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
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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!
I can’t remember if I’ve ever commented on a recipe before, but this was amazing – and I’m saying that from AZ, just 1 hour north of the border! Absolutely delicious – will be making this many times. Thank you for a great recipe!
You’re so welcome Pam, thanks so much for the feedback!!
Hi, is the allspice essential to the flavor or something I can leave out?
Hi Shoshanna, I find it adds a nice touch to the flavours – you can sub with 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp clove & 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or leave it out completely if you prefer). N x
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for this recipe. I just wanted to say that I hope you, your family, and your beautiful dog are safe from the devastating fires. I’m not sure where you are located, but it has been heart rending to see the footage and maps of how widespread the fires are. I can only imagine the worry of being there. Stay safe, and thank you again!
Thanks so much for thinking of me Katy, I’m on the coast and not near the fires ❤️
Wow is all I can say I have made the several times, my whole family loves it Thank so so much for sharing.
You’re so welcome Debbie, that’s great to hear – N x
Wow, wow, wow!! Sooo delicious. I cooked it in the oven and it was perfect. We ate it 2 nights in a row – first in nachos then on a Mexican plate. It tasted just as good on night 2 and i will freeze the leftovers. The only thing I would comment on was that mine was quite spicy for my young nephew so would use less chipotle for kids next time (but perfect for adults!) Thanks again Nagi. You are legendary!
I’m so glad you loved it Rebecca, and yes, definitely leave out the chilli for kids (you can always add chilli sauce on top your nachos) – N x
Can I use tomato paste instead of the sauce? I want to make this for tonight and don’t have the tomato sauce.
I cooked a big batch of these for a party we had on the weekend, I doubled the recipe. When cooking the flavours smelt amazing the whole house did! However sadly I decided to pop everything in to my slowcooker and cook on low for 8 hours and every ounce of flavour had disappeared! I often find this happens with the slow cooker everything ends up tasting the same almost like a stew. I will be making these again because it’s amazing recipe, but will cook low over a stove top next time 🙂
Hi Emily, I don’t understand what’s happening? Is the liquid disappearing? – N x
Hi! No liquid is still there just the flavour had gone and tasted more like a stew, but I often find the slow cooker can tend to taste the same and lack flavour but when I initially browned beef with spiced on the stove top it smelled amazing and will be cooking on stovetop for the whole cook time next time 🙂
I also cooked it in the slow cooker for a few hours on low (after seasoning and searing the meat) and it took all the flavour out, the sauce went watery and looked like a stew and the meat wouldn’t shred.
But that’s just what happens to some recipes I’ve tried cooking with the slow cooker.
I’m definitely keen to give this recipe another go on the stove top as it looks so good!
hi im thinking of putting this meat on the menu for my tex mex restaurant in Australia.if I were to do 15kg batches would I multiply all the ingredients by 10? would this go well in tacos and burritos?
Hi Guido, yes you’d need to multiply the ingredients by 10 – it is perfect in burritos, nachos, tacos… anything! – N x
Hi there, it is unclear in the recipe if you are supposed to mix the remaining spice mix in while you slow cook the meat, or if you just save it for another day. Please let me know! Just got it slow cooking and added about half the remaining mix since I didn’t know.
Hi Kim, you add them at step 6 – the video also shows this 🙂 – N x
Hi Nagi!
How would you say that this recipe compares to your carnitas recipe (https://www.recipetineats.com/pork-carnitas-mexican-slow-cooker-pulled-pork/)? Do you have a favorite to use in tacos?
Hi Sonja, they are completely different – Mexican shredded beef has a tomato based sauce whereas the carnitas doesn’t – both equally as good as each other in my opinion!
Hi Nagi, love your recipes. Just wondering what brand and size is the white round casserole pot you use in this recipe (and lots of others). I would like to buy one. It looks like the perfect size and colour! It looks like Le Crueset but not sure. Thanks
Hi Rebecca, I use Chasseur, it’s a 26cm pot – N x
Thank you!!
Do you use 20 ml tablespoons, or 15? Just worried about the large amount of chipotle!
Hi Shelley, That’s a really good question. The short answer is – I use 15 ml but in the vast majority of my recipes, it does not matter if you use 20ml or 15 ml. BUT if it does matter, I either specify as such or I say 4 tsp (which is 20 ml) or 3 tsp (which is 15 ml) instead (because teaspoons are more standard across the world). 99% of the time it’s baking recipes where it matters. Or where I use a very strong sauce like dark soy sauce. And in those cases, I always cater for the difference. – N x
Hi Nagi
Hope you are well. I’m hoping to make this tomorrow but I only have crushed chipotle. Would this be ok to use or not the same flavour/taste? If not then I won’t make it until another time when I can find some ground chipotle. Thank you. Have a great day.x