Smoky Sweet Shredded Beef Tacos

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For your next taco night, make these easy shredded beef tacos! The meat cooks low and slow for tender, juicy flavor.

Tacos have been a go-to meal for our family ever since the kids could eat solid foods. What’s not to love about a handheld, utterly customizable meal?

I love making tacos in all different ways—with homemade tortillas, if you have some extra time—but I tend to come back to a handful of the easy favorites, like these slow cooker shredded beef tacos.

You don’t need a lot of ingredients for these. Grab a beef roast, an onion, and a handful of seasonings. After a quick sear, it all goes into the slow cooker, so you can go about your day with visions of future tacos dancing in your head.

Ingredients for shredded beef tacos

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

• Beef roast
• Onion
• Olive oil
• Smoked paprika
• Ground cumin
• Brown sugar
• Adobo sauce, from canned chipotles in adobo
• Salt and pepper
• Water or broth

For the beef roast, I have made this recipe using both chuck roast and shoulder roast. Chuck roast is more tender and marbled, so it’s perfect for a long, low cook and shredding. Shoulder roast is leaner, but still works here, so if it’s all you can find (or if it happens to be cheaper) don’t worry.

Look for a roast that is 2-3 pounds, which should fit in a 4-5 quart slow cooker without needing to cut into smaller pieces.

If you’re unfamiliar with chipotle in adobo sauce, look for it with the other Mexican/Hispanic foods at your grocery store. I recommend tasting it before using, especially if you are averse to heat. You can always add more, but you can’t add less!

How to make this recipe

Lightly coat the crock of your slow cooker with nonstick spray (or a thin layer of olive oil). Cut the onion in half, then slice, and scatter on the bottom of the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, then rub it into all sides of the beef.

Add olive oil to a large skillet and set over medium heat. Once hot, add the beef and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes, using a pair of tongs to hold the roast while you sear the edges as well.

Set the seared roast on top of the onions in the slow cooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, chipotle in adobo, and water (or beef broth). Pour the sauce over the meat. It’s OK if the meat isn’t entirely covered at this point; as it cooks juices will be released and coat the meat.

Cover and set to cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. If you like, you can flip the meat over halfway through cooking time.

The beef is done when it pulls apart easily into shreds; it should not be tough or difficult to pull. If it is still tough, continue to cook until it is easily shredded.

Shred the meat and mix it well into the sauce and onions, removing any large fat pieces. Keep the slow cooker on while you prepare your tortillas and any toppings, then serve directly from the slow cooker or a serving dish.

Storage and reheating

You’ll likely have some leftovers from this recipe. Store in an airtight container, with the liquid, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can reheat in the microwave, but I like to warm the shredded beef gently in a saucepan. If you want the meat a little crisped, you can use a skillet instead.

The beef can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Use a freezer-safe container (I like SouperCubes) and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Don’t forget to label your container!

Topping ideas

When it comes to tacos, you can put pretty much anything on them. For the updated photos on this recipe, I simply used cotija cheese crumbles and sliced avocado. If you have a little extra time, you can whip up avocado crema.

Any salsa or pico de gallo will be great with these too. We also like to add pickled red onions or pickled jalapeños to our tacos, or you can add chopped raw onion and fresh cilantro.

No matter what you top them with, these shredded beef tacos are an easy dinner win!