This Mexican Shredded Beef has incredible depth of flavour! The sauce is really rich and thick, and there 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 pressure cooker (Instant Pot). 100% freezer friendly!
Mexican Shredded Beef
I have a “thing” about shredded meats. I just love how it acts like a mop for sauces, so 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 Chicken, if the eating experience is better when the meat is shredded – I shred it.
And Mexican Shredded Beef makes the cut – tenfold!!
The sauce for this Mexican Shredded Beef is loaded with big flavours – and there’s PLENTY of it!
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. Here’s just a few ideas:
Obvious uses
- Tacos (this recipe)
- Nachos – switch out the chicken in this Shredded Chicken Nachos recipe
- Burritos – freezer friendly!
- Quesadillas – switch out one of the fillings for this beef
- Beef Enchiladas – skip the ground beef/mince filling and spices, just use this beef instead. (Still make the Enchilada Sauce, use the refried beans etc)
- Mexican Plates – Piled beef over Mexican Red Rice with a big dollop of Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and sour cream, corn on the cob, finish with lime wedges and fresh coriander/cilantro
Some less obvious, mighty tasty ideas
- Sliders – stuffed into bread rolls to make sliders!
- Mexican Toasties 🥑🧀 – toast bread → smear with avocado → pile on shredded beef → top with cheese → MELT → devour 🙌🏻
- Mexican “Empanadas” – make triangles/parcels (like this)using puff pastry, seal with egg, brush with egg, bake until golden. Try adding 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 choice. Pour into casserole dish, then top with mashed potato and bake per this Cottage Pie recipe. Or try Mexican Beef Chicken Pot Pie!
- Mexican Beef Lasagna – layer this beef with tortillas in a baking dish, top with loads of cheese and bake! I’d fill it out with veggies.
- Fully Loaded Mexican Breakfast 🍳 – make Shakshuka (Middle 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 bacon, use this beef instead
What goes in Slow Cooker Mexican Beef
There’s a ton of spices in this that makes up the flavour of the braising liquid which becomes the sauce!
The secret ingredient is orange juice – it’s actually quite a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. For example, it’s used in Carnitas (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork) and the marinade for Chicken 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 make Slow Cooker Mexican Beef
The making part is very straightforward and mostly hands off time:
- Cut beef into big pieces and sprinkle with spices
- Sear aggressively: browning = flavour on both the beef and in the sauce (from the brown stuff on the base of the pot)
- Add everything else into the pot
- Slow cook on the stove, oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker until fall apart tender
- Shred
- Toss back into the sauce
- Transfer to serving platter
- Devour in desired form! (Tacos in this case 🙂 )
Shredded Beef Tacos
Here’s what I use to make a simple Shredded Beef Tacos spread- something that’s super quick to assemble:
- This Mexican Shredded Beef
- Warmed or charred tortillas
- Pico de Gallo (Authentic Mexican Salsa)
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Fresh lime wedges
- Fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, whole or finely chopped
You won’t need a separate sauce because this shredded beef is so juicy and saucy.
So really, if you have a batch of this Mexican Beef on hand, then you’re just 15 minutes away from THIS taco spread because all you have to make is the Pido de Gallo (and if that’s all too hard, just slice some tomatoes!!) – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Mexican Shredded Beef (and Tacos)
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 2 tbsp chipotle powder (Note 5)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp All Spice powder (ground All Spice)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp onion powder or garlic powder OR 1 tsp of each
- 1 tsp salt and pepper , each
Beef
- 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lb / 1.5kg beef chuck or brisket (or gravy or any other slow cooking beef) cut into 4 pieces
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion , diced (yellow, brown or white)
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) orange juice
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 14 oz / 400g can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups (500 ml) beef or chicken broth/stock
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Combine the Spice Mix ingredients in a bowl. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons over the beef and pat so it sticks.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the beef (in batches if necessary) and brown well on all sides. Remove onto a plate.
- Turn the stove down to medium. If the pot looks dry, add more olive oil.
- Add the garlic and onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
- Add the orange juice and lime juice, and scrape the bottom of the pot so the brown bits mix into the liquid.
- Add remaining ingredients, mix, then return beef into pot.
- Put the lid on, bring to a simmer then turn the stove down so it is bubbling gently, not rapidly.
- Cook for 2 hours, then remove lid and simmer for another 30 minutes until beef is tender enough to shred. (Note 2 other cook methods).
- Remove the beef 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 taste. Adjust salt to taste. Optional: puree with stick blender to make it smooth (I do this for company)
- Toss beef back into the sauce (can reserve some Sauce for drizzling on tacos if you want, there'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.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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 – best done in winter when it’s snake free!
Making this recipe for the second time this week, stove top! It’s only Tuesday! This is fabulous. I’ve been searching for a shredded beef recipe for so long. This hits all the marks. I plan to use some of the abundant sauce to make enchilada sauce. Thank you Nagi!
When I found this recipe I laughed because I have spent years looking for exactly this, I have altered so many recipes that were similar. I don’t normally use orange juice but I’m going to give it a try also I understand your frustration with finding chipotle powder. I live in small town West Texas, USA and you would think with all the Hispanic roots here and it being chili country I wouldn’t be that hard to find. I’ve found it labeled as chipotle chili powder finally but in a pinch I will use chipotle adobe sauce and make a wet rub instead, works great.
I hope you give this one a go and love it Haley!
I have just made your Mexican Shredded Beef must say it turned out phenomenal It has the authentic taste of Mexico Note with the leftovers we added black beans and rice just like some of the dishes we have eaten in Mexico Thanks
I’m so glad it was a hit Peter! – N x
Well this was my first recipe that we didn’t enjoy. Makes me wonder what I did wrong. First was that I put it in the slow cooker for the day rather than oven? And after that, I’m no confident cook so anything could have gone wrong by mistake, oops! Glad that others are enjoying it 🙂
Hi Nycolle, Sorry you didn’t enjoy it – I have slow cooker instructions in the recipe notes – did you follow these? – N x
Hey Nagi! BIG FAN from denmark! I was wondering, i made the mistake and bought pork instead of beef. Can i use that for this recipe? I’ve seen your recipe for carnitas but i don’t have a Slow Cooker.
Could you use canned chipotles instead of the powder?
I made this recipe on Saturday. We did not eat it until the next day. I did serve it differently though. Instead of shredding the beef and putting it in warm tortillas, I dipped the tortillas in the sauce and pan fried them until medium crispy then I added beef and folded into a taco. I kept pan frying until the tacos were crispy. I served with lime, onions, and cilantro and beef juice on the side. Family loved the crispy tacos.
That sounds divine Myriam!!
Do you use regular orange juice or juice from squeezed oranges?
Thank you for the recipe! How much water do you add to it?
Urgent when do I have the rest of the spice mix? Not very clear!
Hi Rachel, you add it in step 6 where you’re adding all the remaining ingredients- – N x
do you think it would work with a topside roast…
Hi Ghis, I wouldn’t recommend it as it’s very lean – N x
Hi! I am so excited to make this tomorrow for a crowd of people. I am going to double the recipe and cook on the stove in a cast iron dutch oven. Because I am doing twice as much meat, will it take twice as long to cook? I’m trying to plan my timing based on when we want to eat. Thank you for any advice!
Thank you thank you thank you for such a fabulous recipe
I used flat iron steak that I had in the freezer. It was perfect for this. The house smells unbelievable.
I do love this sort of food. And Dozer. What a lucky boy he is.
My goldie has positioned himself by my stove!
Wahoo, I’m so glad you loved it Patricia!!
This is so funny! I’m making this right now and my golden retriever is lying in the middle of the kitchen, right next to the stove… It’s not normal for him, but this is obviously very attractive!
This was so fantastic! I served it over tacos exactly as you described and my family loved it. I also served it over sauteed peppers, onions, and zucchini and my husband loved that as well! I made a spicy chili de arbol salsa as well, bc mama needs even extra spice and it paired so well with your meat. This. Was. Delicious. I also made your quick chicken taco meat as well and that was also a hit! Thank you for making flavorful food!