Slow Cooker Shredded Mexican Meat for Any Mexican Dish

Want a meal that’s affordable and delicious? This slow cooker Mexican Meat recipe is all that and more! Loaded with big flavor of smoky chili powder, warm spices, and a little kick of heat, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it crockpot recipe. Plus, you can use this cooked Mexican shredded beef in so many tasty ways.

Mexican Meat

This Mexican Meat recipe is a personal favorite of mine because it is easy, has delicious flavors and can be used in so many different ways.

Did I mention how affordable it is? With food costs rising, I can buy inexpensive chunks of beef and let the slow cooker do all the hard work. 

It’s a simple crockpot recipe, and you can even prep it all the night before.

The next day, just pop all the ingredients into the crockpot, set it, and come home to an amazing, flavorful dish that feels like the ultimate comfort food.

I love that it makes a fairly big batch of meat. I sometimes freeze portions for meals later in the month, or I divvy it up and use it for meals during the week. 

Did I mention that you can make Mexican chicken and Mexican pork the same traditional way?

Just swap the beef for another one of your favorite kinds of meats and you’re good to go!

It’s a flexible, foolproof method of cooking which brings out the rich flavor in every bite.

Why You’ll Love Mexican Meat

• Easy to Make: Just dump everything into your slow cooker and let it cook all day. You can even use a pressure cooker as a different cooking method to speed up the cooking time.
• Budget Friendly: Works well with a variety of beef cuts, so you can grab what’s available and stock up on sales.
• Versatile: Use it for beef tacos, burritos, beef nachos, or any main dish of Mexican cuisine you can think of!
• Great for a Crowd: It makes such a large batch of meat, which makes it perfect for a large family gathering or a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Ingredients for Mexican Meat

• Cuts of Meat: You can use beef, pork, or chicken. Use an inexpensive cut like chuck roast or any cut you’d make pot roast with or a even a pork shoulder. 
• Salt and Black Pepper: A good sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper is the base of your seasoning.
• Olive Oil: You’ll need a bit of olive oil to brown the meat.
• Onion: A yellow or white chopped onion brings a little sweetness to the recipe.
• Diced Green Chile Peppers: You’ll need a few cans of these to add a bit of tang to your meat. Make sure use all the juice, and don’t drain them.
• Chili Powder: Fresh spices make all the difference, and adds a warm, smoky flavor to your Mexican cuisine.
• Ground Cumin: Adds a nutty, earthy taste for an authentic Mexican flavor.
• Garlic Powder: It adds the garlic flavor you love, without having to peel any garlic cloves.
• Hot Sauce: I like to use Frank’s Hot Sauce or Cholula.
• Water: Just a little water to make sure there’s enough liquid in the crock pot.

What Kind of Beef Makes The Best Mexican Meat?

Inexpensive beef is the tastiest, honestly! Taking an inexpensive cut like chuck, flank steak, rump or blade and letting it cook low and slow breaks down all the connective tissue and melts the fat.

It infuses flavor into every bite, and the meat is tender, juicy, and oh so good! Similar to Barbacoa meat, a very popular Mexican meat, this recipe is amazing and has a great taste!

How To Make Mexican Meat

This Mexican beef recipe is super simple. Just make sure you have enough time because it needs to cook on low for about 8 hours.

1. Trim and Season the Meat: Trim the meat of excess fat and season it well on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Sear the Meat: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the beef on all sides. Sear it on all sides to lock in the rich flavor and give it a nice golden crust.
3. Transfer to the Slow Cooker: Move the meat to your slow cooker and top it with the diced onion, green chilies (liquid and all), chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce.
4. Cook Low and Slow: Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat is super tender and falling apart. Add more water if needed to make sure there’s always some liquid in the crockpot.
5. Shred the Meat: Transfer the cooked meat to a bowl and shred it up into small pieces with 2 forks or meat claws.
6. Strain if Needed: If your meat feels too wet for your taste, go ahead and strain off some juice. Don’t toss the liquid if you’re planning to freeze any leftovers. Add the juice back in before freezing for best results when reheating.

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Use an equal amount of chicken or pork to switch up the recipe.
• You can prep everything the night before and then just add it to the slow cooker in the morning.
• Buy the meat when it is on sale to make the dish even less expensive.
• Want a citrus flavor? You can squeeze in some lime juice, or even a touch of orange juice. 
• Like it spicier? Add a chopped jalapeno to the crockpot.
• You can strain the meat and discard the juice or serve it with juice on top pf rice.

Ways to Serve Mexican Meat

Wondering how to serve Mexican Meat? Sometimes we eat this tasty Mexican stew just as it is, on top of rice or with potatoes. I also like to use it for different Mexican food style meals like nachos, Mexican pizza, tamales and taco salad.

Here are some other favorite ways to serve Mexican Meats:

• Burrito Bowls: Top the meat over Mexican Rice and add some cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro and salsa on top.
• Tacos: Spoon it into corn tortillas for easy and flavorful Mexican tacos.
• Quesadillas: Stuff flour tortillas with meat and cheese to make quesadillas. Dunk them in my homemade cheese sauce.

How to Store Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

This meat freezes so well! Portion it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to a month. To keep it longer, use a vacuum sealer to freeze portions for up to 6 months.

More Mexican Recipes

• Burrito Casserole
• Delicious Taco Meat
• Pico de Gallo Recipe
• Crockpot Taco Dip
• Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Print Pin

Mexican Style Meat – A Base for a Ton of Meals!

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds of beef pork, or chicken (cheap cuts of meat work well for this)
• good amount of salt and pepper to season meat with
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 7oz diced green chile peppers, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 5 ounce bottle hot pepper sauce (I like Frank's hot sauce or Cholula)
• 1/4 cup of water

Instructions

• Trim the meat of any excess fat, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the meat in the hot skillet, and sear it quickly on all sides.
• Transfer the meat to a slow cooker and top it with the chopped onion. Season with chopped green chiles, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce.
• Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart, checking to make sure there is always at least a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the cooker (add more liquid if need be).
• Transfer the meat to a bowl and shred it using two forks.

Notes

If the meat comes out 'wetter' than your tastes, feel free to strain any extra juice. While I love mine with the extra juice, I know not everyone likes it that way. However; if you're going to freeze any of the meat - add the strained juice back to the portion you're going to freeze for best results.