The last of the tomatoes are coming in and I was so excited to have hot peppers, cilantro, and tomatoes in the share. We got a piece of chuck roast from our friends at Autumn’s Harvest Farm and put it in the slow cooker for perfect beef tacos. (We also made a batch of black bean tacos for our vegetarian friends) Slow cookers are great for putting easy meals together, and our new 3-in-1 cooker
Browning the meat caramelizes the surface and develops flavor, it’s tempting to skip this step, but it just takes a few extra minutes and the results are worth it. Once you get all the ingredients in the pan it’s hands off from here. We served these tacos with our Easy Pico De Gallo and shredded lettuce. If you have carrots we also love escabeche, try adding sour cream and cheese if you please!
Slow Cooker Beef Tacos
2 lbs chuck roast, chopped into about 4 pieces
14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon puréed chipotle in adobo (optional)
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
olive oil
tortillas + taco fixings like salsa, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Brown the meat: If your slow cooker has a browning option heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in it, then brown the meat on all sides. Take your time, the surface should be browned all over.
Make the sauce: Remove the beef from the pot, then add more oil and the onions, cook for 5 – 7 minutes until the onions are starting to turn translucent. Add the spices, stir to coat the onions. Cook for a minute then add the tomatoes, stock, and chipotle if using. Stir to combine and place the beef in the sauce.
Cook on high for 3 – 4 hours or low for 7 -8. Beef is done when it easily shreds with a fork.
*If your crock pot doesn’t sear, brown the meat and make the sauce in a pot on the stove then transfer to a crockpot.
*extra sauce can be frozen and used again. Just pour over stew meat or chuck roast and cook for the same amount of time.
