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Beef Tacos Recipe

This Beef Taco recipe of saucy, spoon tender shredded beef, melty cheese and crispy tortillas is mouthwatering flavor fireworks in each juicy, cheesy, crunchy addictive bite. Finish it off with cool and creamy Cilantro Lime Ranch and these might be the best tacos of your life. These Shredded Beef Tacos are an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner, perfect for weeknights or entertaining because the beef can be made 100% ahead of time in the crockpot, oven, stove or instant pot and all the tacos can be baked at once!  PS.  You’ll be amazing at how crispy the tacos become without frying! 
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings 16 -20 tacos

Ingredients

BEEF AND TORTILLAS

  • 3-4 lb. boneless beef chuck roast trimmed of excess fat, cut into 7-8 pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 16-20 soft white corn tortillas or quality homemade (see notes)

SPICE RUB

  • 1 TBS EACH chili powder, ground cumin, coarse kosher salt (may sub ½ TBS table salt)
  • ½ TBS EACH garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp EACH pepper, ground coriander
  • ½ – 1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper (only 1 ½ tsp if you LOVE heat)

BRAISING LIQUID

  • 1 cup reduced sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup mild salsa, medium if you like spicy
  • 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies, don’t drain
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1-3 teaspoons liquid smoke, depending on how “smoky” you like it
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules, cubes or base (crush cubes)
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

CILANTRO LIME RANCH (Optional)

  • 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 cup packed cilantro, finely chopped (measure before chopping)
  • 2-4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos, optional
  • ½ tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, dried chives, dried dill
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

COOKING THE BEEF (CROCKPOT)

  • Whisk together all of the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.
  • Pat beef pieces dry with paper towels then liberally season with the spice rub, gently pressing to adhere. Save any excess spices to add to the pot later.
  • Heat 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet (or large Dutch oven for oven/stovetop method) over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add cubed beef and sear on all sides.
  • Transfer beef to a 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker along with all remaining ingredients, including any leftover spices. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 ½ – 4 ½ hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours, OR until the beef shreds easily with two forks.
  • Meanwhile, make Cilantro Lime Ranch (if using), by whisking all of the ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Remove the beef to a rimmed plate or large bowl (do NOT discard juices in slow cooker), and shred with two forks, discarding any excess fat.
  • Add the shredded beef back to slow cooker and toss with slow cooker juices. Cook on low for 20 minutes for beef to absorb juices. Taste and season with hot sauce/cayenne pepper, lime juice or brown sugar to taste.
  • Remove beef with a pair of tongs to a serving bowl or strain in colander so tacos don’t get soggy. I like to save the liquid to cook my rice in (just add liquid plus water needed for rice).

MAKING THE TACOS

  • A little before making the tacos, preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  • Place tortillas between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until pliable. Working in 2 batches (because the tortillas won’t all fit open faced on the baking sheet at once), lightly brush the top of the tortillas with olive oil then flip over (the oiled side should now be face down, touching the baking sheet so it gets crispy).
  • Add a layer of cheese to the bottom half of the tortilla and top it with shredded beef (about 1/3 cup of each, give or take). Make sure to drain the beef well so it doesn’t make the tacos soggy. Fold the tortillas over in half and lightly press so they stay folded, you may need to flip the whole taco over so it stays. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes, flip the tacos over and bake an additional 5-8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tacos are crispy.
  • Stuff with desired toppings and dig in!

Video

Notes

This recipe makes up to 16-20 tacos, but just grab a package of tortillas and make as many as you'd like. 

STOVETOP METHOD

  • Follow the recipe through step 3. 
  • Stir in all of the remaining ingredients including any leftover spices.  Add an additional ½ cup beef broth for a total of 1 ½ cups. 
  • Gently simmer, covered, for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours, until the beef is fall apart tender. I recommend checking to see if the beef is fork tender at 2 ½ hours, and if not, continue to cook an additional 30-60 minutes – or as long as it takes!  Keep an eye on the beef and add additional broth if needed because more liquid will evaporate on the stove.
  • Remove the roast to a rimmed plate or large bowl and shred with two forks, discarding any excess fat.
  • Return the beef to the pot and let rest for 20 minutes to soak up additional juices.

OVEN METHOD

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Follow the recipe through step 3.  
  • Stir in all of the remaining ingredients including any leftover spices.  Add an additional ½ cup beef broth for a total of 1 ½ cups. 
  • Bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven.  Cook, covered, for 3 to 3 ½ hours, until the beef is fall apart tender.  Keep an eye on the beef and add additional broth if needed.
  • Remove the roast to a rimmed plate or large bowl and shred with two forks, discarding any excess fat.
  • Return the beef to the pot at room temperature and let rest for 20 minutes to soak up additional juices.

PRESSURE COOKER AND INSTANT POT

Sear the beef then add the rest of the ingredients, including any leftover spices.  Cover and set the lid to “Sealing.” Pressure cook on “Manual” for 50 minutes, followed by a quick release.

Use the correct corn tortillas

In order for your corn tortillas not to tear when folded, you must choose from the following two options, dry run-of-the-mill tortillas will not work:
  • White corn tortillas: Are made with white masa harina as opposed to yellow masa harina and tend to be softer, more tender, with a higher moisture content, which makes them more pliable. White corn tortillas can be easily rolled and folded without cracking or breaking. Look for “super soft” white corn tortillas (like Mission brand).
  • Freshly made or homemade corn tortillas: Are moister, thicker and more pliable. The packaging will often be labeled "homemade," “organic” or “made in small batches,” - or just look at the edges!  I love La Tortilla Factory Corn Tortillas, specifically their corn/flour combo which are extra malleable. I used to only be able to find them at Sprouts but I just picked them up at Alberton’s last week, so be on the lookout!  You can also pick them up on Amazon here.  

Tortilla Tips

  • Work quickly once the tortillas are microwaved. Have your beef and cheese all ready to go before the tortillas go into the microwave so they stay as warm and pliable as possible. It is best to work with a few tortillas at a time and keep the rest under the paper towels until ready to use.
  • Use a light hand when brushing the olive oil over the tortillas.  If you use too much oil, then the tortillas will be too wet and have hard time getting crispy.
  • Bake until crispy. I have experimented with a couple different types of tortillas and some take longer to crisp up than others - so be flexible and patient and bake until crispy.

Can I use Flour Tortillas?

You can absolutely use flour tortillas and should use flour tortillas if you can’t find white corn tortillas or homemade corn tortillas as discussed. Just be aware that flour tortillas won’t be as crispy.  Flour also tends to come in larger sizes, so be aware you will get less tacos out of the recipe.  

Prep Ahead

The tacos will be the crunchiest when freshly made unless you have an air fryer to reheat them.  The good news, the shredded beef can be made 100% ahead of time and just reheated so the taco assembly can be done in minutes.  Here’s how to prep the prep the beef to different stages:  
  • Beef: Can be seasoned, seared and stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
  • RECOMMENDED – store assembled:  Add the seared (uncooked) beef to the crockpot or Dutch oven along with all of the ingredients.  Cover and store for up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.  This will marinate the beef and infuse it with deeper, richer flavor.  The next day, all you have to do is turn on the slow cooker or pop it in the oven.  Just expect to add an additional hour or so to cooking time.  
  • Cheese:  Shred the cheese and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • Cilantro Lime Ranch:  Can be made and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container three days ahead of time.
  • Toppings:  Prep all your toppings and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator until ready to use.

HOW to store and reheat

These shredded beef tacos are best when served fresh.  They won’t be as crispy when reheated unless you use an air fryer, but they will still be tasty.   
  • Storage:  Store tacos in a single layer (with parchment paper in between layers if stacked) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
  • Air fryer:  Restores the tacos to their former crispy glory as if they were freshly made – seriously amazing!  Place your tacos in the air fryer basket and air fry at 400 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Stove:  Heat a skillet to low then add the taco(s). Cook until heated through, rotating as needed.  Once the inside is warm, you can crank the heat to medium-high to quickly toast the outside.
  • Oven:  Place tacos on a wire rack placed over a baking pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through. 
  • Microwave:  The microwave won’t crisp up the exterior again so it will remain soft from refrigeration, but it’s convenient for hands off reheating. Transfer tacos to a microwave safe plate and microwave on high or 45 seconds then at 15-second intervals as needed.