Crock Pot Tacos Shredded Beef

Chuck roast slow-cooked over onions in a cumin and chili braise, shredded for street tacos — six ingredients, a crock, and a toppings bar everyone builds from.

I am all about the Crock Pot … year-round. In fact, the day that I most recently made these Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos it was going to be 75 degrees and sunny.

But you know what’s awesome? It’s awesome that in eight hours dinner will be done.

Like, done. I’ll lay some crock pot street tacos on a plate, toss on some Cotija cheese, cilantro, slaw and I am out the door to softball practice with our daughter.

I make slow cooker dinners in August, March, December, February and yes, even July. It’s awesome for meals like this!

And, afterall, that’s how you own the day, right?? Sure is!

These slow cooker shredded beef tacos are perfect for a busy day and I can’t wait for you to make them.

I just know you’ll love these carne asada tacos!

The BEST Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos: AKA Carne Deshebrada

You’re a busy mom, you get pulled in 75 different directions every day. And it’s tough.

But, even as a busy mom you know that there are several things that you can do to make life easier, right?

Right.

One of the many ways that you can rock dinner time? A crockpot.

Set it and forget it and be tickled pink when dinnertime arrives and you owned it.

Looking for another fantastic Crock Pot dinner recipe?

Try these Crock Pot French Dips. Delicious!

Another recipe that I found while peeking around the internet was these beef slow cooker ribs (yum!)

You have a hot meal on the table that the entire family raves about and even better?

It can be prepared, wrapped up, and taken on the go.

That’s my shredded beef tacos slow cooker recipe featuring carne deshebrada meat in a nutshell.

Winning the day is right, ladies.

Looking for a Crock Pot side dish?

You’ll LOVE my Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes!

Wash. Rinse.

Repeat.

Make this carne asada tacos recipe monthly and you’re rocking it, right? Right.

No more scrambling, you’re taking control of dinner time with these carne deshebrada tacos, and all of the best toppings, too.

OK, pep talk over. Ha!

Love easy dinners?

You’ve got to check out this Crock Pot Lazy Day Lasagna! 

But for real. Six ingredients stirred together and brought together in a crock pot of delicious goodness and you’re all set.

I shouldn’t forget to include the crockpot beef tacos toppings, though right?

You’ll want to have these things (although all are optional) on hand:

• Cotija Cheese
• Cilantro
• Crema/Sour Cream
• Slaw (for that crunch!)
• Avocado
• Diced tomatoes
• Lime juice (or squeezed lime)
• And, of course … tortillas – corn or flour will do – whichever your family prefers is what I’d use!

Why this shredded beef works:

Chuck roast is perfect for this because after eight slow hours, a tough, inexpensive cut turns into beef that falls apart at the touch of a fork. The onions underneath season it from below the entire time.

The sauce is simply beef broth, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and salt mixed together in a measuring cup. When it’s poured over the roast, it slow-cooks into a braise that flavors every shred.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Beef Tacos:

• 1 white onion, diced
• 3 lb beef chuck roast
• 1 cup beef broth
• 4 oz tomato paste
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1 T ground mild chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Carne Asada Tacos with Carne Deshebrada for a Crowd:

This shredded beef tacos Crock Pot recipe is one of our favorites. I love that the beef simmers on low for 8 hours and then the whole family can design their own taco just the way they want it.

And, it’s a huge bonus that these can be wrapped up and taken on the go. I need recipes like this in my life and I think you do, too!

How to whip up this recipe for shredded beef tacos:

Lay onions in a 6-Quart Crock Pot

Lay chuck roast over onions

Combine the beef broth, tomato paste and seasonings in a measuring cup

Pour broth mixture over chuck roast and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours

Once meat is cooked, shred with two forks in the tomato and broth mixture

Put beef on tortillas and top with toppings of your choice

Enjoy!!

What I’ve learned making these:

High for 4 hours and low for 8 both work, so let your day decide. Low is the one I use when softball practice owns the afternoon.

Shred the beef right in the crock pot, in the tomato and broth mixture. Each shred absorbs the juices, which is what keeps street taco meat juicy instead of dry.

Don’t let leftover beef go to waste, because the next day it makes divine quesadilla filling. This is not a suggestion, it is a warning about how amazing it is.

Six ingredients in the crock, a pile of toppings on the table, and everyone builds their own. That is dinner handled, and the day officially owned.

Need a Crock Pot Dessert idea??

Try this Crock Pot Lava Cake STAT!

This Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is another great recipe to add to your Crock Pot meal arsenal!

More delicious recipes like these Slow Cooker Street Tacos:

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Chuck roast

A three pound chuck roast is the cut for shredded beef. The fat in it melts over eight hours and the meat pulls apart in strands. A leaner roast comes out dry.

White onion

One white onion, diced, laid under the roast. It cooks into the juices and nearly disappears, and it keeps the bottom of the roast from sticking.

Beef broth and tomato paste

A cup of broth and four ounces of tomato paste whisked together. The paste gives the juices body and a deep red color without any watery tomato.

Cumin, chili powder and salt

A teaspoon of cumin, a tablespoon of mild chili powder, and a half teaspoon of salt. The chili powder is mild on purpose so kids eat it. Heat goes on at the table.

Tortillas and toppings

Twelve tortillas, cotija cheese, cilantro, and diced onion are the street taco setup. Corn tortillas are traditional. Flour ones are what my kids grab.

Step by Step, With the Details

Onions down, roast on top

Spread the diced onion in the bottom of a six quart crock pot and set the roast on it. If the roast is tied, leave the string on until it is cooked.

Pour the broth mixture over

Whisk the broth, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, and salt in a measuring cup until the paste dissolves, then pour it over the roast.

High for four or low for eight

Lid on and leave it. Low for eight hours gives the most tender result. High for four works when you start at noon.

Shred in the juices

Pull the roast apart with two forks right in the crock pot and let the strands sit in the tomato broth for ten minutes. They soak up the color and the flavor.

Build the tacos

A quarter cup of beef lifted out with a slotted spoon per tortilla, then cotija, cilantro, and onion. Lime on the side.

Crisping the Beef, Taco Shop Style

Spread the shredded beef on a foil lined sheet pan and broil it for three to four minutes until the edges darken and crisp. Ladle on a little juice and serve.

This is the difference between shredded beef and the kind you get at a taqueria. It takes five minutes and most people skip it.

The Taco Bar for a Crowd

• Warm corn and flour tortillas, wrapped in a towel
• Cotija or crumbled queso fresco
• Chopped cilantro and diced white onion
• Lime wedges
• Pickled jalapenos and sliced radishes
• Salsa verde and queso blanco
• Shredded lettuce, cheddar, and sour cream for the kids

Beyond Tacos

Burrito bowls

Rice, black beans, the beef, corn, and salsa. This is where the second half of the roast goes at our house.

Quesadillas

Beef and cheese inside a flour tortilla, pressed in a skillet until golden. Three minutes a side.

Nachos

Chips, beef, cheese, five minutes under the broiler. Top with jalapenos and sour cream.

Enchiladas

Roll the beef into tortillas with cheese, cover with red enchilada sauce, and bake at 350 for twenty minutes.

Make Ahead, Leftovers and Freezing

A day ahead

Cook and shred the beef the day before and refrigerate it in the juices. Reheat it in the crock pot on low for an hour before the party.

Leftovers

Keep the beef in its juices, covered, for up to four days. Reheat it in a skillet with a spoonful of juice or in the microwave at half power.

Freezing

Freeze it flat in bags with juice for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Questions I Get About This Recipe

Is it spicy?

No. Mild chili powder and cumin are flavor, not heat. Jalapenos and hot salsa at the table are where the heat comes from.

Can I use a different cut?

Brisket flat or bottom round both shred, but they are leaner and need the full eight hours on low. Chuck is the forgiving one.

Do I need to sear the roast?

No. The recipe is written without a sear and the broiler step at the end gives you the browned flavor anyway.

Corn or flour tortillas?

Corn for street tacos, flour for the kids. Warm either one in a dry skillet or wrapped in foil in a 300 oven for ten minutes.

How much beef per person?

A three pound roast makes about twelve tacos, which feeds four to six people. For a crowd, two roasts fit a six quart crock pot with the same liquid doubled.

More Taco Night Recipes

• Crockpot Pork Carnitas
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
• Restaurant Style Fajitas
• White Chicken Enchiladas
• Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup