Mexican-Inspired Shredded Beef
Perfectly spiced and incredibly easy to prepare, Mexican-Inspired Shredded Beef is super versatile and makes the best shredded beef tacos!
about this Mexican-inspired shredded beef recipe
Say hello to your new go-to shredded beef recipe!
Not only is this shredded beef succulent and perfectly spiced with classic Mexican-inspired flavors, it’s also incredibly easy to prepare (it’s our new favorite dump & go recipe and it makes the best street-inspired tacos).
Since it’s so quick to prepare, has a simple ingredient list and makes loads of leftovers, this is just the thing to make when you need to feed a crowd.
It’s the perfect recipe to use for a party or a festive weeknight meal at home.
PS – This Mexican-inspired shredded beef is also freezable! Making it a fun option for family meal prep, or to make and freeze leftovers for singles & couples.
process & tips for making this Mexican-inspired pulled beef
This recipe couldn’t be easier to make, since there’s no browning or sauteing required.
Simply throw all your ingredients into your crockpot and let it work it’s magic!
Here’s a few more quick tips that will help you get the most tender shredded beef.
Depending on the heat level of your slow cooker and the thickness of your chuck roast, cook time may vary – so I’ve given a range in the recipe card for you below.
If the meat is not very tender and shreddable at the end of the directed cook time, simply cover and add more cook time (in 30 minute increments, on high) until it shreds easily.
A lot of my slow cooker recipes have stock in them, but in this recipe there is no need to add extra liquid.
The meat and the onions will add lots of flavor and create their own juices during the low & slow cook time.
It’s totally up to you if you want to cook it on the high or low slow cooker setting! I’ve included directions for both below to keep your options open on busy weeks.
how to make street-inspired shredded beef tacos
We love turning this shredded beef into street-inspired taco!
Simply serve with warm tortillas, chopped white onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radish, lime wedges, and your favorite hot sauce.
If you’re following a low-carb or Whole30 diet this shredded beef is great in jicama wraps, lettuce wraps, or served over cauliflower rice.
more ways to use Mexican-inspired shredded beef
This shredded beef would also make great burrito bowls with rice, beans and toppings of your choice (like this 4-ingredient guacamole).
You can also use it to make a delicious taco salad by serving it on top of shredded romaine lettuce with chipotle honey vinaigrette, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and crushed tortilla chips for extra crunch.
If your leftovers stash is running low, you can repurpose and stretch the remaining shredded beef into some next-level nachos too!
Just pile the shredded beef on top of chips, top with cheese, beans, pickled jalapenos, and pop under a broiler for a few minutes until crispy.
ingredients & modifications
Beef chuck-eye roast: I used boneless beef chuck-eye roast for this recipe for the most tender and flavorful shredded beef. If you use bone-in chuck roast it may make the cook time longer.
Onion: Onions add so much flavor to this dish. But if you don’t like or can’t eat onions, feel free to skip them in this recipe.
Tomato paste: The tomato paste adds great concentrated flavor to the meat. Got leftover tomato paste? Remove it from the can, pop it in a freezer safe bag, and freeze for the next time you make this recipe.
Mild chili powder: The chili powder (along with the garlic powder, smoked paprika, and cumin) is the base for making our own homemade seasoning. Mild chili powder doesn’t add much heat to your recipe but does add lots of flavor.
Smoked paprika: The smoked paprika lends a smoky flavor that we love, but if you don’t have it regular paprika will work.
Kosher salt: Look for kosher salt with the regular iodized salt at the grocery store (it has a subtler flavor). Use less iodized salt if that’s what you have on hand.
Tip: Make this recipe spicy by adding ½ teaspoon cayenne powder to the spice mixture prior to cooking and serve with spicy hot sauce.
how to store & freeze leftover slow cooker shredded beef
This is one of those recipes that still tastes totally delicious the next day, and leftovers make a great lunch!
It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, in a sealed container.
This shredded beef also freezes beautifully, either in a gallon ziplock bag, or individually in mason jars.
You can store it in a sealed freezer friendly container for up to 2-3 months.
more slow cooker ground beef recipes
Beef Minestrone Soup (with Instant Pot + Slow Cooker Instructions)
Slow Cooker Easy Beef and Bean Chili
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreePaleoWhole30
I hope you’ll make this healthy Mexican-Inspired Shredded Beef recipe soon.
If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!
Mexican-Inspired Shredded Beef
Ingredients
- 3 lbs boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and quartered
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
To add at the end
- lime juice
Optional serving suggestions
- Easy Guacamole
- Corn or flour tortillas, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, sliced radish, lime wedges, hot sauce
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the onion, tomato paste, and ¼ teaspoon of salt in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring until well combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the meat, patting the mixture onto all sides.
- Place the meat on top of the onion mixture.
- Cover and cook on high for 9-10 hours on low or 6-7* hours on high. Do not uncover during this time.
- Uncover and test the meat by shredding a bit with a fork. If it does not shred very easily, cover and cook for an additional 30-60 minutes.
- Remove to a cutting board and shred with two forks, discard fat. Add back to the slow cooker, along with the lime juice, and stir with the remaining juices.
- Serve warm with tortillas and toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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Our family loved this recipe! It is so easy to make, and the leftovers are fantastic. My husband still has a flexible work schedule, so we made this for dinner (kids loved it!), and he was able to make tacos for at home lunches.
We prefer a bit more spice, so I added the Cayenne suggested in the recipe notes.
Robin, thanks again for your healthy, simple recipes! Having affordable, tasty, reheat-friendly proteins makes meal planning so much easier.
Meredith, yay, so glad you and your fam enjoyed this one and that you adjusted the spice level to your tastes! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was easy, delicious and fed us for a few days. Will be making this again asap!
Yay, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, Lexi. Thanks os much for leaving a review!
Would this be possible to make in a large pot instead of a crockpot? If so, how would I go about doing that?
Hi Kayla, I’m sure you can do it in a pot, likely in a low oven for a long time, but since I haven’t tested it so I’m unable to provide exact instructions. Sorry about that!