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.
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.
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
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.
Lower heat to medium, and if the pan is dry add a little more oil, then cook onion and garlic until softened and golden.
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).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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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📋 RECIPE
Shredded Mexican Beef
Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 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.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1.5 kgs / 3.3 lbs Chuck Steak / Roast OR Beef Brisket, Cut into large cubes. You'll want the beef marbled with fat, but remove any large fat chunks.
- 1 Brown Onion, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 500 mls / 2 cups Beef Stock
- 400 grams / 14.5 oz Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Lemon or Lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chipotle in Adobo Sauce (1 chipotle & sauce)
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Salt + Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Bring the mixture to boil over high heat, pop the lid on the dutch oven 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.
- 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!
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.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 352
First Published Sep 12, 2018. Updated with new photos and tips Jan 29, 2020.
