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!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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!! In fact, I adore it so much I’ve recently published another version – Beef Barbacoa. This version is slightly tangy and punching through with flavour from chipotle chillies!
The sauce for this Mexican Shredded Beef is loaded with big flavours – and there’s PLENTY of it!
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 🙂 )
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
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
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 the taco spread pictured above because all you have to make is the Pico de Gallo (and if that’s all too hard, just slice some tomatoes!!) – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Mexican Shredded Beef (and Tacos)
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder , adjust spiciness to taste (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
- 1/2 cup (125ml) water
- 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 tomato, beef stock, water and remaining spice mix. 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:
- Mild – reduce to 2 tsp to 1 tbsp, add 1 tsp extra coriander, plus add 1 tsp cumin
- Medium – use 1.5 tbsp per recipe (I do this for groups of friends, good mid point)
- Spicy, but not blow your head off spicy – increase to 2 tbsp (I like this)
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!
Hi!
If I make this a few hours ahead of time, how do you suggest reheating it? Should I wait with the beef shredding until I’m ready to serve it?
this regards to both this recipe and the Mexican shredded chicken as well 🙂
Where has this beef been all my life?!! Incredible. And your pico de gallo was the perfect accompaniment. Thanks Nagi
This is wonderful, I’ve made it several times thinking there’ll be leftovers for future but there never is (family of 5)! I do have leftover sauce though, any ideas on how to use this?
I followed this recipe to a T except I used a small neck of a deer. I’m always looking of ways to cook the venison I have, this recipe came out great. I will try using leftovers this morning by frying the fresh tostados in my wok. Top them with left over venison,
I changed the number of servings on the taco recipe. The ingredients amounts changed accordingly but the instructions did not change re: how much of the spice mix, how long to cook the roast etc. Could you please see if you can fix this problem? thanks
This is my go to mexican pulled beef recipe. I cook it in a slow cooker for 7-8 hours and then shred the beef and then place both beef and sauce into a pan to reduce for another 30-60min afterwards. This gives it that very rich saucy and melt in your mouth consistency. I also finally found pure Chipotle powder! So trying it out today.
We all really like this recipe! Very flavorful and easy. Haven’t been disappointed with any of your recipes, Nagi! Thank you!
For anyone looking for it, I’ve been using Smoked Chipotle powder from Royal Nut Company for years. Spicy and smoky – amazing on roasted / air fried cauli with lime as well!
Hi Nagi,
I’m trying to use up meat in the freezer, can I use beef mince instead?
Regards and thanks Nagi from Finland! Super taste, guarantee succes for Mexican evening food, like all the other recipes.
Yum yum yum! We made “Mexican plates with this recipe”. I used blade steak and followed the recipe exactly. I admit it tasted a little “different” on first tasting and I wasn’t sure if I liked it. I also made the pico de gallo, Mexican red rice and the guacamole (made your way, Nagi)! All these flavours combined were amazing!! It was a really enjoyable meal and we both had leftovers for work lunches the next day. OH loved it too. Will be making this Mexican feast again very soon 💜
Been making this one for years now! We always take the beef out when shredding and add about 1/3 the sauce back in, we freeze the left over sauce for shredded chicken as a quick dinner, making the amazing flavour in the recipe go really far.
A definite favourite in our house!
Great idea about the sauce Charlotte-I will do that next time!
It is delicious ! Thank you for the recipe . So It was not about the meat It was about how good the recipe was 🙂
Delicious. I could and did eat the sauce on its own with a spoon. I blended it and it has so much flavour. Put the beef into burritos and sitting here feeling mighty satisfied! My slightly fussy German partner loved the whole dish and my kids ate the beef finely chopped and mixed into passata like a ragu over pasta.
Thanks Nagi!
This turned out so amazing!! Even my picky teenager loved it 🙂 this is definitely a keeper!
I used this recipe a couple of months ago (for my daughter’s birthday party), and the tacos were delicious. I ended up using the leftover beef and sauce in a Youvetsi-style dish, which was also sensational!
I’m Mexican-American and my family and I just loved this recipe! I served these with homemade corn tortillas and your Mexican Red Rice. Next time, we’ll finish the meal with Arroz Con Leche. So good!
Nagi, I made this for my family of very picky eaters and I was happily surprised that it was a huge hit! Not a single scrap was left and everyone stuffed.
I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Such a delicious recipe! The whole family absolutely loved it. We ate it on soft tacos and the next night as burritos. I blended the sauce as advised by Nagi. The left over sauce was so good I reserved it and stirred it through mince a few nights later with some diced carrot, capsicum and corn. Served it over rice with some grated cheese for an easy dinner. Was SO yum!
Please provide the conversion for temp and time in dutch oven cooking all day. Thanks!