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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.
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.
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.
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.
Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How can I pin this recipe? Are you not in Pinterest? 😳
Hi Celeste – There is a pin it button at the top of the post, if you click that you should be able to pin it. I am on Pinterest 🙂 You can find my profile by searching foxandbriar.
1st time I’ve made this and it was beautiful. Pretty much did 1.5x the amounts (except chilli powder, which i only did a heaped teaspoon anyway), as i had nearly twice the meat (i used brisket). I also added 2 big teaspoons of ground coriander. When cooked i reduced the sauce right down in a pan, adding 2 tablespoons tablespoons brown sugar to sweeten. I stirred 1/3rd of this sauce into the shredded meat, and kept rest as a sauce for our tacos. While thing got absolutely smashed by the family. Will definitely do again. Can’t see why you couldn’t use the same recipe for pork.
Sounds wonderful! SO glad you loved it Linc. I do have a similar recipe for Pork on the site too!
I love this recipe one item I added that take the flavor up a little more it a small can of red enchilada sauce and a can of green chiles.
Sounds wonderful, thanks Brett!
Newer cook here! I’m excited to try this. It’s in my crockpot. I’ve always been taught to brown the outside before… I did and then rubbed in the seasonings. Is browning necessary? Will it still be flavorful?
Hi J – you can absolutely brown it if you prefer! I believe I tested it both ways and found it didn’t make a huge difference in flavor, so I cut that step to make the prep time faster and easier. But browning in general usually adds more flavor, so feel free to add that step if you wish!
This is the second time I have made this but this time I tried it a different way. You can see how I cooked it above in the previous comments the first time. Today I made another batch of this amazing Mexican Shredded beef. The cooking method I chose today was in the instant pot on high pressure cook. I used a 3 pound roast and found it to be fall apart tender after one hour and 40 minutes. I did not do a quick release I let it release on its own which is another reason why meats get so fall apart tender. Shredding it was a breeze and tools no time at all. I did add a little liquid to the bottom because if you don’t the Instantpot screen will show burn without it. I started with a fourth a cup of beef broth and then added 1/4 cup of water. If you want a faster method than the original recipe this is perfect.
Wonderful, thank you for sharing your instant pot method Pam!
I made this for the first time in my Instant Pot on the slower cooker option. I used a roast a little over 3 lbs. I added 1/2 cup of water and let it slow cook for 15 hours and it’s perfect! So fall apart tender and the whole family loves it! This will be a staple in our house. Thank you for a fantastic recipe. Next time I will try it on the high pressure option in my Instant Pot like I do all my roast and see if the flavor is as good. I believe though that slow is probably going to be best for the best flavor. This is a winner!
I’m so glad to hear that you loved it Pam! Thanks for the tips on the instant pot! Let us know how it turns out on the high pressure setting.
Hello, can you do this without tomatoes? I have an allergy, and this looks delicious, but not worth getting sick over.
Hi Sara – I think the tomatoes add a depth of flavor that might be missing if you left them out. I have seen some recipes using orange juice, and that might work as a replacement – but I haven’t tried it myself. Let me know if you give it a try!
This recipe might satiate some taste buds but it’s lacking a bit. Have the butcher cut up the chuck roast into smaller pieces, the juices cooking through the meat will cook more evenly with all the seasoning instead of loosening a big block of meat and then getting the spices fully distributed. Also add some oil before and slightly sear the meat (not brown it). The chilli powder is good but you can also steep some guajillo or ancho ancho chillis, blend and strain right into the pot (possibly an habanero for heat). The dutch over works perfection stove top for slow cooking, better than a crock pot. I chop onion, onion/lime/habanero mix, red salsa, cilantro, radish and lime with small taco tortillas sitting in a damp cloth inside a crockpot. This little taco station feeds and army of people if you have a dutch oven to a lot of meat. 🙂
Hi
I want to make this. In the UK, don’t have a slow cooker so going to put in the oven – what is classed as a low temperature. Have a fan and normal electric oven so can use either. Also, do I need to cover with foil?
Thanks
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested this in the oven yet, so I can’t tell you for sure. If you are going to try it in the oven I would suggest using a dutch oven with a lid. Cook it at a lower temperature, no higher than 325 F (162 C). And it will probably take 3-4 hours to cook this way. If you don’t have an oven safe pot with a lid, such as a dutch oven, definitely cover it in foil. But a dutch oven with a lid would be better. Again, I haven’ttested this myself so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Let me know how it goes!
Can I use a top round roast instead of a chuck roast?
Hi Mary Anne – I don’t recommend using a top roast. A top roast is much leaner and it won’t shred like the chuck, also it might end up much more dry and tough.
Can you cook this on high?
Hi Ashley – I think this turns out much better if it’s cooked on low for a long time. If you try to cook it on high for a shorter amount of time it will probably turn out tough.
I’d love to make this, but I’m not sure which cut of beef to use? I’m in the UK, and chuck roast isn’t a cut we see. I mean, we’ll have it, but by another name lol. Any suggestions/ideas would be greatly appreciated x
Hi Jacqui – I’m not sure if I am correct, but according to google the chuck roast is often called the “braising roast” in the UK. It is from the shoulder of the cow. It is has a good amount of fat and connective tissue, which makes it very tough unless is is cooked for a very long time, as in this recipe. I hope that helps!
Thanks Meghan, I’ll check it out with my butcher. REALLY looking forward to trying this out!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!
Can this recipe be used with boneless pork roast?
I don’t see why not! I haven’t tried it but it seems like it would be fine.
Can I use frozen beef or does it need to be fresh? And if I can use frozen- how much extra time will that add?
Hi Kim, I think it would take a long time for a roast this size to thaw and cook in the slow cooker. I am afraid it might be a food safety risk. It would be better to use thawed meat.
thank you for the quick reply 🙂 This was DELISH!!!! I made them into burrito bowls from your site- my hubby was super impressed. Even better than Chipotle!!
Hi Kim – Yay! I’m so happy to hear that!
Made this last night and fell in love with it. But what I am really looking for is the nutritional information for my macro calculator. Can anyone help with this.
So happy you loved it Tricia. We are working on getting the nutrition info updated.
Totally made this last weekend. So yummy in tacos! I also used the leftovers to make loaded mac n cheese……Mac n cheese topped with beef and shredded cheese then baked. Garnished with cilantro and green onions. So good!
GIRL. That Mac n cheese sounds amazing! So glad you loved the recipe!
I made this tonight and OMG it is delicious! I cooked the meat for about 8.5 hours and it was perfect. It’s so tender and flavorful. I added a little bit of chipotle powder instead of red pepper because I was out of red pepper flakes. I also added a little extra tomato paste and spices since I made a big batch and it’s delicious! I’m so glad I found this recipe! It’s definitely a keeper. My husband also loved the meat!
Hi Julie! I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks for your comment!
Hi! Is the cumin better as powder or seed?
Thanks!
Hi Marie, I use powdered!
What volume slow cooker do you need for this much beef? Not sure it will fit in mine
Hi Beth, I have a 6 quart, but there was plenty of room. I think as long as the meat fits in the crock pot with the lid on you should be fine.
Squeezed 1kg in to a 3l cooker and it was fantastic thank you
So glad to hear that!
Wondering if this can be made in the Instant Pot with the slow cooker option… with added water? Or in a normal pot ? I dont own a slow cooker.
Hi MJ, I haven’t tried it in the instant pot yet, but I think it would probably work. I think you would need to add some liquid. You could also try it in the oven using a dutch oven. I would try a low temperature for 3-4 hours. I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Let me know how it ends up!
Did it with the instapot and it worked amazing !!! Cooked it over 12 hours with my own blend. Perfect 😊
Great to know it works in the instant pot! Thanks Holly!
Did you add any water or make any changes?
Currently making this right now and now I’m worried cause I put a tiny bit of water in it because it started smelling like the onions were burning a tad…. Now that I read the comments I hope I didn’t mess it up 😭😭😭😭😭 it looks deliciousssssssssssss 😭😭😭😭🤔🤔🤔🤔(i put 1/4 cup prob less of water) 😭
Hi Samantha – don’t worry, I think it will still be fine! Let me know how it turns out 🙂