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shredded beef tacos with lime, cilantro, and onion
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4.66 from 23 votes

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Beef

Beef shoulder roast slow cooked in a spicy tomato sauce until fall apart tender.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 5 minutes
Course: Slow Cooker Recipes
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Mexican shredded beef, Mexican shredded beef tacos, slow cooker beef shoulder roast, slow cooker Mexican shredded beef, slow cooker shredded beef, slow cooker shredded beef tacos
Servings: 13 Servings
Calories: 175kcal
Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pound Beef Shoulder Roast or Chuck Roast*
  • 2 Tablespoons Beef Fajita Seasoning**
  • 15 oz can Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons Ranch Seasoning
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pickled Jalapeño Slices

Instructions

  • Add the crushed tomatoes to a slow cooker.
  • Season the chuck roast with the fajita seasoning on all sides and place it on top of the tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the top of the roast, followed by the pickled jalapeños. Optional: Add 1-2 Tbsp of butter or beef tallow on top.
  • Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the roast is fall apart tender. (See notes below for additional cooking methods.)
  • Transfer the roast to a bowl and shred with forks before returning back to the sauce. Set the slow cooker to its keep warm function. For best results, let the shredded beef rest in the sauce for 20-30 minutes.
  • Serve on warmed corn tortillas and garnish with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

Notes

*To reduce the fat and calorie content, you can use an eye of round (115 calories, 23g protein, 2g fat per 100g raw) or bottom round roast (140 calories, 22g protein, 5g fat per 100g raw) instead of a chuck shoulder roast (175 calories, 19g protein, 11g fat per 100g raw).
**I used H-E-B beef fajita seasoning, which includes spices as well as a tenderizer, but any fajita seasoning will work. Bolner's Fiesta brand makes a similar product.

For Mexican Shredded Beef in a Pressure Cooker or on a Smoker

Using my smoked chuck roast tacos as a guide, season the roast with fajita seasoning and smoke at 200ºF for about 2 hours before adding to a Dutch oven or foil wrapped grill pan with the tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Cover and increase the grill temperature to 275ºF. Cook for 4-5 hours until the beef easily shreds.
To make shredded beef in a pressure cooker, you can season and sear the roast using a pressure cooker's sauté function before adding the remaining ingredients and cooking with high pressure for 90 minutes. (Source: Pressure Cooker Pot Roast) You can also cut the roast into smaller pieces for faster cooking. Four smaller pieces should cook in about 45 minutes. (Source: Pressure Cooker Barbacoa)

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 10g