These Shredded Beef Tacos are truly the best ever! The beef is fall-apart tender, cooked in a delicious sauce with the perfect seasoning blend. Add your favorite taco toppings and dig in!
Shredded Beef Tacos
My son has always insisted that this Orange Chicken Recipe is his favorite meal—he asks for it all the time. His second favorite? These Baked Chicken Bites.
That was until he tried these beef tacos! After just one bite, he instantly declared them his new favorite and even told me this is what he wants for his next birthday. Yes, they really are that good!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: Dividing the oil helps the beef sear perfectly and ensures the onions sauté evenly.
- Beef Chuck Roast: Perfect for slow cooking; look for a well-marbled cut for tender, flavorful beef.
- Yellow Onion: Dice finely for even cooking; it adds depth to the sauce.
- Seasonings: I use my favorite taco seasoning blend here. In a pinch, a taco seasoning packet works too—just adjust the salt as needed.
- Mild Red Enchilada Sauce: Choose a brand you like; it’s the base of the sauce. Homemade is always an option if you prefer.
- Mild Diced Green Chiles: Adds a touch of heat without being overpowering. Fire-roasted chiles add extra flavor with no extra effort.
Top Your Shredded Beef Tacos
Here are my favorite toppings:
- Shredded Cheese: I prefer sharp cheddar, freshly grated.
- Sour Cream: Light or full-fat, whichever you like best.
- Sliced Avocado: Or a scoop of guac.
- Pico de Gallo: Or diced cherry tomatoes or salsa.
- Fresh Cilantro, Fresh Limes, Fresh Jalapeños
- Shredded Lettuce: I like green leaf or iceberg.
- Cilantro Lime Sauce: My favorite taco topping ever!
How To Make Shredded Beef Tacos
- Prep the Beef: Pat the beef dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Sear the Beef: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, then move it to a slow cooker.
- Cook the Onions: In the same pot, cook the diced onion until soft. Add the seasonings and cook for a minute.
- Combine and Cook: Add enchilada sauce and green chiles to the pot, then pour everything over the beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or HIGH for 5-7 hours.
- Shred and Serve: Once tender, shred the beef with forks. Mix with some sauce from the slow cooker. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.
More Taco Recipes
- Shrimp Tacos with a creamy cilantro sauce
- Taco Lasagna taco-inspired lasagna
- Turkey Tacos healthy ground turkey tacos
- Taco Pasta in one skillet
- Taco Lettuce Wraps low-carb tacos
Shredded Beef Tacos
These Shredded Beef Tacos are next-level! Tender, juicy beef in a flavorful sauce with perfect seasoning—just add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Equipment
- Dutch oven or oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pot
- Crock-Pot
Ingredients
- 2.25 to 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 20 ounces mild red enchilada sauce 2 (10-ounce) cans, divided, see note 1
- 4 ounces mild diced green chiles 1 can
- 16 medium corn tortillas or flour tortillas, 8-inch
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Remove the chuck roast from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Season all over with 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add beef and brown for 5–7 minutes on each side, until a crust forms and the beef releases easily from the pan. Transfer seared beef to a slow cooker.
- Reduce the heat to low, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven, and sauté diced onion for 3 minutes. Add the seasonings and sauté 1 more minute. Stir in 10 ounces enchilada sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker, along with remaining 10 ounces enchilada sauce and the undrained green chiles. Cover and cook on low for 7–9 hours or until the beef is very tender. (Or cook on high for 5–7 hours, but note that the beef may not be as tender.)
- Once beef is cooked, transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Shred beef with two forks, discarding any fat. Briskly whisk the sauce in the slow cooker, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add 1 cup of the sauce to the shredded beef and gently toss to combine (see note 3).
- Serve the beef on charred tortillas (see note 4) with your favorite toppings (see note 2).
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Enchilada sauce can vary in flavor and heat depending on the brand. I recommend Old El Paso® mild red enchilada sauce. If using a different brand, taste the sauce first to ensure it’s not too spicy and that you like the flavor.
Note 2: For serving, add your favorite taco toppings such as cheese, lime, avocado/guacamole, pico de gallo or tomatoes, sour cream, and/or cilantro lime sauce.
Note 3: This recipe makes more sauce than needed for one batch of tacos. Don’t reduce the amount, as the beef requires the full amount of sauce to cook properly.
Note 4: To char tortillas, spray both sides with cooking spray and char on a stovetop flame (10 seconds per side) or in a pan.
Storage: Store leftover shredded beef in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for 3 months. Keep tortillas and toppings separate
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 36.4g | Protein: 30.6g | Fat: 13.2g | Cholesterol: 75.4mg | Sodium: 1334.2mg | Fiber: 6.5g | Sugar: 10.8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow! Very tasty! Thanks!
Hahaha I am so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment! 🙂
I’m curious if this can be frozen.
I don’t see this freezing particularly well, but haven’t personally tried, sorry to not be of more help!
Love this recipe! This was very tasty!
Thank you! So glad you loved! 🙂
This is so hearty and so tasty! Love how easy they are to make!
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Next weeks Taco Tuesday just got a facelift. Thanks!
This was such a delicious and easy meal.