (flipped it halfway through) and it was falling apart! This recipe is a keeper! My husband loves it. I need to find out what other gems you have on your website! Thank you for posting it for all to share!

  3. Honestly the best thing i ever ate. Love love love. With some black beans guacamole and tomato on a tostada! Perfection

  4. 5 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe. Soo versatile. Making again today and looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing.

  5. This was a really awesome base recipe I will definitely be making it again. I’m always looking for good base recipes like this. I realized that I’m a spicier person so I will probably double the spices next time. I also seared it before I dumped it into my crock pot. I think she explained it well that with beef, low and slow is the best way to go. I always start with a base time of 8 hours but this was a bigger roast so I just went with 9 hours and it just fell to pieces under my fork. I’m pregnant and have been looking for a way to get more protein so I ate this with some eggs in the morning and it was so good. I’m looking forward to other things I can do with this meat. Thank you for the recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    Best Mexican shredded beef recipe ever! My husband doesn’t really eat any red meat, but will eat this on flautas. My son is very picky, but loves this shredded beef as well. You can just throw it all in the crockpot and it’s ready in a few hours. I put a little extra lime juice. I only put about half the cumin in it that it calls for. I just don’t like the taste of cumin. It is easy to shred for flautas, tacos, sandwiches and salads. I also eat it with eggs for breakfast and add green onions and sour cream with salsa. It’s also good on loaded potatoes or a baked potato. I could eat this with anything!