A crockpot Mexican shredded beef that is seasoned with chipotle chile and perfect for tacos and burrito bowls.
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What I Love About This Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef
- It’s perfect for tacos or burrito bowls
- With the smoked paprika and two different kinds of chile powder, it has deep flavor without too much heat
- By putting it all in the crock pot, the shredded beef is tender, juicy, and full of flavor with minimal effort
Mexican Shredded Beef Recipe Ingredients
- fire-roasted tomatoes
- onion
- jalapeno
- garlic
- kosher salt
- smoked paprika
- onion powder
- chipotle chile powder
- ancho chile powder
- apple cider vinegar
- low sodium soy sauce
- limes
- boneless beef shoulder or chuck roast
- avocado oil
How to Make Mexican Shredded Beef for Tacos
Detailed instructions and measurements for Mexican Shredded Beef are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Start by chopping your vegetables. You can do this in the food processor, or by hand. The goal is to make sure they are chopped finely.
food processor: add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic to your food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse until vegetables are finely chopped.
by hand: chop each of the vegetables into a fine mince. - To a large mixing bowl, combine the fire-roasted tomatoes, minced vegetables, kosher salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, apple cider vinegar, and low sodium soy sauce. Squeeze the juice of both limes into the bowl. Mix to combine.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add your avocado oil. Once heated, add the roast and quickly sear on all sides.
- Add the roast to your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Once the beef easily falls apart, it is ready.
- Serve in your favorite tortillas for tacos or on a burrito bowl!
Recipe for Mexican Shredded Beef Tips, Tricks and FAQ
Searing your meat before slow cooking will add an extra depth of flavor. You can technically skip this step, but it won’t have the same result.
I get all of my beef shoulder roast from ButcherBox. It’s quality, grass fed, grass finished beef and my shredded beef turns out fantastic every time!
I find that beef shoulder roast or beef chuck roast to be the best. They are tender and juicy and shred well.
You can always tailor a recipe to your taste. In regards to the fire roasted tomatoes, I’d recommend keeping them and not substituting them. They lend themselves to the flavors of the smoked paprika and chile powder.
Mexican shredded beef is often referred to as Barbacoa.
Yes, you can overcook shredded beef. When making shredded beef, you want to cook it long enough for the fibers to break down and become tender. If cooked too long, it will become dry and tough again.
Making sure you use the right temperature is key. You can refer to this slow cooker temperature guide for help.
Unlike shredded beef, Machaca begins with dried meat that is rehydrated.
To keep shredded beef from drying out, be sure not to overcook the meat. Overcooking the meat will cause it to dry out and get tough. When storing the meat, be sure to store it with its cooking liquid to keep it hydrated.
Shredded beef at Mexican restaurants is often called barbacoa.
Barbacoa is beef in Mexico.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Crockpot Mexican Shredded Beef
To store Crockpot Mexican Shredded Beef, allow it to cool completely and place it in an airtight container with its cooking liquid in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
When freezing Crockpot Mexican Shredded Beef, be sure it has completely cooled to room temperature. Store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 6 months.
To reheat Crockpot Mexican Shredded beef, I recommend placing it in an oven-safe dish and warming it in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also add it to a skillet and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated. While you can use the microwave, you do run the risk of overcooking the beef and it becomes tough.
How to Lower Calories or WW Points
If you’ll be serving it in tacos, opt for a lower calorie/lower point tortilla. I like the Mission Extra Thin Corn Tortillas.
Serve it over a salad or bowl – skip the tortilla altogether.
Trim some of the fat from the beef before cooking. If you go with a shoulder roast instead of a chuck roast, it should be a bit leaner to begin with.
What to Serve with Mexican Pulled Beef
Mexican pulled beef is excellent with:
- Tacos
- Burrito bowls
- Flautas
- Quesadillas
- Salads
Other taco recipes you might like
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Mexican Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- ½ large onion
- 1 whole jalapeno seeds and ribs removed for less spice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 whole limes
- 1½ pounds boneless beef shoulder or chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Instructions
- Start by chopping your vegetables. You can do this in the food processor, or by hand. The goal is to make sure they are chopped finely. food processor: add the onion, jalapeno, and garlic to your food processor with the blade attachment. Pulse until vegetables are finely chopped. by hand: chop each of the vegetables into a fine mince.
- To a large mixing bowl, combine the fire-roasted tomatoes, minced vegetables, kosher salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, apple cider vinegar, and low sodium soy sauce. Squeeze the juice of both limes into the bowl. Mix to combine.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add your avocado oil. Once heated, add the roast and quickly sear on all sides.
- Add the roast to your slow cooker and pour the sauce over the top.
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Once the beef easily falls apart, it is ready.
- Serve in your favorite tortillas for tacos or on a burrito bowl!
Notes
- Searing your meat before slow cooking will add an extra depth of flavor. You can technically skip this step, but it won’t have the same result.
- I get all of my beef shoulder roasts from ButcherBox. Its quality, grass-fed, grass-finished beef, and my shredded beef turns out fantastic every time!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have tried many shredded beef recipes that all ended up tasting the same, kind of flat. This recipe was really good and flavorful. It was a little too salty for us, so I we cut back on the salt next time. Super easy in the insta pot.