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    🏠Home » Recipes » Mexican Recipes

    Easy Mexican Shredded Beef—Crock Pot or Oven

    Aug 17, 2019 · Modified: Jan 25, 2023 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 9 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.50 from 8 votes

    Homemade shredded Mexican beef with deep flavor from the easy braising fluid. Cook this fork-tender beef in a crock pot or your oven. Perfect in a variety of Mexican dishes or on a salad.

    shredded beef nacho
    Jump To:
    • 😊Why you should make this recipe.
    • 🐄Ingredients
    • 👨‍🍳How to make Mexican Shredded Beef
    • 🐄Pick the right beef
    • How to use Mexican shredded beef
    • Toppings and side dishes
    • ❓FAQs
    • 📖Crock Pot Tex-Mex Recipes
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • Recipe
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    😊Why you should make this recipe.

    • This Mexican shredded beef recipe (AKA barbacoa) will deliver some of the best Mexican flavors you can make at home.
    • Super easy-to-make this recipe in a smaller crock pot or Dutch oven with common pantry ingredients.
    • Perfect for a casual dinner or in a taco buffet for a party or game day.
    • Use in various Mexican dishes like tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas, or enchiladas.
    • Easy to make leftovers for freezing as a backup meal.

    🐄Ingredients

    • Beef roast—a well-marbled chuck roast is preferred
    • Beef broth
    • Tomato paste
    • Spices—chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
    • Onion—chopped
    • Jalapeno—optional but recommended

    👨‍🍳How to make Mexican Shredded Beef

    1. Trim a beef roast of excess fat and cut it into quarters. If you have time and want to, brown all sides of the beef in oil over medium-high heat before proceeding.
    2. Add beef broth, chopped onion, spices, and optional jalapeno to a smaller crock pot or Dutch oven.
    3. Add beef roast. If the braising fluid is not near the top of the beef, add more broth. If you need more than 1 cup more broth, add proportionally more spices.
    4. Cook on low in the crock pot for 6 hours or place the Dutch oven in a 300° oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours.
    5. Check the meat. It is done when fall-apart tender. Add more cooking time if needed.
    6. Remove the meat, and reserve all the braising fluid for later.
    7. Hand shred and discard any waste when the meat has cooled enough to handle.
    8. Add some of the fluid back into the meat but keep it light. It is easy to add more but hard to remove.
    9. Refrigerate for later or place back into the crock pot on the "keep warm" setting.

    🐄Pick the right beef

    The best choice is a cheaper cut of beef, a chuck roast that is well-marbleized. You could use a leaner cut of beef, and the last step of adding some braising fluid back in will help a lot but not quite the same.

    How to use Mexican shredded beef

    The obvious uses are the standard Mexican dishes: tacos, nachos, burritos, burritos bowls, enchiladas, and quesadilas

    Perfect on a taco salad or in a taco buffet for parties or game days. Or use it in a casserole like Easy Taco Casserole and replace the taco ground beef.

    Toppings and side dishes

    The most common use is for tacos and nachos.

    For tacos, serve with warm flour or corn tortillas with traditional toppings: cheddar or Mexican cheeses, diced tomatoes, slices of jalapeno or green onions, cilantro, sour cream, and many more.

    For nachos, spread corn chips in a single layer over a plate, sprinkle with shredded beef, and top with shredded cheese. Heat in a microwave for about a minute until the cheese is melted. Then top with taco toppings of choice.

    Side dishes: Corn chips with salsa, refried beans, guacamole, or Mexican rice.

    ❓FAQs

    Can I use a different beef roast?

    Yes, but leaner cuts will not shred as well and will cost more. Also, the beef may not be as tender.

    What other flavors can be added to shredded beef?

    I have kept this recipe with the minimum ingredients to get a great taste. Common Mexican seasonings like oregano and paprika. Other ingredients like adobo sauce, citrus-like limes or oranges, and various fresh chilis.

    What can I use to moisturize the beef if I run out of braising fluid?

    Beef broth or stock, or if it is only a little, use water.

    How to store and reheat leftovers?

    Store sealed airtight in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen in an airtight container like a ziplock bag for 3 months.

    Reheat in a microwave. You can use a skillet over medium heat. Or in a 250° oven on a tray covered tightly with foil. Always thaw if frozen before reheating.

    📖Crock Pot Tex-Mex Recipes

    Crock Pot Fiesta Chicken

    Simple Crock Pot Chicken Nachos

    Easy Crock Pot Carnitas from Pork Butt

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Crock Pot Recipes, Mexican Recipes, Small Crock Pots Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    chuck roast with other ingredients

    Start with an approx 2 ½ to 3 pound chuck roast.

    chuck roast cut into pieces

    Trim a beef roast of excess fat and cut it into quarters if you have time, brown all sides of the beef in oil over medium-high heat before proceeding.

    pouring beef broth into crock pot

    Add one small chopped onion, one can of beef broth, chili powder, ground cumin, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a smaller crock pot or a Dutch oven.

    adding chuck roast to crock pot

    Add beef roast. If the braising fluid is not near the top of the beef, add more broth. If you need more than 1 cup more broth, add proportionally more spices.

    shredding beef on black board

    Cook on low in the crock pot for 6 hours or place the Dutch oven in a 300° oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Check the meat—it is done when fall-apart tender. Add more cooking time if needed.

    add some fluid back to beef in crock pot

    Add about 1 cup of braising fluid back to the beef.

    shredded beef on a fork

    Smeatet the slow cooker on warm until needed for serving. Or refrigerate the moisturized meat and the remaining braising fluid for later.

    shredded beef on tortilla
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    Recipe

    shredded beef nacho

    Easy Mexican Shredded Beef—Crock Pot or Oven

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Homemade shredded Mexican beef with deep flavor from the easy braising fluid. Cook this fork-tender beef in a crock pot or your oven. Perfect in a variety of Mexican dishes or on a salad.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.50 from 8 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 to 3 pounds beef roast - chuck preferred
    • 14 oz beef broth
    • 2 tablespoons chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 onion - small chopped
    • 3 oz tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • 1 jalapeno - Optional, minced
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Start with an approx 2 ½ to 3 pound chuck roast.
      chuck roast with other ingredients
    • Trim a beef roast of excess fat and cut it into quarters if you have time, brown all sides of the beef in oil over medium-high heat before proceeding.
      chuck roast cut into pieces
    • Add one small chopped onion, one can of beef broth, chili powder, ground cumin, tomato paste, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a smaller crock pot or a Dutch oven.
      pouring beef broth into crock pot
    • Add beef roast. If the braising fluid is not near the top of the beef, add more broth. If you need more than 1 cup more broth, add proportionally more spices.
      adding chuck roast to crock pot
    • Cook on low in the crock pot for 6 hours or place the Dutch oven in a 300° oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Check the meat—it is done when fall-apart tender. Add more cooking time if needed. Remove the meat from the pot. Shred and remove any fat. Remove the braising liquid from the crock pot and set aside.
      shredding beef on black board
    • Add about 1 cup of braising fluid back to the beef.
      add some fluid back to beef in crock pot
    • Return to the slow cooker on warm until needed for serving. Or refrigerate the moisturized meat and the remaining braising fluid for later.
      shredded beef on a fork
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips

    1. A nicely marbled top round roast or an eye of round would work. But I prefer a chuck roast which will always be fall-apart tender.
    2. Decrease the sodium by using low-sodium broth and cutting the salt.
    3. Do not add too much fluid back into the shredded beef. It is much easier to add more than take it out.
    4. Store sealed airtight in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen in an airtight container like a ziplock bag for 3 months.
    5. Reheat in a microwave. You can use a skillet over medium heat. or in a 250° oven on a tray covered tightly with foil. Always thaw if frozen before reheating.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Mexican Shredded Beef—Crock Pot or Oven
    Amount Per Serving (4 ozs)
    Calories 231 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 6g30%
    Cholesterol 78mg26%
    Sodium 592mg25%
    Potassium 656mg19%
    Carbohydrates 5g2%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 24g48%
    Vitamin A 795IU16%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 38mg4%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Mexican

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Editor's Note: Originally Published December 26, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    Molly and Lilly with a stick

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    1. Dea Varner

      June 27, 2022 at 5:24 pm

      4 stars
      Dr. Dan, HELP!!!!! I love all your recipes I've made so far and usually I have no problems with any of them but for some reason this roast came out tough as can be after 4 hours on low in my crockpot! I used a 2.38lb chuck roast, trimmed all the big fat off and followed the other directions to a T and when I went to shred it, it was like rubber!! Did I not cook it long enough? Too long maybe? It tastes delicious so I'll still eat it for sure but there was no way it was going to shred for me so I just sliced it as well as I could and stuck it back into the crockpot with some of the braising liquid... I feel horrible giving it only 4 stars because I feel I probably did something wrong... but like I said it IS delicious!!!!

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        June 27, 2022 at 9:35 pm

        Hi Dea,

        There are several possible reasons for the beef to be tougher. Most likely would be it didn't get to a good shredding temperature. Very much like brisket or pulled pork, we what to melt that connective tissue and fats causing the marbling. That is 185° plus. Some will say 205° but for chuck roast, it is usually not needed in my experience. I efind 4 hours in a crock pot will usually do it but you can check the internal temp next time.

        Another cause is a too lean cut of beef. So be sure it has good marbling.

        Lastly, the thicker the meat, the hard it is to get to a good internal temperature. So flatter is better than square.

        Hope that helps.

        Dan

    2. Kristi + Al

      January 02, 2013 at 2:57 pm

      This shredded beaf looks delicious. Perfect to prepare sandwiches. Thx for the directions.

      Reply
    3. Chris

      December 30, 2012 at 10:15 am

      Hey I like they new site design, it's clean, attractive and loads faster. Nicely done!

      The shredded beef? Love it. So many possible uses too, dishes like that rock.

      Reply
    4. Dr Dan

      December 29, 2012 at 11:30 pm

      Glad it worked well for you with the leaner meats. I did some a 2.5 lb. top round for 4 hours which lead to some of my comments. I may try it again with the extra time.

      Reply
    5. VaBelle1964

      December 29, 2012 at 12:41 pm

      The recipe turned out great. Love the flavor and the spices and amounts are spot on.

      I used extra lean beef (2 lbs of Top Round and 2 lbs of Eye Round), so mine stayed in about 8 hours. Came out delish.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    6. Christine @cookingcrusade.com

      December 29, 2012 at 6:03 am

      This looks fantastic! I don't eat pork so I was looking for a yummy shredded beef recipe and I think I found it! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
    7. VaBelle1964

      December 28, 2012 at 8:42 am

      It's in my Crock-Pot right now. I'm making a double recipe as I've made a couple of your recipes before and they were spot on. I'll report back in about 5 hours ;o)

      Reply
    8. Stephanie Parker

      December 26, 2012 at 12:08 pm

      This looks really good! I am adding it to my list of must make foods.

      Reply

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