These delicious Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Tacos are an easy and crowd-pleasing meal made with just a few simple ingredients. If you open a can, dump spices and turn your slow cooker on then you can make this recipe!
Tacos are one of the most common and beloved family dinners in America, hence the ever-popular Taco Tuesday! Mix up the classic ground beef tacos with these healthy and easy Pulled Beef Tacos.
Serve this tender Mexican Shredded Beef in hard taco shells or on corn torillas or flour tortillas. Alternatively, serve it the meat on a salad or in a bowl with rice or cauliflower rice. Don't forget your favorite toppings such as Mexican Pickled Onions, Guacamole, Jalapeno Salsa, chopped onion, sliced jalapenos, chopped fresh cilantro, sour cream or cheese. A Cointreau Margarita is the perfect finishing touch for this Mexican meal.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make Pulled Beef Tacos:
- chili powder
- smoked paprika
- cumin
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
- brown sugar
- apple cider vinegar
- hot sauce
- tomato sauce
- flank steak
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Tacos:
1. Cut the flank steak across the grain into 4 smaller pieces.
2. In a greased slow cooker, stir together the tomato sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Add the flank steak, stirring to coat. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
3. Remove the cooked beef to a plate and shred using two forks.
4. Add the shredded meat back to the pot and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately or keep warm until serving.
Hint: I like to use Chipotle hot sauce in this recipe to add some smokiness, but use any hot sauce of your preference here.
Substitutions
Want to substitute one of the ingredients for this Mexican Shredded Beef? Here's how:
- Spices - use 1 package of taco seasoning in place of the chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Tomato sauce - use an equal amount of salsa, crushed tomatoes or beef broth in place of the tomato sauce.
- Flank steak - use a different cut of beef such as a chuck roast or skirt steak in place of the flank steak.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Pulled Beef Tacos:
- Spicy - add ½ teaspoon of cayenne or 4 tablespoons of hot sauce to the tomato sauce and spice mixture before cooking.
- Low-carb - enjoy this same Mexican Shredded Beef on a salad or in a bowl with cauliflower rice and your favorite toppings.
Or try these Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos.
Equipment
This equipment comes in handy for making Pulled Beef Tacos:
Storage
Once the Mexican Pulled Beef meat has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. (Check out this article for more details on how to properly freeze and thaw cooked meat.)
FAQ
Chuck roast, rump roast, brisket, flank steak and skirt steak are all great choices for shredded beef. I prefer flank steak over the others because it's affordable and lean.
Related
Want more easy beef recipes? Try these:
Pairing
Serve these Pulled Beef Tacos with one of these vegetable dishes for a balanced meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Tacos
Equipment
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 2 lb flank steak
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Chipotle hot sauce
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the flank steak across the grain into 4 smaller pieces.
- In a greased slow cooker, stir together the tomato sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, brown sugar, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Add the flank steak, stirring to coat.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Remove the cooked beef to a plate and shred using two forks.
- Add the shredded meat back to the pot and give everything a good stir. Serve immediately or keep warm until serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sittingv out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
Shannon
So good!