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Mexican Shredded Beef

Mexican Shredded Beef Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 370
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 3‑inch chunks
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 to 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tbsp adobo sauce
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lime, juiced (optional)

Method
 

  1. Pat beef dry, season with salt and pepper. Sear in hot oil in batches until deeply browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, cook onion until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle peppers; stir 1 minute.
  3. Stir in cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, then tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Pour in broth, scrape up browned bits, add bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and return beef to pot.
  4. Cover and braise in a 300°F oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until beef is fork‑tender.
  5. Remove beef, shred with two forks, discarding fat. Skim fat from the sauce, return shredded beef, and stir in lime juice. Serve in warm tortillas.

Notes

The beef needs time to break down, so start a couple hours before dinner or make it a day ahead—the flavor actually improves overnight. If the sauce tastes flat after shredding, add a pinch of salt and an extra squeeze of lime to wake it up.