This Mexican shredded beef holds a TON of flavor! Tender, fall apart beef in a rich sauce to make restaurant-quality shredded beef tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, or rice bowls. Make this over the stovetop, in the Instant Pot, or in the slow cooker.
Mexican Shredded Beef
What I love about this recipe is being able to cook a batch in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot, shredding the beef, and keeping it in the fridge to serve for dinner for a few nights. Easy prep just like my Instant Pot carnitas recipe!
The method here is so similar to my barbacoa beef recipe and these easy slow cooker Italian beef sandwiches, but the flavors are quite different. All you need is a bunch of spices and herbs that you already have in your pantry, beef, beef stock, and fresh lime.
For more shredded meat recipes, check out this barbacoa beef recipe, it’s a reader favorite! You will also love this Mexican shredded chicken that can be used for tacos and burritos as well, and this basic Crockpot shredded chicken recipe that’s great for weekly meal prep.
Join our Facebook Group
We have a new Facebook Instant Pot Group where we share new recipes, tips and tricks on how to use the Instant Pot. Make sure to join us! Click here to join.
The Ingredients
To make Mexican shredded beef, here’s what you’ll need:
- Beef – you can use beef stew meat, chuck roast, cross rib roast, or brisket.
- Stock – chicken or beef stock or broth.
- Spices – paprika, chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Oil – vegetable oil to brown the beef.
- Lime – fresh lime juice.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Shredded Beef
You can make shredded beef in the slow cooker, in the Instant Pot, or over the stovetop. Instructions to all methods are provided in the recipe card below.
- Make the dry rub – just combine all of the spices and herbs in a small bowl.
- Liberally season the beef from all sides.
- Heat oil, and brown the roast from all sides.
- Slow cook or pressure cook until fall-apart tender.
- Remove the beef from the liquid and shred using 2 ordinary forks or meat forks, then toss in the liquid and serve on a platter or in tacos.
Cooking times for all methods can be found in the recipe card below.
Top Tips
- Choose fresh marbled beef for the best flavor.
- When cutting the chuck roast into portions, cut into even size pieces against the grain to shorten the fibers as this will help to make the beef more tender, and easier to shred when cooked.
- Store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.
How to Serve Mexican Shredded Beef
- Tacos – directions are in the section below.
- Burritos
- Quesadillas
- Enchiladas
- Nachos
- Sliders
- Sandwiches
- Wraps
- Rice or burrito bowls
How to Make Shredded Beef Tacos
The meat is very juicy so you don’t need to add a ton of stuff to make the tacos taste good.
Heat up some tortillas (or char them over the stovetop!), place shredded beef in each tortilla, and top with fresh pico de gallo or roasted salsa ranchera, lime crema, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Can Pulled Beef Be Frozen?
The good news is that this shredded beef is freezer friendly which makes it perfect to make ahead. Make sure that the beef has completely cooled down, then place in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
Shredded Mexican beef is called Antojitos.
I prefer chuck roast, but you can also use beef stew meat, cross rib roast, or brisket.
Use 2 regular or meat forks. Facing each other start pulling to opposite directions to break up the meat as you pull. Get rid of any fat that’s left in the meat, repeat until all of the meat is shredded.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Mexican Shredded Beef Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2-3 pounds beef stew meat, chuck, round roast, or brisket cut into small chunks
- 2 tablespoons oil canola, vegetable, corn, sunflower
- ¾ cup beef broth or water
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Make the dry rub: In a small bowl, combine paprika with chili powder, oregano, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Liberally season the beef portions with the dry rub.
- Heat vegetable oil in a pot/Instant Pot. Sear the roasts (in 2 batches) until brown on all sides. Deglaze the pot with 2 tablespoons of water scrubbing any stuck bits to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spatula or spoon.
- Add the beef back in, and add the beef broth. Give everything a quick stir so that the meat is covered in the liquid. Add lime juice to the broth.
- If cooking over the stovetop or in a slow cooker, cook until tender on medium heat (1-3 hours, depending on the cut of meat), or for 8 hours on low in the slow cooker.
- If using an Instant Pot, secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 55 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
- Carefully remove the lid and take the beef out to shred.
- Shred the meat using 2 forks, then put it back in the Instant Pot in the sauce to soak it up.
- Strain liquid from beef, and serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.
Notes:
- Choose fresh marbled beef for the best flavor.
- When cutting the chuck roast into portions, cut into even size pieces against the grain to shorten the fibers as this will help to make the beef more tender, and easier to shred when cooked.
- Store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Rich says
Easy to do. Tastes very good beef came perfectly shredded.
This going on my recipe rotation.
Diana says
I’m glad that the beef tasted so good that it has earned a spot in your recipe rotation. Thanks for the comment!
Michael Elam says
Amazing recipe!! My wife and kids absolutely love this recipe. The meat is so tender and juicy and not to mention flavorful