Chipotle Beef Tacos

One of the specials my grocery store runs pretty frequently is a “buy one beef roast, get one free” sale. Whenever that happens, I always stock up. And then I sit around wondering what I’m going to do with them besides make a standard roast beef in the Crock pot. I was happy to come across this recipe, which adds a spicy Mexican spin to a standard roast.

The original recipe calls for making this in the oven, but I used my Crock pot and slow-cooked the beef all day. I love making shredded meat for tacos in the Crock pot. I’ve done it with pork and with chicken (and have another recipe using chicken coming up soon), but never thought to try it with beef. These tacos were absolutely delicious. The beef was so flavorful and tender, and it had the perfect amount of spice. We topped ours with honey-lime coleslaw, which added a sweet, tangy, cool flavor and a nice textural crunch to the tacos. The leftovers freeze beautifully – either the meat by itself, or wrapped up in individual tortillas.

Chipotle Beef Tacos
adapted from Everyday Food

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), excess fat trimmed
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
Flour or corn tortillas
Honey-lime coleslaw (optional, but highly recommended)

1. Heat a small amount olive oil in a Dutch oven or very large skillet. Season beef with salt and pepper to taste and sear beef well on both sides. Transfer to a Crock pot.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together chiles, ketchup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over beef in Crock pot.

3. Cook beef until fork-tender, about 4 hours on high heat and 6-8 hours on low.

4. Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with two forks; moisten with cooking liquid as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve beef with tortillas and desired toppings.