Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
These Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos make a hearty and delicious dinner for busy weeknights! They’re full of Tex-Mex flavors and are sure to be a family favorite.
Don’t you just love a slow cooker? I sure do. It’s perfect for all those cozy, warm, winter soups and stews and hearty recipes.
Those things that make you want to curl up with a good book in front of a roaring fire and….whoa…. <insert sound of needle scratching surface of record here>
Winter soups and stews?! Roaring fires?! It’s 90 degrees and 95% humidity for Pete’s sake! What am I talking about!
As much as I love using my slow cookers during the winter, I appreciate them even more during the hot summer months.
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When I want something that requires long, slow cooking but it’s scorching hot outside, a slow cooker is just the thing. It maintains that nice, even slow heat all afternoon without heating up the kitchen at all. I can make all the slow-simmered, long cooking recipes I want using my trusty slow cooker.
Which means it’s ideal for my Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos. This recipe came about more from “have-to” than “want-to” actually.
It was created on a day when I needed to get in and out of the kitchen quickly and was literally thrown together off the top of my head. Just a few pantry and freezer ingredients that I thought might go well together, turned out to be incredibly delicious.
I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it, too. BeeBop gave it two thumbs up :-)
How to Make Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Let’s Go Step-by-Step
I always like to show you the photos and step-by-step instructions for my recipes to help you picture how to make them in your own kitchen. If you just want to print out a copy, you can skip to the bottom of the post where you’ll find the recipe card.
Add the Taco Meat Ingredients to the Slow Cooker
- Add the beef to the slow cooker and sprinkle with the taco seasoning, tossing to coat.
- Peel and chop the onion roughly and add it on top of the seasoned meat.
- Add the green chilies with their liquid, the salsa, and water.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
- After two hours, stir the mixture, turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for an additional 3-4 hours.
Prep the Red Onion Garnish
- An hour or two before serving, thinly slice the red onion.
- Place it in a small bowl with the sugar, salt, and enough red wine vinegar to just cover the onions.
- Allow the onions to stand in the vinegar mixture until ready to serve.
Finish the Taco Filling
- Thirty minutes before serving, remove the meat from the slow cooker.
- Using two forks, pull the meat until it’s thoroughly shredded.
- Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
To Serve
When ready to serve, heat the tortillas in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop. Garnish with the marinated red onions, fresh tomato, and fresh cilantro .
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef (recommend using stew meat or chuck roast)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 4 ounces canned chopped green chilies
- ⅔ cup salsa (your choice of hot, medium, or mild)
- ⅓ cup water
- 12 corn tortillas
For the Onions:
- ½ small red onion
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
- Red wine vinegar
Garnishes:
- Fresh chopped tomato
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add the beef to the slow cooker and sprinkle with the taco seasoning, tossing to coat. Peel and chop the onion roughly and add it on top of the seasoned meat. Add the green chilies with their liquid, the salsa, and water.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours. Stir. Turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for an additional 3-4 hours.
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker and, using two forks, shred it. Return the meat to the slow cooker and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
- An hour or two before serving, thinly slice the red onion. Combine in a small bowl with the sugar, salt, and enough red wine vinegar to just cover the onions. Allow to stand until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, heat the tortillas in the oven or in a skillet on the stovetop. Garnish with the marinated red onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on June 20, 2014.
Beautiful! I could eat a dish like this every single week!
These look amazing, Lana! Thanks for sharing. Love a good slow cooker recipe. xo
Thanks, Kelly. They are pretty darned good if I do say so myself!
I love using my slow cooker in the summer. The meat turns out great and it doesn’t heat the house. It’s a win win!
I LOVE TACOS. I eat them more than anything else on the planet. I’m going to make these tacos tomorrow and add pickled radish to the onion and go to town! Thankyou for sharing!
Yes, radish would be a fantastic addition! Even cabbage would be good, too. Lots of freshness and crunch.
Great idea. I have been using my slow cooker for pulled pork this summer. Might be time to expand to beef!
By the way – 98 degrees here this afternoon….. and, that means lightning. Fairly impressive.
Miss P
I love doing a pork shoulder for pulled pork in the slow cooker. Best way to get it nice and tender, I think. We weren’t quite as hot as you but we’ve had storms every day this week. Lightning and hail!
YUM, Lana. This is a winning slow cooker recipe! Pinning :)
Thanks, Renee!
I love using a slow cooker in the summer, too… it’s perfect for getting those delicious slow-cooked dishes made without heating up the whole house, plus it means I can go outside and enjoy the warm weather while dinner takes care of itself. I mean, who doesn’t love that? :)
My mom used to have a similar recipe for making fajita filling, but it got lost during a move at some point. Can’t wait to try this one out!
Well, I tend to stay inside with the air conditioning going for the majority of the summer, but using the slow cooker sure helps keep the energy bill down. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Isabelle!
You are right, slow cookers are great in the winter BUT even better in the summer! This looks delicious. Who doesn’t love tacos, right?!
We love tacos here and so do our kids and grandkids. I can double or triple this recipe according to how many are here at any time. Works great!
I love using my Crock-pot year round! =)
Pinning your recipe, it sounds great!
Thanks, Melissa!
I don’t use my slow cooker nearly enough in the summer. But these tacos look like the perfect summer treat!
They’re great for summer. Especially busy days when you’re on the run. Just throw everything in the slow cooker and have supper ready when you get home!
Tacos are so great and I am also loving your onion garnish/marinade. Yum!
I keep some of those marinated onions in the fridge a lot of the time, Ginny. I enjoy them on sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs, too.
I love my slow cooker in the winter AND in the summer! I’ll be making this soon!
They’re great year-round appliances, aren’ they? My next project is to try baking in mine.
Just today my FB readers said they would like more slow cooker recipes- this one looks fabulous! I’ll share on my page!
Thanks so much for sharing, Jessica. I hope your FB readers enjoy the recipe.
Yes, I love my slow cooker all year round too! It’s a life saver when it’s 85 degrees in my house haha! Great idea to make taco meat in one. I bet the meat turns out so tender!
It was super tender, Ashley! Perfect for tacos and no heat at all in the kitchen.