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Shredded Mexican Beef

WRITER BYCassie
POSTEDJanuary 29, 2020
JUMP TO RECIPE

This saucy Shredded Mexican Beef is easy to prepare and an absolute must-try for your next Mexican feast.  The beef is slow cooked in the oven for several hours until it's melt-in-your-mouth tender.  Use this pulled Mexican beef in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and more.  

shredded mexican beef in a white bowl.

I have a reputation for "quick and easy" recipes but I occasionally make an exception in terms of the "quick" part.  This Shredded Mexican Beef is one of those exceptions.

While it's still very simple to prepare, it does take a few hours to slow cook to tender perfection in the oven.  The hands-on time is very minimal, but this recipe is certainly not one of my weeknight wonders!

This is the recipe you'll want to pull out for a Mexican themed dinner party, or even meal prep on a lazy Sunday to enjoy in meals throughout the week.

But while it might take a bit of time it is oh so worth it.  We're talking saucy, fall-off-your-fork, melt-in-your-mouth beef.

This Mexican beef is pretty mild as written, so it works perfectly for a crowd, especially if you are a few spice-adverse mouths to feed.  But feel free to add more chipotle in adobo if you love a good kick!

Why you'll love this recipe...

  • Amazingly tender beef.
  • Easy to prepare.
  • Makes a lot so perfect for parties or meal prep. 

tongs pulling out shredded beef from blue dutch oven.

WHAT CUT OF BEEF IS BEST FOR SHREDDING?

I like to use chuck roast / steak as it's fairly inexpensive and usually has a good marbling of fat throughout it which helps make the beef tender and flavourful.  Beef brisket also works well for shredding.

HOW DO YOU SHRED BEEF?

To shred your beef once cooked simply place it onto a cutting board or into a serving dish and use two forks to seperate it, or "shred" it.

INGREDIENTS

shredded mexican beef ingredients on a white marble background.

Don't be intimidated by the large ingredients list here.  Majority of these items will be things you already have on hand, or are very easy to locate.  In fact, every ingredient on the list is available at our major supermarkets here in Australia.

Full measurements are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post...

  • Olive Oil
  • Chuck Steak / Roast or Beef Brisket
  • Brown or Yellow Onion
  • Garlic
  • Beef Stock
  • Canned Diced Tomatoes
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Lemon or Lime
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Paprika
  • Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Oregano
  • Bay Leaves
  • Salt & Pepper

Short on a few ingredients but want slow cooked beef now?  Try this oven braised beef!

HOW TO MAKE SHREDDED MEXICAN BEEF - STEP BY STEP

Preheat oven to 160C / 325F.  Heat oil in a dutch oven (or an oven safe pot with lid) on high heat.  Add beef in batches and cook so it is browned on all sides.  Move to a bowl and set aside.

beef browning in a blue dutch oven.

Lower heat to medium, and if the pan is dry add a little more oil, then cook onion and garlic until softened and golden.

onion and garlic in a blue dutch oven.

Add cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and oregano and stir to combine.

onion, garlic and spices in a blue dutch oven.

Pour a little stock in to start, and scrape any browned meat that has attached to the bottom (there is so much flavour in this).  Add meat, the remaining stock, lemon juice, diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, chipotle in adobo sauce and bay leaves to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

shredded mexican beef ingredients in a blue dutch oven.

Bring the mixture to boil over high heat, pop the lid on and transfer to the oven for 2 - 2 ½ hours (stirring twice in this time) until meat is tender and falls apart easily.  Discard bay leaves.

blue dutch oven in an oven.

Remove the meat and place on a large cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks, then return to the pot to absorb any of the leftover juices.

Serve the meat warm and use in your favourite Mexican dish - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls or on top of nachos!

shredded mexican beef in a white bowl.

HOW TO STORE PULLED MEXICAN BEEF

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

TOP TIPS

  • Don't skip browning your meat! It makes all the difference in terms of flavour and is worth the extra effort.
  • Add more chipotle in adobo if you prefer a bit of a kick. As the recipe stands it's mild with a slight kick.
  • Cooking time for the beef will vary depending on the cut you use etc.  I'd start checking on it around the 2 hour mark to see if it's easily shredding, and then go from there.
  • The recipe is forgiving, so if you need to keep in the oven a little longer while waiting for guests, you'll be fine!

shredded mexican beef in a white bowl.

MORE MEXICAN-INSPIRED RECIPES

  • Healthy Chicken Tacos
  • Healthy Guacamole
  • Healthy Chilli Con Carne
  • Vegetarian Three Bean Chili
  • Air Fryer Quesadillas
  • Vegetarian Mexican Pizza
  • Mexican Chicken Salad
  • 25 Healthy Mexican Recipes

If you’ve tried this Shredded Mexican Beef I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it! Pop a comment and a star rating below!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to keep up to date with more delicious recipes.

 

First Published Sep 12, 2018.  Updated with new photos and tips Jan 29, 2020.  

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RECIPE

Shredded Mexican Beef

Shredded Mexican Beef

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

150 minutes

Total Time

170 minutes

This saucy Shredded Mexican Beef is easy to prepare and an absolute must-try for your next Mexican feast.  The beef is slow cooked in the oven for several hours until it's melt-in-your-mouth tender.  Use this pulled Mexican beef in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and more.  

5 Stars (31 Reviews)

servings

8

Scale

Ingredients

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 160C / 325F. Heat oil in dutch oven on high heat.  Add beef in batches and cook so it is browned on all sides.  Move to a bowl and set aside.

2

Lower heat to medium, and if the pan is dry add a little more oil, then cook onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until softened and golden.  

3

Add cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and oregano and stir to combine.  Pour a little stock in to start, and scrape any browned meat that has attached to the bottom (there is so much flavour in this).  

4

Add meat, the remaining stock, lemon juice, diced tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, chipotle in adobo sauce and bay leaves to the pot.  Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. 

5

Bring the mixture to boil over high heat, pop the lid on the dutch oven and transfer to the oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (stirring twice in this time) until meat is tender and falls apart easily.  Discard bay leaves.  

6

Remove the meat and place on a large cutting board. Shred the meat with two forks, then return to the pot to absorb any of the leftover juices. 

7

Serve the meat warm and use in your favourite Mexican dish - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls or on top of nachos! 

Notes
  • Don't skip browning your meat! It makes all the difference in terms of flavour and is worth the extra effort.
  • Add more chipotle in adobo if you prefer a bit of a kick. As the recipe stands it's mild with a slight kick.
  • Cooking time for the beef will vary depending on the cut you use etc.  I'd start checking on it around the 2 hour mark to see if it's easily shredding, and then go from there.
  • The recipe is forgiving, so if you need to keep in the oven a little longer while waiting for guests, you'll be fine!
  • Nutrition information is a rough estimate based on 1 of 8 serves of the beef.
  • Cut Beef into large cubes. You'll want the beef marbled with fat but remove any large fat chunks.  

Did you make this? Tell us about it!

Nutrition Facts

Servings:8
Serving Size:1

Amount Per Serving:

calories

352kcal

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5

7 comments & reviews

Julie

Julie

December 10, 2018

we had some friends over for a Mexican themed party on the weekend and I made this to put in tacos as well as your chicken tacos. Everyone kept asking me for this recipe

Cassie

Cassie

December 10, 2018

That sounds like my kind of party Julie! So thrilled you and your guests enjoyed this!

Julie

Julie

June 15, 2019

we had some friends over for a Mexican themed party on the weekend and I made this to put in tacos as well as your chicken tacos. Everyone kept asking me for this recipe

Serviceyards.Com

Serviceyards.Com

May 23, 2020

THis is a wonderful recipe!! I made it today because I had a chuck Roast in the freezer that needed to be cooked because I bought 4 more beef chuck roasts Kroger yesterday on the buy one get one free deal this week!

Cassie

Cassie

May 24, 2020

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Definitely one of my favourites!

Nacira

Nacira

June 10, 2020

I LOVE this recipe!!! I have made it 3 times now and everyone keeps asking for more!!!
Thank you so much!!!
Geetings from Costa Rica!!!

Cassie

Cassie

June 10, 2020

You made my day Nacira! So glad you are enjoying this one so much 🙂

Alyssa

Alyssa

July 11, 2020

I don’t have a Dutch oven, does this work in a regular one?

Also for the chipotle, can I use chipotle seasoning instead?

Cassie

Cassie

July 11, 2020

Hey Alyssa - yes a regular large pot will be fine in place of a dutch oven as long as it has a lid and is oven-safe. And yes feel free to use chipotle seasoning. The flavour may not be as deep but it will still be delicious

Khalida

Khalida

March 2, 2021

Trying this tonight! But want to know if I can make it in the instant pot instead and slowcook?

Cynthia

Cynthia

July 23, 2023

I loosely followed the recipe but I used 3 lbs of cheap sirloin I got on sale at Safeway. I wasn't sure it would work but it turned out perfect! Fall apart tender. I used it all to make a delicious pan of rolled enchiladas.

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