Chuck Roast Tacos

These chuck roast tacos are filled with fall-apart tender beef braised in a smoky chipotle sauce and piled into flour tortillas with cilantro lime sauce, pickled onions, and Cotija. An easy make-ahead weeknight dinner that tastes like it took all day.

Low and slow with sky high flavor.

• This is a total dump-and-go kind of recipe which makes it one of my favorites. I’ll get it going around lunchtime while my daughter’s at school and then braise it til dinner.
• We’re talking fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth beef that’s smoky, a little spicy, and soaked in all those delicious flavor-packed braising juices. Taco Tuesday just got a serious upgrade.
• The best part is there’s no special tools or extensive prep. It’s made with pantry staple ingredients and it’s simple to throw together.

Here’s what you’ll need.

Here’s how it all comes together.

HEAT. Get 2 tablespoons of olive oil warming in a 5 quart braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and preheat your oven to 325 degrees while you wait.

SEASON. Cut your chuck roast into 4 even pieces and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.

SEAR. Sear the beef for 3-4 minutes per side until it’s deeply browned. Work in batches if you need to so you don’t crowd the pan, adding more oil as necessary.

SAUTE. Without wiping out the pan, add the last tablespoon of oil and toss in the onion with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, taco seasoning, chipotles in adobo, and tomato paste along with more salt and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.

DEGLAZE. Splash in a bit of the broth and scrape up all those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

BRAISE. Pour in the rest of the broth and add the bay leaves. Nestle the beef back into the pan so the liquid comes about halfway up the sides. Cover tightly and braise in the oven for 2.5-3 hours, flipping the beef halfway through if you can, until it shreds easily with two forks.

SHRED. Shred the beef right in the pot so it soaks up all that braising liquid, then stir in the lime juice.

SERVE. Pile it into warm tortillas with creamy cilantro lime sauce, pickled onions, Cotija, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Don’t skip cutting the roast into 4 pieces. It adds more surface area to get that delicious sear, and it helps to cook the beef more quickly. Those deeply browned edges are where a ton of the flavor in this dish comes from, so give the beef its full 3-4 minutes per side even if you’re tempted to rush it.
• The braising liquid should only come about halfway up the beef, not cover it completely. Too much liquid steams the meat instead of braising it, and you’ll lose some of that concentrated flavor.
• If your Dutch oven or 5 quart braising pan doesn’t have a tight-fitting lid, cover it tightly with foil first, then add the lid to help lock in moisture during that long braise.

You can make this in the slow cooker or crock pot.

1. SEASON & SEAR. Cut the chuck roast into 4 equal pieces and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the beef for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer the beef to your slow cooker.
2. SAUTE. In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the sliced onion with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic, taco seasoning, chipotles in adobo, and tomato paste along with more salt and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
3. DEGLAZE. Add a couple splashes of broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour everything into the slow cooker with the beef.
4. SLOW COOK. Add the remaining broth and bay leaves to the slow cooker. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the beef. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until the beef shreds easily with two forks.
5. SHRED. Shred the beef right in the slow cooker so it soaks up the juices. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the lime juice.
6. SERVE. Warm your tortillas and pile on the beef with creamy cilantro lime sauce, pickled onions, Cotija, cilantro, and lime wedges.

One of my favorite make-ahead meals.

• This might be the ultimate make-ahead taco night hero. The beef actually gets even better after a day or two in the fridge, once all those braising flavors have had time to really settle in.
• Make the whole batch over the weekend, then just reheat throughout the week for easy lunches or dinners.
• It’s also perfect for feeding a crowd without any last-minute stress. Braise it the day before a party, then just warm it up and set out the toppings buffet-style so everyone can build their own.

Here’s what I’d serve with this.

• creamy street corn pasta salad
• easy cilantro lime slaw
• street corn flatbread pizza
• easy cornbread casserole
• cheesy bean dip

Just in case you have leftovers.

• STORING: Let the beef cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep any extra braising liquid with it to keep it moist.
• FREEZING: Freeze the shredded beef (with a little of the braising liquid) in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Lay it flat in a bag to save space and make thawing faster. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• REHEATING: Reheat gently in a large saute pan over medium-low heat with a splash of broth or water to keep it juicy. Or warm it in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between.

More easy taco recipes for your eating pleasure.