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 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
Ingredients for Mexican shredded beef
- 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 cook slow cooker 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!
tips and tricks
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.
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.
other taco recipes you might like
Mexican Shredded Beef
Equipment
- crockpot
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
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!
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