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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.
I made this tonight and it is excellent!! I didn’t change one thing except to add more salt. Thank you for sharing!
So glad to hear that!
I haven’t made this yet, just wondering if it’s true that the only liquid is 2 TBS tomato paste and the lime juice?! I’ve never heard of such a dry mix in a slow cooker
Yes, the meat releases lots of liquid.
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!
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!
Just to confirm , don’t use any type of stock
Yes, that is right. The meat will release tons of liquid.
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.
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We make burritos with it and I’ve used it for nachos and tostadas.
Thank you for posting!
So glad you love it!
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!
So happy you loved it!
Honestly the best thing i ever ate. Love love love. With some black beans guacamole and tomato on a tostada! Perfection
So glad you loved it!
In the end there wasn’t much sauce and the flavor was overpowered with chili powder, even though I reduced the amount to two teaspoons. So I added some honey and a small can of jalapenos for the last 30 minutes. Tomorrow when I reheat it I will add some orange juice and more roasted cumin to balance the flavors a bit more.
This is so good! We made enchiladas with it. Delicious! My husband even ranked it in our top 5 meels!
Wow! So happy to hear that!
Makes amazing burritos. Mix with 1 can refried beans for the filling.
Absolutely love this recipe. Soo versatile. Making again today and looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you loved it!
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!
I’m so happy you loved it!
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!