Description
These Easy Chuck Roast Tacos pack a bold punch of barbacoa-inspired flavor using simple pantry staples!
Hearty beef chuck roast braises low and slow in a quick smoky-sweet sauce made with beer, canned chipotle peppers, and just enough brown sugar to round out the smokiness. The meat becomes so tender it falls apart with the nudge of a fork, ready to pile into shredded beef tacos, burritos, rice bowls, and more.
A big batch recipe perfect for everything from meal prep to taco parties!
Check the Recipe Notes, below, for slow cooker and Instant Pot directions!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½-4 pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces light beer of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1-2 cups beef broth/stock or water, as needed
- 1 lime, juiced
Instructions
- Prep: 30 minutes – 1 hour before you’d like to begin cooking, pull the chuck roast from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Just before cooking, pat the roast dry with paper towels and season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper; a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of beef.
- Blend the chipotle braising sauce: Meanwhile, add remaining ingredients (beer – oregano) to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Brown the chuck roast: Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven). Once hot and shimmering, carefully add the seasoned roast. Sear for 3–4 minutes per side, until well browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Carefully drain the drippings from the pot and discard or reserve for later use.
- Braise the beef chuck roast: Return the browned chuck roast to the Dutch oven. Add the bay leaves and pour in the chipotle braising sauce, turning the roast once or twice to coat. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and braise for 3 ½–4 hours, until the beef is tender—it’s ready once it shreds easily with the twist of a fork. I suggest checking the roast every hour or so, adding a splash of beef stock or water as needed to keep it moist. (See Recipe Notes for alternate cooking methods.)
- Shred the beef: Once tender, transfer the roast to a cutting board. Use tongs or 2 forks to shred the beef into bite-sized pieces. Return the shredded beef to the pot, squeeze lime juice over top, and toss to combine with the smoky-sweet sauce.
- Serve: Build your shredded beef chuck roast tacos with your favorite fixings. I love layering chunky guacamole on a warm, charred corn tortilla, topping it with the shredded beef, and finishing with fresh tomato salsa. But have fun with it—you can’t go wrong with diced white onion or pickled red onions, whipped avocado crema, finely chopped cilantro, lime wedges, etc. Enjoy!
Notes
- Suggested beer and substitutes: I love making this recipe with a Mexican lager (e.g. Pacifico, Modelo). If you prefer a bolder beer flavor, use your favorite ale or IPA. Easy substitutions: For gluten-free shredded beef tacos, simply use your favorite gluten-free beer. If you do not wish to cook your chuck roast with beer, simply swap it for 1 ½ cups beef stock or broth.
Alternate Cooking Methods:
- Oven-Braised Shredded Beef Chuck Roast Tacos: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-4, above. Rather than braising on the stovetop, transfer the covered pot to a 325 degree F oven. Braise in the oven for 3 ½ – 4 hours, until the beef is fall-apart tender, then finish as described in Steps 5-6.
- Crockpot / Slow Cooker Beef Chuck Roast Tacos: Prep the recipe according to Steps 1-3, above. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker, along with the aromatics and beer braising liquid as directed in Step 4. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish as described in Steps 5-6. (*Note: If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook the entire recipe (Steps 1-5) in the slow cooker.)
- Instant Pot Beef Chuck Roast Tacos: Use your Instant Pot’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 1-4, above. Cover and seal the pressure cooker and cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. Finish as described in Steps 5-6.
Storage and Freezing:
- Storage and Reheating: Transfer any leftover shredded beef chuck roast and sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: The shredded beef chuck roast is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer the short ribs and any leftover sauce to a freezer container (or divide it up between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions – Souper Cubes are my fave!). Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Reheat on the stovetop until warmed through and adjust as needed – if the sauce is a little watery at first, simply allow any residual water simmer out; if it is too thick, simply add in a splash of water or stock until your desired consistency is reached.