I love anything Mexican, particularly if it’s perfectly seasoned, shredded, Mexican Slow-cooked Beef. There is nothing I love more than loading a taco, burrito, or salad with this deliciously fork-tender, fall-apart beef in a rich tomato sauce. It takes little time to prepare, one batch is enough to feed my family twice, and there are always plenty of leftovers ready for the freezer.
The best part? It’s so much cheaper (and tastier!) to prepare at home than eating out. On a recent family holiday, I was shocked at the price of takeout burritos we picked up along the way, especially considering how little beef was actually in them!
We love serving this Mexican beef with rice (I have an incredible Mexican Tomato Rice recipe), but you could also purchase microwave Mexican-style rice from the supermarket or even serve with plain rice. We also love fresh tomato, coriander (cilantro) and red onion salsa, sour cream, spicy mayonnaise, and avocado; but the variations are limitless! Change the toppings to suit your tastes or try using this flavourful beef for burritos, nachos or tacos.
What else can I serve with Mexican Slow-cooked Beef?
The serving options are limitless! Instead of tomato rice, try a base of rice with freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) and a squeeze of lime, quinoa, refried beans or black beans. You can also experiment with different toppings such as grilled corn or zucchini (courgette), guacamole, salsa variations (like pineapple, red onion and cucumber), pickled red onions, or tortilla strips for added texture and crunch.
Can Mexican Slow-cooked Beef be made in the slow-cooker?
Yes! Follow the recipe up until step 3, then transfer the beef and onions to the slow-cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the beef is tender and cooked through. Optional: remove the beef from the slow-cooker, and return the sauce to the stove to thicken for 15 minutes on high. Shred the beef using two forks and return to the sauce.
Watch how to make Mexican Slow-cooked Beef
If you enjoyed Mexican Slow-cooked Beef, I think you’ll love:
Mexican Pulled Pork Tacos Recipe
Mexican Beef Casserole Recipe
Beef Burrito Bowls Recipe
Beef Quesadillas Recipe
Loaded Veggie Nachos Recipe
Mexican Slow-cooked Beef
“Absolutely perfect. I had this with rice and roasted veggies and then in a wrap for lunch, it was delicious.” Share Pin Recipe PrintIngredients
- 1.5 kg (3¼ lb) beef chuck (braising/casserole) steak, gravy beef or oyster blade (flat iron/butler’s steak) steak (any slow-cook beef, no need to dice)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 250 g (9 oz) store-bought Mexican-style microwave rice
- Coriander (cilantro), tomato, and red onion salsa
- Freshly grated cheddar
- Sour cream
- Lime wedges
- Sriracha mayonnaise
- Diced avocado
Instructions
- Prep the beef – Place the beef in a bowl. Add the cumin, oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and olive oil and use your hands to evenly coat the meat.
- Brown the beef – Heat a large, deep frying pan over medium heat and cook the beef in batches for 3–6 minutes until browned. Use 3 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan as needed (if it starts getting sticky). Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients – Add the onion and garlic to the same pan and cook, stirring for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir it through before adding the crushed tomatoes, beef stock, sugar and lime juice.
- Slow-cook – Return the beef to the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook, covered, for 2 hours. (See note 2 for cooking in a slow-cooker.)
- Uncover and cook for a further 1 hour or until the beef can easily be shredded with two forks. If it can't be shredded easily and it is still tough, continue cooking in 30 minute intervals. Add 125 ml (½ cup) of water if the sauce begins to thicken and catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Shred the beef – Remove the beef from the pan, transfer it to a large dish and shred with two forks.
- Thicken the sauce – Increase the heat to medium–high and allow the sauce to continue cooking on the stove to thicken, if desired, for 10–15 minutes.
- Serve – Drizzle the beef with the sauce and serve with your favourite sides.
Watch how to make it
Nutrition information
Nutritional information on this site is calculated using Foodworks Professional, the nutrition analysis software trusted by dietitians, researchers and food manufacturers across Australia and New Zealand. Disclaimer re gluten-free and dairy-free recipes
melissastav says:
I got gravy beef meat from coles and cooked as per the recipe but my meat was so tough… do you have any suggestions?
Nicole says:
Hey Melissa, thank you so much for trying the recipe. I’m so sorry to hear the beef was tough! Gravy beef steaks are one of my favourite cuts to use for this recipe and I’m baffled by it being tough – even 2.5 hours of cooking is generally more than enough time if the beef has been seared first, but I go 3 hours in the recipe just to be safe. My only suggestion would be to cook it longer, at 15 minute intervals until soft enough to shred with a fork. If you have any leftovers, pop them on the stove top with 1 cup of water and cook longer until soft and falling apart. Hope that helps!
melissastav says:
Thanks so much Nicole! It actually turned out delicious.. might not have been as “fall apart” as I thought it might but I just had to cook it for longer and I could pull apart with forks.. .. maybe I didn’t sear it enough to start or wrong temp of stove..