How to Cook Beef for Tocas

This Mexican Shredded Beefiness has incredible depth of flavor! The sauce is really rich and thick, and in that location is PLENTY of it. Fantastic for tacos, burritos, enchiladas and quesadillas, piled high on Mexican Red Rice or stuffed in rolls to make sliders!

Make this on the stove, oven, slow cooker OR force per unit area cooker (Instant Pot). 100% freezer friendly!

Mexican Shredded Beef

I accept a "thing" near shredded meats. I just dear how information technology acts like a mop for sauces, and then every mouthful is so juicy.

From Shredded Chicken Tacos to Pulled Chicken Nachos, Shredded Beef Ragu Pasta and Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken and Rice Soup to Crispy Chinese Shredded Craven, if the eating experience is better when the meat is shredded – I shred it.

And Mexican Shredded Beef makes the cutting – tenfold!! In fact, I adore it and so much I've recently published another version – Beefiness Barbacoa. This version is slightly tangy and punching through with season from chipotle chillies!

The sauce for this Mexican Shredded Beef is loaded with big flavours – and in that location's PLENTY of it!

What goes in Slow Cooker Mexican Beefiness

There's a ton of spices in this that makes up the season of the braising liquid which becomes the sauce!

The secret ingredient is orange juice – information technology'south actually quite a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. For example, it's used in Carnitas (Mexican Wearisome Cooker Pulled Pork) and the marinade for Craven Fajitas.

It doesn't make the broth taste orangey at all – it totally transforms when slow cooked, and adds a touch of sweetness and flavour into the sauce.

How to brand Deadening Cooker Mexican Beefiness

The making function is very straightforward and generally easily off fourth dimension:

Cut beef into big pieces and sprinkle with spices
Sear aggressively: browning = flavor on both the beefiness and in the sauce (from the brown stuff on the base of the pot)
Add together everything else into the pot
Slow cook on thestove, oven, slow cooker or force per unit area cookeruntil fall autonomously tender
Shred
Toss back into the sauce
Transfer to serving platter
Devour in desired form! (Tacos in this case 🙂 )

What to make with Mexican Shredded Beef

The beauty of this Mexican Beef is that it's 100% freezer friendly and can be used for dozens of dishes, making it a brilliant standby for quick meals. Hither'due south just a few ideas:

Obvious uses

Tacos (this recipe)
Nachos – switch out the chicken in thisShredded Chicken Nachos recipe
Burritos – freezer friendly!
Quesadillas – switch out 1 of the fillings for this beef
Beef Enchiladas – skip the ground beefiness/mince filling and spices, just utilize this beef instead. (Still make the Enchilada Sauce, use the refried beans etc)
Mexican Plates –Piled beefiness over Mexican Red Rice with a big dollop of Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and sour foam, corn on the cob, finish with lime wedges and fresh coriander/cilantro

Some less obvious, mighty tasty ideas

Sliders – blimp into staff of life rolls to make sliders!
Mexican Toasties 🥑🧀 – toast bread → smear with avocado → pile on shredded beef → tiptop with cheese → Melt → devour 🙌
Mexican "Empanadas" – brand triangles/parcels (like this)using puff pastry, seal with egg, brush with egg, bake until golden. Effort calculation corn and black beans to fill it out!
Mexican Cottage Pie – mix through sautéed onion, capsicum/bell peppers, zucchini, corn and other chopped veg of pick. Pour into casserole dish, then peak with mashed murphy and bake per this Cottage Pie recipe. Or try Mexican Beef Craven Pot Pie!
Mexican Beefiness Lasagna – layer this beef with tortillas in a blistering dish, top with loads of cheese and bake!I'd make full it out with veggies.
Fully Loaded Mexican Breakfast! – brand Shakshuka (Centre Eastern Baked Eggs) which, really, is made with thoroughly Mexican flavours, and serve with a generous pile of this beef and warm tortillas. OMG….
Breakfast Enchiladas – skip the salary, use this beef instead

Shredded Beef Tacos

Here'south what I use to make aunproblematic Shredded Beef Tacos spread- something that'southward super quick to assemble:

This Mexican Shredded Beef
Warmed or charred tortillas
Pico de Gallo (Mexican Salsa)
Sour foam
Lime wedges
Fresh lime wedges
Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, whole or finely chopped

Y'all won't demand a divide sauce considering this shredded beef is so juicy and saucy.

And so really, if you have a batch of this Mexican Beef on paw, so y'all're just 15 minutes away from the taco spread pictured above considering all you have to make is the Pico de Gallo (and if that'south all too hard, just slice some tomatoes!!) – Nagi x

Sentinel how to arrive

Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Servings 20 tacos

Recipe video above. This is how I make Mexican Shredded Beef. The sauce is rich, thick and full of flavor, and the beef is very tender and juicy. I use this shredded beef for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and fifty-fifty to make sliders - encounter in postal service for list of ideas and directions!

Spice Mix

▢ one ane/ii tbsp chipotle powder , adjust spiciness to gustatory modality (Annotation v)
▢ ane tbsp paprika
▢ 1 tbsp dried oregano
▢ 1 tsp All Spice powder (ground All Spice)
▢ 1 tsp coriander pulverisation
▢ two tsp onion powder or garlic powder OR i tsp of each
▢ 1 tsp common salt and pepper , each

Beef

▢ i - ii tbsp olive oil
▢ three lb / i.5kg beef chuck or brisket (or gravy or any other slow cooking beef) cut into 4 pieces
▢ 5 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1 onion , diced (yellow, brownish or white)
▢ 3/4 cup (185 ml) orange juice
▢ 2 tbsp lime juice
▢ 14 oz / 400g tin can crushed tomatoes
▢ two cups (500 ml) beef or chicken broth/stock
▢ i/2 loving cup (125ml) water
▢ Salt and pepper

Combine the Spice Mix ingredients in a basin. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons over the beef and pat so it sticks.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high oestrus. Add the beefiness (in batches if necessary) and dark-brown well on all sides. Remove onto a plate.
Turn the stove down to medium. If the pot looks dry out, add together more olive oil.
Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
Add the orangish juice and lime juice, and scrape the lesser of the pot so the brown $.25 mix into the liquid.
Add tomato, beef stock, water and remaining spice mix. Mix, then render beef into pot.
Put the lid on, bring to a simmer then plough the stove down and so it is bubbling gently, not rapidly.
Cook for 2 hours, and so remove lid and simmer for another 30 minutes until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 2 other cook methods).
Remove the beefiness from sauce, shred with 2 forks.
Leave the sauce to simmer with the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce and thicken to your gustation. Conform salt to taste. Optional: puree with stick blender to make information technology shine (I do this for company)
Toss beef back into the sauce (can reserve some Sauce for drizzling on tacos if you want, in that location's plenty).
Transfer beef into large dish and serve. See notes for suggestions.

Tacos

To make tacos, serve the beef with warmed small tortillas, avocado slices, Pico de Gallo, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges and extra cilantro/coriander leaves.

one. Cook fourth dimension - The cooking time volition vary depending on what cutting of beef you use, how heavy based your pot is (dutch ovens cook faster because they retain heat better) and also how thick your cut of beef is. This recipe is very forgiving so even if you leave it 1 hr too long, it will notwithstanding be corking! Check it at 2 hours and every 30 minutes thereafter to see if it is "shreddable" tender.

2. Other cook methods - boring cooker for viii hours on low, pressure cooker & Instant Pot on high for 50 minutes.

For Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker - afterwards deglazing the pot in step 5 with the orange juice and lime juice, pour the liquid and onions into the slow/force per unit area cooker (IP) and add all remaining ingredients + beefiness. Cook per higher up. Transfer the liquid to a saucepan to reduce the sauce on the stove, equally required past the recipe.

Oven - after completing step 6, cover and place in 325F/160C oven for three - 3 1/ii hours or until the beefiness is tender enough to shred. The liquid should reduce plenty to make a thick sauce. If not, just simmer it on the stove until thickened to your liking.

3. Quantity - This makes enough for xx - 25 tacos, 12 - 15 burritos. It is enough to serve 8 to 10 people.

iv. Storage - To freeze or refrigerate, keep the sauce and beef separate. Reheat the beefiness in the microwave or in the oven (covered with foil), heat the sauce then toss. It'southward best to keep it separate considering otherwise I find the beef gets quite soggy (especially when defrosting).

5. Chipotle powder spiciness! Adapt as follows:

Mild - reduce to 2 tsp to 1 tbsp, add one tsp extra coriander, plus add 1 tsp cumin
Medium - use i.5 tbsp per recipe (I exercise this for groups of friends, good mid signal)
Spicy, merely not blow your head off spicy - increase to 2 tbsp (I like this)

Can be annoyingly difficult to detect in Australia. 🙂 At present sold in Harris Farms. It is not sold in the major supermarkets (yet) merely you can detect information technology in fruit & veg stores, delis and gourmet/speciality stores. It does not price much more than ordinary spices. If you can't track it downwards, I recollect the best substitute is 1/2 tbsp each SMOKED paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.

6. Diet per serving, assuming 8 servings.

Serving: 323 g Calories: 372 cal (19%) Carbohydrates: vii.3 grand (2%) Poly peptide: 53.8 g (108%) Fatty: 12.nine thou (xx%) Saturated Fatty: four.4 g (28%) Polyunsaturated Fatty: 8.5 k Cholesterol: 152 mg (51%) Sodium: 597 mg (26%) Fiber: ane.2 g (5%) Sugar: 4.3 grand (5%)

Keywords: Mexican Shredded Beefiness, Shredded Beef recipe, Slow Cooker Mexican Beef

Originally published September 2015, updated July 2019 with new photos, new video, new step photos and Life of Dozer section added. No change to recipe!

Life of Dozer

Bushwalking with Dozer – all-time done in wintertime when it's ophidian free!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients fifty-fifty if you're short on time and price witting. You merely demand to cook clever and get artistic!

How to Cook Beef for Tocas

Mexican Shredded Beef

What goes in Slow Cooker Mexican Beefiness

How to brand Deadening Cooker Mexican Beefiness