These Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos are made with tender chuck roast slowly braised in a rich, smoky chipotle sauce. Garlic, warm spices, and a touch of dark chocolate give the beef a deep, savory, mole-inspired flavor that is perfect for tacos.
This easy Dutch oven shredded beef starts on the stovetop and finishes with a slow braise in the oven or on the stove. The beef becomes fall-apart tender and soaks up all that delicious sauce. Serve it on warm corn tortillas with fresh toppings, or use it to make burritos, rice bowls, and quesadillas.
If you like the deep flavor of an all day simmer without a ton of effort, try Dutch Oven Carnitas or Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Mexican shredded beef has all the flavor of a dish that has been cooking all day, without a lot of hands-on work. Browning the chuck roast builds a rich, savory base, while chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add smoky heat. Cinnamon, cloves, and allspice give the sauce warmth, and a little dark chocolate adds depth and balances the flavors.
Chuck roast is perfect for braising because it has plenty of marbling and connective tissue. As the beef cooks slowly, the connective tissue breaks down, leaving tender, juicy meat that shreds easily. The braising liquid becomes a rich sauce that coats every bite of beef.
Ingredients
- This Mexican shredded beef gets its rich flavor from a combination of smoky chipotle pepper, warm spices, and dark chocolate. Each ingredient helps build a flavorful braising sauce that makes the chuck roast tender and delicious.
- Beef Chuck Roast: This cut has plenty of marbling and connective tissue, making it perfect for slow braising. As it cooks, the beef becomes tender enough to shred with a fork.
- Avocado Oil: A neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point that is ideal for browning the beef.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics create a savory base for the braising sauce. The garlic cloves soften and mellow as they cook.
- Tomato Paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor and richness. Cooking the paste until it caramelizes develops a deeper, more savory flavor.
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce: One canned chipotle pepper adds smoky heat and a rich, slightly tangy flavor to the braising sauce. A teaspoon of the adobo sauce adds another layer of smoky, savory flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Lightly thickens the braising liquid, creating a rich sauce that clings to the shredded beef.
- Beef Broth: Provides the liquid needed to braise the chuck roast while adding savory beef flavor.
- Cinnamon, Cloves, and Allspice: These warm spices give the sauce its distinctive mole-inspired flavor. They add depth without making the beef taste sweet.
- Cumin: Adds an earthy flavor that complements the smoky chipotle pepper and warm spices.
- Bay Leaves: Add a subtle herbal flavor to the braising liquid.
- Dark Chocolate: Just a little 100% cacao chocolate adds richness and depth while balancing the heat and acidity. Unsweetened cocoa powder is a good substitute.
- Fresh Lime Juice: Brightens the rich sauce with a touch of acidity.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Season the beef before browning and help bring all the flavors together.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Mexican Shredded Beef
Brown the Chuck Roast
Cut the chuck roast into 2-3 inch cubes and season generously with salt and black pepper.
Heat avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, turning to develop a deep brown crust on all sides. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
Build the Braising Sauce
Add the diced onion and whole garlic cloves to the remaining oil and beef drippings. Sauté until the onions are translucent and beginning to soften.
Stir in the canned chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and tomato paste. Cook briefly, allowing the tomato paste to darken and caramelize.
Add the Beef, Broth, and Spices
Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle flour over the meat and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
Pour in the beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the flavorful browned bits.
Bring the broth to a simmer. Add the whole cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin, allspice, bay leaves, lime juice, and dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts into the sauce.
Braise and Shred the Beef
Cover the Dutch oven and transfer it to a preheated 325°F oven. Braise for approximately 1½-2½ hours, or until the beef is tender enough to shred easily with a fork
Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves. Shred the beef with two forks and stir it into the braising sauce.
Hint: If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce. The finished beef should be juicy and well coated with the rich sauce.
Stovetop Mexican Shredded Beef
This recipe can also be finished entirely on the stovetop.
After adding the broth, spices, and chocolate, bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for approximately 1½-2½ hours, or until the beef shreds easily. Check periodically and add a little additional broth or water if the liquid reduces too much.
Keep the heat low enough to maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
Diana's Tips for Success
Top Tip
Brown the beef in batches. Overcrowding the Dutch oven causes the meat to steam instead of brown. Give each piece room to develop a flavorful crust.
- Remove whole spices before serving. Count the cloves as you add them so they are easier to find and remove after cooking.
- Use chuck roast. Its marbling and connective tissue make it ideal for slow cooking and shredding.
- Don't rush the braise. The beef is ready when it pulls apart easily with a fork. If it is still tough, it needs more cooking time.
- Adjust the heat. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add smoky heat. Use less for a milder sauce or add another pepper for more spice.
- Keep the beef in its sauce. After shredding, mix the meat back into the braising liquid to keep it moist and flavorful.
Serving Suggestions
Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos: Spoon the shredded beef onto warm corn tortillas and top with sliced radishes, pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Mexican Rice Bowls: Serve over Mexican rice with black beans, chunky guacamole, fresh cilantro, and extra lime juice.
This beef also makes a delicious filling for quesadillas, enchiladas, and loaded nachos.
Shredded Beef Burritos: Wrap the beef in large flour tortillas with rice, beans, cheese, and your favorite toppings.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftover shredded beef with its sauce in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Cool completely and freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag with some of the braising liquid for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm the beef in a covered skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of beef broth or water if needed to loosen the sauce. Heat until the beef reaches 165°F.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Crispy Fried Potato Tacos
- Slow Cooker Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Spanish Chorizo and White Bean Stew
- Mexican Chicken Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Dip
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Shredded Beef Tacos
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven 7 quart
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or neutral cooking oil
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 2-3 inch cubes
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ounce 100% cacao chocolate or 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Cut the chuck roast into 2-3 inch cubes and season with salt and black pepper.
- Heat avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches on all sides. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and whole garlic cloves to the Dutch oven. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Add the chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing the tomato paste to darken slightly.
- Return the browned beef and accumulated juices to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the beef broth and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to release the browned bits.
- Bring to a simmer. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin, allspice, bay leaves, chocolate, and lime juice. Stir until the chocolate is incorporated.
- Cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated oven.
- Braise at 325°F for approximately 1½-2½ hours, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork. Check the liquid level during cooking and add a little broth if needed.
- Remove the whole spices. Shred the beef with two forks and stir into the sauce before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Diana Reis says
My family loved this!