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.
Mines cooking as we speak! Hope its yummy!!
made this and it was AMAZING! im even making it for guests this weeks. i used stew meat and it worked great. beef literally just fell apart when i stirred it. no shedding needed! PS make extra, great leftovers for lunch. i threw it over a salad and mexican inspired coleslaw. thanks SO much for this yummy recipe. its a new staple in our house!
I do something similar for burritos. It’s a 2 day preparation, but it’s worth it since they freeze so well.
After I have cooked the chuck roast in the slow cooker, I take it out and shred it. While shredding, I remove any fat, gristle, etc. I pour the leftover juices in a measuring cup (anything will do really) and put everything in the refrigerator. The next day I throw away the fat that has hardened on the top of the juice. I then take the shredded beef and put it in a dutch oven (or similar large pot), pour the juices on top of that and turn the heat up. The liquid will reduce and this intensifies the flavor in the meat itself.
After that I assemble my ingredients, Refried Beans, Shredded cheese, flour tortillas (the biggest I can find) and the beef. I heat up the tortillas in the microwave and get started. On the tortilla I put about 1/4 cup of refried beans, 1 – 2 oz of shredded beef and finally the shredded cheese. After I fold them up I dry fry them in a skillet or the flat side of a stove top grill. This will not only seal them, but it also helps melt the cheese.
You can eat them with your fav salsa, or whatever. I individually wrap up the leftovers, put them in a freezer bag and throw them in the freezer. It’s a great quick meal after work when you don’t feel like cooking. I usually make about 40 – 50 burritos at a time this way.
that sounds amazing! will try it for sure!
How much beef do you need for a taco bar for 50 people?
Do you know about how many servings this recipe will make? I need to make it for about 20 people. Thanks!
Love this recipe, thanks! I also freeze the tomato paste in a baggie and break off what I need. Works great.
I made these tonight, and they were delicious! I followed the recipe, and they turned out great. My grocery store now carries tiny little cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, so I bought one and it worked out perfect. Topped with white cheese and avocado slices, this recipe is a keeper!
I did not have the chipotle so I made it without. Instead of having tacos, I rolled the meat in corn tortillas and made taquitos. We put guacamole on top and had spanish rice on the side. They were so good! My husband could not stop raving about them. Thanks for the yummy recipe. :)
No judging here, I am not a fan of Chipotle either! I am going to go try out this recipe right now, thanks for the post!
Freeze the leftover chipotle peppers in adobo sauce! We do a shredded chicken recipe that calls for 1-2 TB of the stuff, so we freeze it in premeasured baggies.