Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

I interrupt this study schedule to bring you this breaking news – I have discovered an incredibly easy, yet amazingly simple recipe for shredded beef tacos.

Actually, credit for this bit of genius belongs to my brilliant husband who refuses to let me publish the adorable picture I took of him looking pissed that I was taking a picture of him while making these.

[Photo of John looking pissed, yet adorable holding plate of taco meat]

We’ve been looking for ways to make healthier food with less red meat, so I was combing Pinterest for ideas. I came across this recipe for slow cooker chicken tacos that piqued my interest. We actually made them for enchiladas over the weekend, and I’ll probably post that recipe too at some point. But then, my absolutely amazing husband said, “We both love beef. Why don’t we try it with beef instead?” And this deliciousness was born.

Shredded Beef Tacos

• 2-2 1/2 lbs chuck roast (other relatively fatty cuts of pot roast beef can be used as well)
• 16 oz. salsa
• 1 package of taco seasoning
• 1 package flour or corn tortilla shells
• Preferred taco condiments

1. First of all, mix together the salsa and taco seasoning in your slow cooker. If you prefer spicier food, go for the spicy options, but which ones you choose are really up to personal preference.
2. Cut your chuck roast into slightly smaller chunks. While this step isn’t completely necessary, we feel that it helps get maximum flavor from the sauce. Keep in mind that the more beef you use, the less saucy the end result will be.
3. Add the beef to the sauce and make sure it’s covered. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
4. Once the beef is falling apart, take each piece out of the slow cooker for shredding. Take two forks and use them to pull the beef apart.
5. Put the shredded beef back into the slow cooker and cook on low for another 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Your beef should have the consistency of really good barbeque. We used 2 lbs of meat for this culinary experiment – if you prefer less saucy tacos, use a bit more beef.
7. Put the beef on your tortilla shells, slap on your favorite condiments, and dig in!

This meal was absolutely delicious, super easy, and quite economical. We got two nights of dinner and one lunch for two people out of it, despite the fact that we both kinda hurt ourselves the first night since it was so tasty. After that, all we had left was this:

 

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