Slow Cooker Beef Tacos and Homemade Toppings

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Taqueria at Home-

Who doesn’t love tacos? The filling options and flavor combinations are almost endless, they make great leftovers (if you don’t eat them all) and they are so easy to make at home! These Slow Cooker Beef Tacos with Homemade Toppings are a terrific way to have a Taqueria experience without leaving your house. I have included recipes for your own homemade accompaniments: Poblano Crema and Pickled Red Onion! This is actually three recipes in one! I think the homemade toppings really add something special here, and make it feel more like what you would order at a Taqueria.

As much as I love to go out for Mexican food once in a while, it really is very easy to make at home especially when the slow cooker is involved. With the exception of the Poblano Crema most elements can be prepared in advance, and of course the slow cooker does most of the work for the beef. 

tacos with pickled red onion and poblano crema

The Shredded Beef

Beef tacos are a favorite of mine, and these cook slowly in a seasoned tomato sauce you make yourself! If you can’t find Ancho chili powder, you can certainly use another variety that’s more readily available. The spice here is very mild to appease the kids in my house, but you can add a little more heat if you like. Simply go up a little on the amount of chili powder, and maybe add a little cayenne pepper as well.

The Mexican oregano used in this recipe can be found dried in most grocery stores. It’s flavor is more citrusy than the Italian version. Try to use it if you can! In a pinch, you could use Italian oregano. If you want more information about Oregano and it’s various uses, check out this article from Cuisine Vault.

If you like, you can save the tomato sauce the beef cooks in but it will be a bit greasy thanks to the fat from the meat. Just be sure to use a slotted spoon for serving the beef if you save the sauce.

The Poblano Crema

ingredients for poblano crema

I love this crema! Its inspired by one that is served at an amazing Mexican restaurant where I live. When I had it the first time I knew I had to try to recreate it. I think I have come pretty close with this recipe! 

You can roast the poblanos ahead of time if you need to. But, I would peel the skin off before refrigerating them, otherwise you’ll have a hard time getting the skin off later. 

This crema is best served immediately. If its refrigerated and then reheated, it will turn brown. If you don’t mind that, you can reheat it. Its easy enough to make as you are getting ready to serve.

The Pickled Red Onion
ingredients for pickled red onion

These are so easy to do, you’ll wonder why you weren’t doing it all along! They add a nice acidic bite to the tacos, and they are great on other dishes too. You will need a pint sized glass jar with a lid along with the other ingredients. I would recommend making these ahead for sure, as you want them to have time to pickle. You could fill the jar with the ingredients after starting the beef, and the onions can pickle in the refrigerator as the meat cooks. You can also make them the night before you eat them. 

The orange juice really adds a nice flavor here. You could use white wine vinegar if you don’t have apple cider vinegar. 

Serving Suggestions

These are great with either flour or corn tortillas. I like topping them with a little cotija cheese and thinly sliced radish in addition to the pickled red onion and poblano crema. Rice and beans are a nice accompaniment, and they’d be terrific with Sopa de Lima.

Should you have leftover beef it would make yummy enchiladas, or use it as quesadilla filling! These Slow Cooker Shredded beef tacos are really easy, and a great way to have restaurant style Mexican food at home. I hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you made these I’d love to hear from you, just leave a comment or rating below and share with friends on social media. Happy Cooking!

closeup photo of tacos with toppings
tacos with pickled red onion and poblano crema
Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos and Homemade Toppings

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Additional Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Shredded Beef

  • 1 small Chuck Roast (about 2 pounds)
  • 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
  • 1/2 medium sized Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp Salt, divided
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ancho Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Mexican Oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups canned Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes

For the Poblano Crema

  • 3 large Poblano Chilies
  • 1 tsp Avocado Oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped Yellow Onion
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin
  • Juice of 1 Lime

For the Pickled Red Onion

  • 1 large Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 Pint Glass Jar with Lid
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed Orange Juice 
  • 1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 10 whole Black Peppercorns

Instructions

For the Shredded Beef

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Season the chuck roast with 1 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper.
  2. Sear the roast for about 5 minutes on each side, until it is nicely browned.
  3. While the roast browns, chop the onion.
  4. Remove the roast from the skillet and place in the slow cooker. Add onion, remaining salt and pepper, garlic, ancho chili powder, Mexican oregano, and cumin to the skillet and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until onion is translucent and spices are fragrant.
  5. Add the canned crushed tomato to the skillet and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the tomato mixture to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.


For the Poblano Crema

  1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem end off the poblanos, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and roast on the bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes until skin is blistered and pulling away, being sure to turn over halfway through cooking. After roasting, place in a gallon freezer bag and seal to allow the chilies to sweat, making for easier removal of the skin.
  2. While the chilies sweat, heat the oil in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
  3. While the garlic and onion cook, remove the skin from the chilies.
  4. Add the heavy cream to the saucepan, and cook until cream is very warm but not simmering, about 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Then, add the chilies to the saucepan and stir to warm them through.
  5. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a blender and add the lime juice. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

For the Pickled Red Onion

  1. Slice the red onion very thinly.
  2. In a pint size glass jar, place the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, water, granulated sugar, salt and pepper corns.
  3. Tightly seal the jar and give it a good shake.
  4. Add the red onion to the jar. It will seem like the onion slices won't fit inside, but with some work a large thinly sliced onion should all fit. If not, save remaining sliced onion for another use.
  5. Shake the jar again, and refrigerate for several hours before using.


Notes

The poblano crema is best served immediately and will turn brown if it's reheated.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1367mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 5g

All information presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietitian and any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is provided for recipes contained on this site. This information comes from online calculators. Although The Copper Table attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

© Amy
Category: Main Dishes and Sandwiches

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10 Comments

    1. Thank you Cindy! I prefer shredded beef over ground beef as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe!

      Reply

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