Ultra-Tender Shredded Beef Tacos with Melty Cheese
I genuinely cannot make these shredded beef tacos fast enough for my family. A chuck roast cooks low and slow until fall-apart tender, then gets tucked into tortillas with melty cheese and crisped until golden brown. Finished with fresh cilantro, onion, a quick creamy sauce for dipping or drizzling, and plenty of lime, these are my family's absolute favorite.
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Calories: 678kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Shredded Beef
- 2½-3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
- 2 Tbsp Mexican spice blend – I really like Frontier Co-Op’s Mexican Fiesta Seasoning but use any blend or homemade version you like.
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup beer or water
- 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced into half moons
For the Tacos
- ~20 street-size flour tortillas
- Shredded Oaxaca cheese though you can easily substitute with shredded Mozzarella
- Neutral oil
For Serving
- Cilantro lime crema (sooo simple to make and really takes these over the top!)
- ½ medium white onion very finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro or more!
- Lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Preheat an oven to 325°F (165°C). Place sliced red onion on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Prepare the chuck roast. Use a paring knife to cut a few slits into the top and bottom of the chuck roast (the long flat sides), then place the halved garlic cloves inside. Season the beef extremely generously on all sides with 2 Tbsp Mexican spice blend and about 1 Tbsp Kosher salt. Place on top of the red onions.
- Slow cook the chuck roast. Pour ¼ cup of beer or water around the roast, then cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3½-4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and shreds easily.
- Mix onion and cilantro. While the beef is cooling, combine chopped white onion and cilantro in a small bowl, then mix together.
- Shred the meat. Allow the meat to cool until you can safely handle it, then carefully transfer the roast to a large cutting board. Use tongs or two forks to shred the meat. Return it to the baking dish, then toss it with the onion and juices.
- Cook. Heat about 2 Tbsp of neutral oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot add as many tortillas as will fit in your pan – for me this is four. Immediately sprinkle with a thin, even layer of shredded Oaxaca cheese. Using tongs, grab enough shredded beef to cover half of each tortilla. Tip: Allow the juices from the beef to drip off before adding to the pan. Use a spatula to help fold each tortilla over in half. Continue cooking for about 1 minute per side until both sides are light golden brown and crispy. Repeat with remaining tortillas and tacos, adding a bit more oil in between batches as needed. If you do this, make sure you give the oil time to properly heat so the tacos aren’t greasy.
- Serve. I like to open up each taco and sprinkle some of the onion-cilantro mixture right on top. You can drizzle with cilantro lime crema or simply serve on the side for dipping. Same with lime wedges. These disappear surprisingly fast! Enjoy.
Tip: If your spice blend already contains salt, cut back on added salt.
Keep warm in the oven: If you’re making a lot of tacos at once, transfer them to a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack on top. Place them in an oven preheated to 300°F / 150°C. They’ll stay warm and crispy while you finish cooking!
Notes
- I recommend about 2 tsp Kosher salt per pound of beef. Adjust based on the size of your chuck roast and whether your spice blend already contains salt.
- If making your own spice blend, I like a mix of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper.
- Traditionally, tacos are made with corn tortillas, but I actually prefer small flour tortillas here for more consistent results and easier folding. Use whichever tortillas you love most!
- These tacos are intentionally a little messy and juicy — that’s part of the charm. Just keep extra napkins nearby. 😉
Nutrition
Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1000mg | Potassium: 717mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 6mg
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