I think I may be one of the only people in the world who’s not a Chipotle fan. I know…judge away.
But. I absolutely love shredded beef tacos. They’re my absolute favorite thing to order at two of my favorite Mexican restaurants in town. So when I saw one of my favorite bloggers post a delicious photo and recipe of her shredded beef tacos a few months ago, I knew I had to give them a try!
In the past whenever I’ve tried making shredded beef, the seasonings have always seemed too bland. But sure enough, this recipe — rockin’ the chipotle peppers, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic and more — made for some totally flavorful tacos!!! And for leftovers later in the week…it starred again in some quesadillas and sandwiches as well. :)
So bring out your crock pot, and give this recipe a try! It’s definitely a keeper!
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds beef (I used a boneless chuck roast)
- 2 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (if you want extra flavor/heat, add an extra pepper)
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- Flour tortillas
Instructions
- Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and diced onion to the saute pan. Saute for an additional 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the beef stock and stir the pan to deglaze it, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and minced chipotle, and whisk into the pan sauce until combined. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a 3-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour the pan sauce down over the beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the beef shreds easily.
- Shred the beef with two forks, and toss to coat with any of the remaining juices. Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Ali’s Tip:
If you’re like me and rarely make it through an entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, would highly recommend chipotle powder! It’s now available in most grocery stores, and is so fun to have on hand. For one pepper, I usually substitute in around 1/2 tsp. of the powder.
We just made the shredded beef tacos! Almost perfect. Must add salt. I think if salt is added it will be perfect.
What a great recipe! I made it for the Superbowl this year and it was delicious. Looking forward to eating the leftovers! :)
Hey Ali…….greetings from New Zealand. Stumbled on your recipe and the depth of colour caught my attention, as most I have seen (cooked in the crock pot) look grey’ish in colour. So was very impressed. I was actually searching for a Philly Cheese recipe as had this in the States years ago and loved them. Forgive me (all Americans) :) if this is a really silly question, but could this be used in regular buns toped with cheese for a BBQ.. . in place of the regular Philly Cheese type recipe. Ohhhhhhh I can hear you all yelling Noooooooooo from here :) :) xx
tacos and enchiladas are made with corn tortillas- burritos with flour….just say’in!!
I have made these and they are so good. My whole family loves them. I am a bit taco obsessed. Thank you for the great tip for the peppers. I never get through the whole can. I try my best by making an aioli with them but still always have some left over. Thanks again for such a great recipe.
Just sat down after getting this started for a dinner party with friends tonight. It smells so good already. My husband came out of his office just to comment on the awesome aroma. Very excited to taste these. Been wanting to try a recipe like this for years because I love beef tacos. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much, Carmen! I hope you all enjoy it and have a great dinner party together! :)
Have you ever tried to freeze the leftover meat? If so how did it turn out?
Yep! It freezes well for me. :)
if you drained most of the juices, could you put the meat in corn tortillas and fry them as in a taquito??? sounds delish!
Sure thing! Sounds delish!!
Thanks for this recipe… can’t wait to try it. And, I’m not a Chipotle fan either, but everyone else I know is!
This is a great recipe. I serve it on Torta bread from a Mexican bakery, spread it with garlic aioli, and fill it with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato and red onion and cilantro. Rave reviews! Thanks.