Mexican Shredded Beef (Tacos)

Tender Mexican Shredded Beef that is loaded with flavor! Quick and easy, this fall apart beef comes together with little prep in the slow cooker or instant pot. Perfect for using in your favorite Tex Mex meals, including making shredded beef tacos!

All about these Shredded Beef Tacos…

Tender, fall apart pulled beef in a a rich, flavorful broth that comes together quick and easy in a slow cooker or instant pot! This shredded beef is perfect for making tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more!

• Quick and easy: there are several cooking methods in the recipe card below (slow cooker, instant pot, stovetop, and oven) choose the one for you! Most methods are fairly hands off making this a great option for a weeknight dinner.
• Meal Prep: store the meat in the refrigerator or freezer and portion out during the week (or months) as needed for different meals for you or the family.
• Multiple uses: this meat is a great complement to all your favorite Tex Mex meals, use it in burritos, burrito bowls, as a low carb dinner protein option with grilled vegetables, in tacos, Gorditas, nachos, tostadas, enchiladas, taco salads and more!

Ingredients Needed:

Notes on Some Ingredients:

• Chuck Roast: this is a cut from the shoulder/neck area and may also be labeled as shoulder steak, boneless chuck roast, chuck shoulder pot roast, chuck seven-bone pot roast, or beef chuck arm. This is a tough cut of meat and needs to be slow cooked to become tender.
• Oil: this is used to sear the meat, high smoke point oils are best, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil are great options.
• Beef Broth: always grab unsalted broth from the market so you can control the salt content of your meals.

How to Make (step-by-step):

• Step 1: Trim the meat, remove any excessively hard pieces of fat, this will not render out during the cooking. But leave all the soft fat bits, this will break down during cooking and create a nice tender finished dish. Chop the meat into 2-3 inch chunks for ease of cooking.
• Step 2: Sear the meat in a hot skillet with cooking oil. This will bring out more flavor in the meat and create those nice seared bits in your final dish. Work in batches so that the pan is not crowded. Be sure to deglaze the pan when you are finished to get all the flavor into the slow cooker.

• Step 3: Add all the seasonings and flavors to the slow cooker with the seared meat. Pour in the beef broth, don’t be concerned at the low amount of liquid, the meat will release more liquid as it slow cooks all day. Cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat easily shreds.
• Step 4: Shred the meat, remove the chunks of onion, garlic and bayleaves, set aside for serving later with the meat if desired. Once the meat is shredded return it to the slow cooker to simmer in the remaining juices for 30 minutes to get as much flavoring as possible.

Expert Tips:

• Cooking Method: this can easily be made on the stove top, in the oven or in an instant pot. Notes on cooking methods can be found below in the recipe card.
• Freezer Friendly: allow the meat to cool and store in freezer safe containers. Store in the freezer for 3-4 months and use as desired for tacos, burritos and more!
• Cut the meat into equal size portions: this will help to ensure that there is even cooking throughout the process.

FAQ’s:

More Taco Recipes to Try:

• Birria Tacos
• Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Classic Ground Beef Tacos
• Breakfast Tacos
• Carnitas
• Carne Asada Tacos

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