Slow Cooker Mexican Beef {Instant Pot Directions Included}
This slow cooker shredded Mexican beef is incredible! Flavorful and tender, the beef is perfect for enchiladas, burritos, salads, and more.
This easy Mexican shredded beef recipe is straight up one of the most delicious recipes on the planet.
Not only is it simple to make (slow cooker or Instant Pot!), but it freezes well, and can be used a million different ways. Our favorite: ENCHILADAS.
Instant Pot Directions
The pressure cooker directions for this beef are super simple:
- Combine beef and sauce mixture in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker.
- Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release.
- Shred the beef into bite-size pieces.
- Simmer the remaining liquid from the Instant Pot and whisk in a cornstarch or flour slurry to thicken.
- Pour some of the thickened sauce over the beef.
Slow Cooker Directions
This shredded Mexican beef is just as easy to make in the slow cooker.
Same story as above: beef and sauce in the slow cooker. Cook on low or high until tender.
And then simmer the remaining liquid on the stovetop and thicken with the cornstarch or flour slurry.
The shredded beef is insanely delicious. I mean, the flavor, is just absolutely through the roof.
The beef is perfect in enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, chimichangas, salads and more.
Or it can serve as a simple meal served over rice with toppings and some black beans on the side. So, so good.
Enchilada How-To
Most often, I use the slow cooker Mexican beef in enchiladas. It’s my family’s favorite application of the beef (and it makes a really fantastic take-in meal).
To assemble enchiladas:
- Spread some of the leftover sauce on the bottom of a baking pan.
- Roll some of the saucy beef and a sprinkle of cheese in corn or flour tortillas (I usually do some of both since my family is divided when it comes to Team Flour or Team Corn tortillas).
- Place the enchiladas seam-side down in the baking pan.
- Smother with sauce and cheese and bake until hot and bubbly.
These saucy, cheesy, flavorful enchiladas are next-level delicious.
A Very Popular Recipe
This shredded Mexican beef recipe, thanks to it’s simplicity and deliciousness, has garnered thousands of fans over the years.
Christie says: Made these last night. Loved them for dinner, and they were amazing for lunch today! They really are better than the restaurant ones. Thanks Mel for another great recipe!!
Ann B. writes: Rave reviews from the family. Absolutely wonderful! Love the seasoning and the sauce is crazy good. Thank you for another winning recipe!
Lauren says: 100x better than a Mexican restaurant. Best Recipe EVER!
Alanna writes: Amazing! made exactly as stated, but I did strain the sauce before pouring into the skillet, because my salsa was on the chunky side. Made for a family gathering and they disappeared fast!!!
If you have yet to make this recipe, what are you waiting for?? I hope you love it!
What To Serve With This:
Black Beans and Rice
Roasted Broccoli or Skillet Green Beans
The Best Cornbread
Fresh Fruit
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Slow Cooker Mexican Beef
Ingredients
Shredded Beef:
- 2-3 pound boneless chuck or sirloin beef roast
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup salsa (green or red salsa)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or flour
Enchiladas:
- 10 6 or 7-inch flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Fresh cilantro, optional
Instructions
- For the slow cooker: in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, add the beef roast. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for 8-10 hours until the beef is tender and shreds easily.
- For the Instant Pot/Electric Pressure Cooker: in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker, add the beef roast. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the roast, secure the lid on the pressure cooker and close the valve. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes (or all the way). Release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the roast and place in a large bowl or shallow pan (like a 9X13-inch pan). Shred into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and bring the liquid to a simmer (for a slow cooker, pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring to a simmer).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch (or flour) with about 2-3 tablespoons water (use a bit more water if using flour). Add the slurry to the simmering liquid, whisking constantly, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened slightly, 4-5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Pour about 1/2 cup sauce in with the beef and toss. Use as desired (instructions for enchiladas below).
- To make enchiladas: Spread about 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan.
- Toss the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses together.
- Spread shredded beef in the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in the pan, seam-side down.
- Spread 1-2 cups of sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and hot. Let the enchiladas rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, if desired, and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Jamie G (a super sweet blog reader who sent it to me; it’s her favorite meal!)
Recipe originally posted January 2015; updated September 2022 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
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246 Comments on “Slow Cooker Mexican Beef {Instant Pot Directions Included}”
BEST MEXICAN SHREDDED BEEF EVER. Have made several times now and used for enchiladas, burritos and even nachos. The flavor can’t be beat.
What kind of salsa did you use?
I alternate between using green salsa (salsa verde) or classic red salsa (this homemade version: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/best-homemade-salsa/).
I think I’ve made this about 5 times in the last 3 weeks. My husband says it’s the best meal I’ve ever made (only tied with your sweet and sour chicken- that one can never be defeated).. I don’t know why I waited so long to try this but wow. Just wow. And so easy and a working mom! You are always a lifesaver !!
I’m excited to try this! In the recipe when it says red or green salsa, is that enchilada sauce? ♀️
No, it’s referring to salsa (like salsa verde for green salsa) or classic red salsa.
The best! Loved by all ages and levels up my enchilada sauce (from canned) without a ton of extra work. LOVE!
Unbelievably good!
Amazing! Easy and delicious comfort food. I cooked the meat on high in the crockpot for 6 hours. The meat was flavorful and tender. Next time I will use more sauce.
Is it okay to use frozen beef?
I think it cooks more evenly if the beef is thawed first.
One of those meals you make and while you are eating it you’re already planning for when you can make it again. So good!
I made these and loved them. We were babysitting a few kids who are on the pickier side and 2 out of three of them had thirds!
We loved the sauce the most. Best enchilada sauce I’ve ever had (bought or homemade). Do you think it would work with chicken if I subbed chicken broth? I need to take a meal to that same family but the dad has a red meat sensitivity.
You could definitely try it with chicken – the overall flavor will be different. And the cooking time will be quite a bit less!
This was amazing! I can always count on Mel to deliver a 10/10 recipe. I always love a good crock pot meal and it was simple to make! The flavor was outstanding and I’m already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!!! Thanks!
Which salsa do you recommend using? I’m conflicted whether I should use red or green! Thanks in advance! Can’t wait to try this.
I’ve honestly used both with great results. I’d say go with a salsa that has a flavor you love! you really can’t go wrong.
To be honest, I never really eat enchiladas (I’m not a fan of the red sauce ones and family not a fan of the versions made with a “cream of” soup) and I’ve certainly never made them before. But man oh man, did these look good and any recipe from Mel has never let me down before! So I thought I’d try it with one of the roasts we had in the freezer. I even used my Insta-Pot to cook the meat. These turned out WONDERFUL! I had some sauce left over that I didn’t put in the pan of enchiladas so I’ve now bagged it to freeze. Hopefully I can find something good to use it on (or the next few times I make this recipe will give me enough extra sauce to make another pan of enchiladas for the freezer). Thanks for another winner Mel!
These were delicious, just scrumptious! Next time I’ll serve them with lettuce and tomato on top.
This was so yummy! My whole family loved it. I have already bought another roast to make it again. Side note, I used a top round roast as it is more “macro friendly” and it still shredded beautifully!
5 stars because these were SO easy to make and SO delicious! I loved using the liquid from the roast for the enchilada sauce rather than creating a new sauce.
Hi Mel!
Thanks so much for this recipe. I’ve got quite a crowd coming over tomorrow and I think I’d like to try this! If I double the recipe is it still the same cooking time in the slow cooker for the meat?
Thanks!
Yes!
Usually when everyone raves about a recipe it is worth trying. I have tried everything shredded/pulled recipe under the sun and most never live up to restaurants and what I desire in my head. Despite these reviews, I felt confident this couldn’t be loads better than the rest cuz it was so simple. Boy was I wrong. Add another glowing review to your roster. This recipe is divine. The sauce literally glowed! I only have one other recipe where the sauce glows and it is by a chef and with fancy cuts of meat and wine. Oooh this was good. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers! We eat keto so I used keto wraps and switched the corn starch for a tsp or so of xantham gum. Just amazing as enchiladas or in many forms. I could just gobble it down alone. Thank you for posting this and unabashedly raving about it. Your email caption was what made me try it.
How do you heat your corn tortillas ?
Do you use mission brand ?
I have tried in the microwave uncovered, microwaved wrapped lightly in a damp paper towel, in the oven for a few minutes wrapped, in a pan on low with a lid…they always break..so I gave up, but I really want corn taquitos !! I’m sure the beef is delicious !
I think the only way I’ve ever seen work to heat corn tortillas is to fry them in just a little boy of oil in a saute pan. Makes them pliable!
We like to heat our tortillas on a cast iron griddle (or pancake griddle). No oil needed.
Your recipes are my first resource when searching for inspiration + deliciousness. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Daniela!
If you cook the beef roast in the slow cooker, how long should you cook it on high?
Probably 5-6 hours.
Hi Mel, my husband has a pepper allergy (green and red vegetable peppers). Do you think I could substitute chopped tomatoes with a bit of water for the salsa? Was also thinking about ketchup, but that might overpower the flavor. If you have a recommendation, I would be grateful for your advice. Thank you!
Hi Bridget – sure, maybe try diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes (if you want a canned option)? I’d also recommend dialing up the spices a bit – if he can have chili powder, add a boost of that and/or cumin.
This is one of our favorite recipes! The meat is perfect for enchalidas or tacos! Super easy and delicious!
Do you think this would work with pork?
-btw, you are amazing and don’t forget it:)
Check out Mel’s carnitas recipe, just skip the crisping part, delicious.
I think so! I haven’t tried it, but I would use chicken broth instead of beef broth (or maybe half and half).
I have a bunch of elk meat in the freezer. I think I will try this with some of the roasts. Thanks Mel!
This is my family’s go to recipe for Mexican. I have never had enchiladas at a Mexican restaurant that can beat this recipe. Love!
Fantastic recipe! I used Walmart’s Great Value Mild Picante sauce.
These were delicious!! I will never go out for enchiladas again, these are hands down the best enchiladas I’ve ever had!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! We loved it also much I made it twice in a week, and had to make it again the following week. The meat is so flavorful and tender, and the sauce that is made with it is goes so well over the enchiladas. This is a 5 star recipe all the way!
These were delicious! My husband does not love store bought red enchilada sauce. This was so much better! I made your cilantro lime rice and salsa black beans to go with it and we all gobbled it right up.
Hi Mel I wanted to thank you for this awesome recipe!!
I do the roast low and slow in oven and cut up large chunks of onions, garlic, hot peppers and any old tomatoes. I then strain it at the end before making the sauce.
Oh and fresh cilantro at the end..with mexican rice! YUMMY
Mel, this looks amazing!! Question:
I am going to make just the shredded beef part of this recipe to use in another recipe. I’m going to make the beef ahead of time and store it.
Should I:
A: Just store the shredded beef alone (no sauce)
B: Marinade it in the original slow cooker sauce mixture
Or C: Marinade it in the fully cooked sauce (with cornstarch/water added)?
Thanks in advance!
If you aren’t canning it, you can really adapt the recipe however you like. You can leave the tomato sauce out and see how you like the flavor (I haven’t tried that myself).
Has anybody ever used this recipe to use as shredded beef tacos?
Yes, all the time! With a homemade salsa, cheese and guacamole. It’s amazing!
Have you tried to recipe with the instant pot?
I haven’t but I’m guessing it will work great!
Made these last night. Loved them for dinner, and they were amazing for lunch today! They really are better than the restaurant ones. Thanks Mel for another great recipe!!
These are my favorite enchiladas!
Been looking fo a recipe for
” CHUNKIE BEEF ENCHILADAS ”
FOR A LONG
(Los Amigos , have the best , was going to ask
Miss Soto for the recipe )
I used this shredded beef to make burrito bowls with cilantro rice, black beans, chunky salsa, avocado, cheese, corn, fresh cilantro and sour cream. Amazing! Thank for this Mexican shredded beef recipe Mel.
This is my husbands favorite. It’s really yummy with mels cilantro lime rice as a side!
So delicious. Everyone loved including the kids.
I made this last night and took it to the point of shredding the beef. We already know its going to be fabulous because the meat tasted wonderful & the sauce smelled so good. However, the sauce had a fair amount of grease due to the fat in the meat. I put the sauce in the frig & skimmed off the fat layer this am. I think you should add this step to the recipe.
great idea! Im making the meat a day early so this will be a great step. I hate when sauces are greasy.
Holy moly, Mel!! These are the BEST enchiladas we’ve ever had. Ever. Hands down. I‘v tried a lot of recipes over the last few years searching for “the one”, only to be disappointed. Until today!! The whole family cleaned their plates “ooohing” and “aaahing” over how good they were. I shouldn’t be surprised since you are the creator of a few of our other most favorite recipes. I love ya, Mel, and our tummies love ya!
Yay, Mandy!!
Rave reviews from the family. Absolutely wonderful! Love the seasoning and the sauce is crazy good. Thank you for another winning recipe!
Can I make and shred the roast the day before and save to make for the enchiladas then next evening?
Absolutely!
Dumb question……is the salsa you use from Trader Joe’s spicy or mild. (we can only do mild)
I use the mild salsa from TJs
These were amazing! I felt like it was even better than I would expect at a restaurant. Will definitely be making it again!
I think this might be my favorite main dish of yours! We love this recipe SO much!
Great recipe! I’ve made it so many ways & play around with it adding different things. Last time added 2 chopped tomatillos and a chopped pablano pepper as well as a little more garlic. No matter what you add it’s a great recipe all the way through!
I love this meat and I’m making it for a cinco dee Mayo Party. If I were to double up on the meat in the slow cooker (2 big pieces of 2-3lb from Costco) should I double everything and cook the same amount of time?
Yes, I would!
I’m using a pork roast and cooking the meat today in the crock pot and putting the enchiladas together tomorrow and then baking for the Super Bowl . I’m going to use both corn and flour tortillas to see which we like better. I will get back after tomorrow and let you know how they came out. Thanks for sharing.
Simply amazing! Will be making this again soon!
Mel, I made this for a friend and her family while she is going through chemo and she and her entire family loved it. It made so much that I’ve been having it for lunch this week and it is delicious. Thank you for all that you do for us! Merry Christmas!
What a sweet gesture for your friend! Merry Christmas!
How long would you do this in the instant pot?
Probably 55-60 minutes high pressure.
The best roast I’ve ever made!
I put them on top of corn tortillas. And add a little cilantro on top and shredded cheese. So amazing!
Can’t have tortillas but was looking for something I could freeze in individual servings (I use Ball half pint freezer jars). Best recipe ever! I thickened the sauce in a saucepan and strained it. This makes a thick wonderful enchilada sauce. I got 6 jars of 3 oz’s meat each covered in sauce. It will be wonderful on brown rice, pasta, or for lettuce wraps. Thank you so much!
These are some of my favorite enchiladas. The flavor is so good! We have made these multiple times with rave reviews every time.
Could I use a beef tenderloin roast?
I haven’t used that cut of meat for this recipe, but you could definitely try.
YUM! A wonderful fix-it-and-forget-it meal. My roast cooked all day & was quickly ready when it was time to eat. My husband is trying to limit his carbs so I just layered meat, cheese, meat, cheese and heated it through in the oven. I had mine with tortillas and he just had it without. I’m adding this one to my recipe binder!
Sarah
My family loved this, thanks for the great recipe. I made in my instant pot. Took 60 minutes on high pressure using natural release. Other than that followed recipe exactly and will be making the enchiladas again, but will also use the versatile meat for many things. Thanks!
Made these last night they were so good and juicy!
It was nice but I felt like it needed enchilada sauce to finish it off. And the tortillas were soggy. From to much liquid in the pan.
I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for you, Leith!
Made this last week and we ate off it all week. Enchiladas first night, nachos another time and I even topped it on lettuce with tomatoes, sour cream and onions for a tex-mex salad for lunch one day. I have been asked to make it again – which is a rare thing in this house! It was so easy peasy and ingredients were already in the pantry. Only thing I did differently was sear the roast on all sides w s&p before throwing it in the slow cooker.
Love that this was such a hit! Thanks for letting me know!
I made this once and it was great, the whole family loved it.
I’m making again today but I’m on a time crunch. Can I cook on high?
Yes, I think so!
I made these today, and they were fabulous!! A new favorite recipe, for sure!! Thanks so much!
Amazing!! I used my IP, about 70 min at high pressure, natural release. So so good.
Thanks, Christina! I was wondering about the instant pot for this recipe.
This recipe is also incredible with pork roast. I’ve done it with shoulder and butt roasts.
100x better than a Mexican restaurant. Best Recipe EVER!
This is a perfect, kid friendly recipe! We loved it!
I served mine with homemade mango salsa
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe, Mel! It took our (much-loved) beef enchiladas to an entirely new level! Restaurant-worthy? No – much better than any we’ve had at a restaurant! The sauce/drippings are out of this world. I’ve never been able to find an enchilada sauce that compared well with our favorite Mexican restaurant (smooth and creamy), so I pureed the sauce (made with Newman’s Own Salsa – yum!) with my immersion blender, and thickened as directed. I had more sauce than needed, but no worries – it went in the freezer for future use. I’ve been an avid gardener for years, but I’ve never made my own salsa, despite an abundance of the necessary ingredients – we don’t eat it often enough for it to be worth it. Thanks to your recipe, we will now have a dedicated ‘salsa garden’ section, just so I can make my own for more enchiladas!
Thank you so much, Nikki! So, so happy you loved this recipe!
Amazing! made exactly as stated, but I did strain the sauce before pouring into the skillet, because my salsa was on the chunky side. Made for a family gathering and they disappeared fast!!!
Unbelievable!!!!! This meat is incredibly special! And just as important is the fact that I can depend on it to come out exactly perfect as the times before. I make a huge amount, 6-7 pounds, at a time for that evenings meal and to put up for the deep freeze. Heaven help me if word gets out amongst my grown children. They will drive over an hour to pick some up for their own families! If that is not a testament to how good this is then I am at a loss as to what is. Thank you so very much for the fabulous recipe and the memories it has in turn inspired.
So I wanted to make this today but didn’t get the roast in my crock pot in time to be ready for dinner tonight. I have pressure cooker and see from the other comments it has been done before in the instant pot. But have you done it both ways? Which way does the meat turn out better? Cause if it’s better in the crock pot, I will probably just pot to wait until tomorrow.
I haven’t made this recipe in the IP, but I love making other roast-type recipes in the Instant Pot. I think it would work great!
how would you modify this for a pressure cooker?
I’d cook it for about 60-65 minutes on high pressure.
I figured I should probably leave a comment. We use this recipe (for the meat) all the time! We use it to make enchiladas, tacos, burrito bowls, etc. Everyone loves it!!
Have you ever made this in the Instantpot? If so what time and pressure did you use?
It should work pretty well cooking at high pressure for 55-65 minutes (I usually cut meat roasts into large chunks for the IP).
Have you made this in the Instant Pot yet? Just wondering how it came out if you did!!
I haven’t, but I think several others have. I think I’m going to try cooking it at 60 minutes high pressure and see how it goes.
I made this in the Instant Pot – a 3 lb chuck roast for 70 mins on high pressure. Natural release. Then I took the meat out and shredded it. Turned the Instant Pot back to Saute and thickened the sauce with corn starch like the recipe calls for. I did everything else the same! Made it super easy and easy clean-up! Thanks Mel!
Awesome! Thanks, Trena!
Hi Mel, this recipe sounds fabulous! Would it be possible to use a Dutch oven to slow cook the beef instead of a slow cooker (I don’t have one)? If so, how many hours do you suggest to simmer the beef?
I haven’t tried it, but you could experiment. Maybe 3 hours at 225 degrees or so?
You can do this in a Dutch oven .. brown each side in Dutch oven first then put it in Follow directions but cook on 325° for a few hours covered and when it’s easy to shred.. about 3-4 hours for 4 lbs…take it out
Sweet mother of pearl, these are so good. Thanks, Mel!
We love enchiladas, but whenever I make them, they come out gummy and soggy. My husband has suggested that I not add sauce to the bottom of the pan. Do you ever have soggy enchiladas?
I’m assuming you use corn tortillas?
I actually use flour tortillas quite a bit, and I agree, they can get kind of soft. You can just lightly grease the bottom of the pan instead of putting sauce down and that might help, like your husband suggested! Are you using flour tortillas?
Do you ever use the slow cooker setting on your instant pot? I wanted to try it out but wanted to make sure it’s just as good as using my regular slow cooker (or hopefully better:)
I have used it a few times on both the 6- and 8-quart models, and honestly? I hate it. I’ve had the worst luck. I’ve tried altering the settings (between the low, normal, high) and still can’t figure out the sweet spot, so I always just use my old slow cooker.
Delish and Easy!! Everyone loved it. I make it with corn tortillas so it’s gluten free!
These were delicious and so easy! I made them for a family lunch and we all loved them.
I made the recipe for slow cooker Mexican shredded beef exactly as she wrote it and it
was delicious! This was much better than any
restaurant enchilada. It will definitely be made frequently in the future.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made this and was a little skeptical but WOW by far the best beef enchilada ever!!
Amazing. You must make this as your next dinner meal. I literally have been thinking about it since I made it last. DELICIOUS! Thank you so much Mel!
All l can say it was fantastic
For sure will makes these again. I added a bit more broth and strained the sauce other then that followed the recipe.
The enchiladas were so so good. Everyone loved them, the only problem I had was my flour and corn tortillas got very soggy. What would you suggest to avoid this. Thank you
If using corn tortillas you should dip each tortilla in hot oil for about 3 seconds. This softens the tortillas and keeps them from absorbing the sauce and getting soggy. Just do all your tortillas and stack them on a plate with paper towels. Let them cool a bit then make them into enchiladas. Warm and serve right away. Enchiladas really can’t be made ahead if you don’t want them soggy.
Dearest Mel,
Our family thanks you yet again for an amazing recipe. We are from Texas and know good enchiladas when we taste them. My husband said that these are the best beef enchiladas he has ever eaten In. His. Life. Yup. High praise indeed. I don’t really like shredded beef and I completely loved the tenderness and flavor. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Yay!
The enchiladas were a huge hit! The recipe is excellent with clear instructions and readily available ingredients. Not having to use canned enchilada sauce was a big plus. I cut the roast in half and put it in the slower cooker for about five hours and it came out really tender and flavorful. Thank you!
This was the best beef I have had in a long time. So tender and flavorful. I’m making it again tonight. Thanks!
You were delicious, like a smothered beef tamale…and I don’t even really like shredded beef. Thanks Mel!
Mel, can this be cooked on high for 4 to 5 hours instead of low for 8 to 10 hours? Will it make the meat tougher? Thanks for sharing your great recipes!
Could certainly try! I usually cook on low because the meat is super tender, but it may work just as well on high.
You really out did yourself with this one. I can’t begin to explain how perfect these are. WOW. I have a new favorite. We used homemade salsa. Next time I will try it with carnitas.
Mel thank you so much for these astounding beef enchiladas. I made them once before and I don’t even really like Mexican food but seriously if it all tasted this awesome I would eat it daily. Thank you for yet again another winner in my books!
I don’t see ‘chunks’ in your sauce, from the salsa. Are you straining them out or blending them??
My homemade salsa is a bit chunky, so I’m not sure what I should do…and I’m making them tomorrow! Ahhhhhh…the stress, lol.
Thanks 🙂
The salsa I use isn’t super chunky – but you can either blend the salsa before adding it to the recipe…otherwise, the texture from chunky salsa would be totally fine.
Would you recommend freezing totally assembled before cooking or put in freezer after cooking? have you noticed a difference in taste and quality? thank you! making these for Christmas Eve this year!
I usually freeze before baking. 🙂
These sound amazzzzzing! I’m going to make them for friends this week. I am wondering though if I make them on Wednesday will they be ok in the refrigerator until Thursday night if I don’t freeze them? I’m using corn tortillas and don’t want them to get too soggy.
The tortillas will probably soften a bit, but I think they should be fine.
I made this recipe once before and it was better than any Mexican restaurant I have ever been. I am making it again tonight because it was gobbled up by my family, kids and all. Love! Thanks!
You know those dinners that are so good that you’re literally counting down the hours until lunchtime the next day so you can consume the leftovers? This is one of those meals. I’ve only made them twice so far, but they are out of this world delicious. Even the naysayers who claim they don’the like shredded beef lick their plates clean. Thanks for this spectacular, amazing, makes-me-look-like-a-rockstar dinner!!
Do you think (once frozen) you could thaw this in the fridge to cut down on cooking time? Or would that just make the tortillas mushy?
Yes, you could definitely thaw in the refrigerator. The tortillas might be a bit softer than normal but I’ve done it like that and it works great.
I was thinking of making this in the IP today. Any suggestions on using slow cooker mode vs. pressure cooking? Thanks!!
Slow cooker in the IP, I’d use the same instructions in the recipe but for pressure cooking, if your roast is pretty average sized (a few inches thick), I’d probably do 60-75 minutes at high pressure.
My husband said these are really good. Almost too good! I served these with your Mexican chopped salad. I left out the cheese. It was a great light side dish to the flavorful enchiladas. I have never made enchiladas before that I liked as much as these. BTW my daughter thinks we need Mel appreciation day. We love your recipes that much!
I noticed you didn’t use enchilada sauce. Don’t recall any recipe that didn’t use it. Was there a reason? I’m making them today. Thanks.
The recipe doesn’t need enchilada sauce but you could use it if you like.
THE BEST ENCHILADAS EVER!!!! I changed it up a little bit to cut some calories(Dr. orders) I used white tortilla’s, for the cheese I used 2% sharp cheddar and a Mexican blend( Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Asadero, and Queso Quesadilla.
I had a baby not too long ago. How do people work and then have to cook when they get home with babies?! Oh I know…the crock pot! I made this yesterday for my husband and mother in law. Seriously so easy and so good. We devoured it. Thank you so much for giving me a simple and tasty week night meal.
I ate at this amazing food truck a few weeks ago that had beef quesadillas. I decided to recreate using this beef recipe. I added some sautéed veggies to the quesadillas–mushrooms, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchini and jalapeño–and made a sour cream dipping sauce. It was SO good. I put it on the menu again this week.
Any idea how this would do in an instant pot?
Hi! I live in Malaysia and I tried out this recipe last night for dinner. I cannot tell you how INCREDIBLE and AWESOME it was… my family loved in and the slow cooker beef came out just nice. Thanks a million for such a fabulous recipe. I’m sure I will make it again… 🙂
I’ve been following this basic recipe for about 20 years now, with minor variations. I originally saw it in a local newspaper. When I was on the board of a local youth group, I took it as potluck for an annual Xmas party, and it became the main entree for the next few years.
Most importantly, this dish is the main reason my wife agreed to marry me. If I make it a few times a year, she agrees to stay married.
I wonder, could you use a roast that is frozen?
I would probably thaw first so it is optimally tender after cooking.
These are absolutely wonderful and melt in your mouth. They also freeze and reheat extremely well, which I love. In fact I’m just about to take some out of the freezer…:) SO good.
I made this with 2.5 lbs of skirt steak and it work wonderfully. The only thing I’ll add about making it with skirt steak is after cooking it, we shredded it when I wish we had cut it into chunks. The reason being the shreds were long and trying to cut your enchilada, with a fork, into a bite size piece was difficult as the meat was just long shreds and pulled all out of the tortilla. Nothing bad about it, just an annoyance to eat with just a fork.
Also, I used Herdez brand of Salsa Taquera as my salsa and it tasted great as an enchilada sauce. Good recipe!!
The only meat my husband will eat is chicken. I wonder if this recipe would work out the same? We shall see! It’s what’s for dinner
I’ve made this 3 times already, it is a family favorite!
Hi Mel. I want to make these on our family vacation. instead of trying to transport the fully made in pans, do you think I could make the beef ahead of time, freeze it with the sauce and then assemble them at a later date?
Absolutely!
The meat is amazing! So tender…scrumptious and mouth-watering. Thank you! I have a quick question about freezing. I froze the enchiladas two days ago, and when I baked them tonight the bottom of the enchiladas stuck to the pan. Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening? I really want to make these again as they were so incredibly tasty…but I’d really like the bottom too! : )
Hi Ruth – was your pan well-greased? You might try covering the bottom of the pan with a little more of the sauce from the meat – that could help the enchiladas not stick. Also, if you baked them from frozen, try decreasing the heat slightly so they bake longer but more moderately.
Thank you so much for your response, Mel! I appreciate it. I think both of your suggestions are great ones. I didn’t grease the pan before I put the sauce down as the base. For the future, do you think I should coat the pan in PAM before I put the sauce in? Thanks for everything. My sister-in-law told me about your blog/website and now I am addicted. 🙂
Thanks, Ruth. 🙂 Yes, a light coating of nonstick cooking spray will definitely help!
My doggie is currently sitting in the kitchen, staring up at the crockpot, tail wagging.
Mel-you have the BEST recipes! I’m curious what you typically serve for side dishes with this. Other than a salad, I keep coming up with other carb options and I’d prefer to avoid that. Thanks for making my meal planning easy….I just pop onto your blog whenever I’m in a funk or have to figure out what I can make quickly with the ever-present chicken breasts 🙂
Hi Jamie – thanks for your sweet comment! So happy you are loving the recipes. I usually serve anything from fresh fruit to Mexican rice. On casual family night dinners, we also often pull out the cottage cheese or applesauce as a quick and easy side dish. I always serve some sort of steamed or fresh vegetable (like the skillet green beans or roasted broccoli). Does that help?
I forgot to add that I had also frozen the refried beans I made from Mel’s slow cooker recipe. I had frozen them in small one cup quantities. I thawed one bag and spread each tortilla with those beans before adding this meat. I didn’t use all of the beans so I made a little dip with cheese and salsa mixed in and munched on that while the enchiladas we’re baking…Yummmmm!
I love these! I made these quite a while ago but since it’s just my husband and me at home now we had extra. I chose to freeze the meat and sauce separately. After defrosting both I made another small batch of enchiladas last night and they were just as yummy. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch! Thanks for a great recipe, Mel…AND for those of you reading comments….thanks for leaving comments! I like reading thru them before I try a new recipe to see how others felt. 🙂
I recently found your blog and just love it. I’m not a big fan of cooking, but you have so many wonderful and simple recipes – I haven’t made one I don’t like! I have a maybe silly question- when you freeze these- do you still pour the extra sauce over the top? I’m new to freezer meals.
Thanks so much!!
Hi Jessica – thanks for the nice comment! Yes, I pour the sauce over the top before freezing. It make the tortillas a bit softer so if you don’t want that, you could freeze the sauce separately and thaw and pour over the enchiladas before baking (but that’s just a lot of extra work for a freezer meal in my opinion!). 🙂
Oh how I love everything I try on here. These were fantastic!!!
I’m looking for the Shredded Beef Taco’s. It was on Americas test kitchen. It was on PBS. It had ancho chiles,bottled beer,3# boneless beef short ribs,a few or just under/over a dozen spices. It also had a slaw to go with it.
I’m sorry, I don’t think I have that recipe.
I’ve actually never commented on any blog, so this is a first for me, but I just wanted to let you know that I made these last night, and my entire family adored them. They are now on our “re-do” list. Not many recipes make it there.
Thank you!
I usually stay away from enchiladas because you have to buy a bizillion corn tortillas and knowing me I don’t use the leftovers before they go bad…plus my freezer in teensy so thought always need to be put into what goes inside. Anywhoo. I just couldn’t resist trying these. They looked so good! I made two pans and then used the leftover tortillas for your baked chicken taquitos. No leftover corn tortillas (prepared or not, I might add!). Also, we had a couple guys over for dinner and their jaws nearly dropped with how good the enchiladas were. One even commented that he thought he was in a restaurant. Thanks for making me look like a rockstar!
I just made these and they were restaurant quality! I made a few adjustments, I strained the sauce before putting in the cornstarch, and I dipped the corn tortillas in the sauce before I rolled them. So delicious and I love the fact that it’s easy to double and freeze half.
Any chance stew meat could be used for this?? I have a lot of it in my freezer! 😉
I’m sure you could try – the finished, cooked meat will be in much smaller chunks rather than in shreds (like a larger roast would allow).
These enchiladas were so good! I have never loved the taste of the red enchilada sauce in the can that my mom always used for enchiladas. This sauce was so good I could have just eaten the meat and sauce alone. Thank you!
Mel, I recently found your website and am thrilled to say that I have yet to find a recipe that we wouldn’t add to the weekly menu plan.
This slow cooker beef for enchiladas was a huge hit! I did add onions and cilantro to the cooking beef. Then more cilantro to the shredded beef! Cilantro is like the herb of the god’s, right? 🙂 Divine! A new favorite in my house!
This beef is tasty! I turned mine into street tacos. White corn tortillas, white onion and cilantro, and just a little finely shredded Mexican three cheese mix on top. I served pinto beans and fresh salsa on the side. My family went nuts. Thanks again for making me look awesome for my three boys!
Hi Mel!
One thing that always hinders my enchilada making is my addiction to the Costco refrigerated tortillas that you cook through yourself. Do you keep ready made flour tortillas on hand and if so, do you have a brand recommendation for me?
I just love you and your blog. Whipped up some homemade naan this morning to serve with butter chicken! Thanks!
Hi Kristi – good question. I either make and freeze the homemade tortillas that we love or I use the whole wheat or corn/wheat ones from Trader Joes. I also don’t mind the everyday Mission brand ones either.
Beef is so darned expensive that we don’t have it often anymore (and boy, do we miss it!) but if I served just four of these to the two of us and froze the rest in 4-enchilada-sized packages, I could get 4 meals from one chuck roast by serving them with refried beans and another side dish or two. Not bad at all, and since Mexican food is my all-time favorite, being from the southwest, I look forward to making this. It sounds just marvelous! Thanks, Mel! I use more of your recipes than all other bloggers that I follow! You’re a great cook, and please don’t ever stop sharing because I need variety! I came late in life to the slow cooker, and it’s one of my favorite tools now, used 4 or more times per week! Ole!
This was so good!! I used pork instead of beef as that is what I had in the freezer. I couldn’t stop eating the pork while assembling the enchilada.
So YUMMY! Made this tonight, exactly as written, except that I grabbed colby-jack instead of regular Monterrey Jack cheese at the grocery store, so I used all of that instead of the cheddar-jack mix. I’m never going back to canned enchilada sauce! I’m wishing I hadn’t frozen the small pan for later. I could eat the whole pan, right now!
Hi! This sounds great- do you think it would work for a few chicken breasts, too, rather than a beef roast?
I’m not sure – haven’t tried it but it’s certainly worth experimenting. I think the flavors would be good with pork, chicken or beef (but if using chicken, don’t cook it nearly as long – probably 4-6 hours on low is good otherwise the chicken will be dry).
Hi Mel,
I just wanted to let you know I made the shredded beef yesterday to use in tacos (didn’t have time to throw enchiladas together, although I did still thicken the sauce), and my family absolutely loved this! We eat lots Mexican and Tex-Mex, but this has instantly become one of our favorites! The flavor was SO good! Thank you again for another awesome recipe! You’re the best!
After an unfortunately poor first day at a new job, I came home and whipped these up with the meat I had cooked yesterday… And they made my day 100% better! I didn’t see how they could top your chicken enchiladas, but they rivaled them for sure! Rather than pouring enchilada sauce, I usually dip each tortilla in the sauce, and we love the flavor it gives! Thanks for your great recipes 🙂
Wow! Wow! AND WoW! Made these yesterday and they were simply DELICIOUS!! Thank you Mel. My family and I thank you!! Greatly appreciate this as it is a slow cooker recipe….I have to admit we have not had great experiences with slow cooker meals generally… Thank you!!
Made this the other night and it was so delicious! I want to make it again but try the sirloin roast instead of the chuck….It was so tender but I hate dealing with all fat. Would the sirloin get as tender if I cooked it long enough? Thanks!
I agree about the chuck roast, Katie – sometimes they are just too fatty. I use sirloin roasts all the time and with a really long slow cooking time, they work great. They probably aren’t quite as melt-in-your-mouth tender as the chuck roast but still very tender and delicious.
Awesome, thanks! If I double the size of the roast would you double the slowcooker ingredients?
Yep, I’d probably double the other ingredients with double the amount of meat.
I made this last night and my family told me I hit it out of the ball park with this recipe. Don’t worry Mel, I gave you full credit! I used a bison chuck roast and doubled the cumin and chili, onion & garlic powders since my teenagers love lots of flavor. I used the meat for tacos last night and using the rest of it for enchiladas tonight. This recipe is a keeper.
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! It really tasted like something that you would get in a Mexican restaurant. My 2 year old helped add the cheese so even she was happy to eat this dish! My only regret is that I didn’t make a double batch. I will be adding this to my slow cooker recipe rotation. Thanks for the great recipe – I had been craving Mexican and this hit the spot!
If I were to buy a boneless chuck roast, would I trim it up very much? Get rid of
the gristle streaks and fat fat? (no browning either?) before the 8 to 10 hours, or does it all just melt away or be
very visible at shredding time and easy to remove? Picture looks so good.
Yes, I’d probably trim as much fat and gristle off as possible. You could brown it also – it just adds an extra step.
thanks, mel.
Thanks! I’m always looking for ways to use roasts in my freezer that aren’t recipes for well, roasts. My husband said to keep this one on file and my non meat lover 2 year old even ate it. 🙂
Hi Mel, we had a roast hanging out in our freezer that was the perfect size to try this recipe and whoa, was this delicious. By a long shot, the best enchiladas I’ve made at home. We were out all day yesterday and when I came in, it was super easy to take the meat out, thicken up the sauce and throw the meat into the tortillas. I love this meal and can see myself making these over and over. Many thanks for all you do, Mel, seems like you just keep outdoing yourself.
I’ve been trying to come up with a recipe that’s both easy and hearty than I let cook all day this weekend. I do believe this is the winner! Sounds yummy! 😀
Not much of an enchilada person, but I’ve been meaning to experiment more with roasts, and shredded beef roast sounds like a nice change of pace from the ground bison + shredded zucchini tacos I’ve been doing.
Question though: would this work with a pork roast? I generally like pork better, and a hands-off method of making carnitas is right up my alley 😀
Sure! I think a pork roast would be delicious
I have made this a bunch of times with a variety of different pork roasts and is is in my opinion even better than with beef.
Hi Mel! Thank you for such a great site! I’ve been trying your recipes every night the past week and they have been a hit every single night! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Quick question about slow cooker… how many liters is your slow cooker? I have yet to buy one but not sure if I should get the 1.5 or 3.5 liter? Thanks again! xx
Hi Karen – my slow cooker is about 8 years old and I don’t know the exact size but I think it’s right around a 4- or 5-quart. I’d guess you’d be better off going with a 3.5 liter slow cooker.
Hi Mel,
Is the Trader Joe’s salsa you referred to called tomatillo and roasted yellow chili?
Thanks for all you do!
I used their Trader Joe’s Chunky Salsa. Although, I think the one you suggested would be delicious, too.
Since I’m flying solo I’ll be baking one pan to gorge upon and another to freeze. I’ve never known how much (if any) you should allow baked items like this to cool before freezing them. Any suggestions?
That’s a good question, Mike. Whenever I assemble a dish for the freezer, I always let it cool to pretty close to room temperature before covering and freezing so it doesn’t get a thin/thick layer of ice crystals from being frozen while still warm.
My wife works in food safety, so I know from a bacterial perspective you are supposed to refrigerate ASAP. What I’ve done with good success is put the dish *uncovered* in the fridge, let cool for a few hours (or overnight), then lid it up and freeze it.
Thanks for the tip!
I have never had enchiladas. And I keep seeing amazing recipes for them and wondering why not! And this one is in the slow cooker! I am most definitely finally going to get around to trying them. These look amazing! Pinned!
Mel, someone commented they made this with venison but now I can’t find the post. They wrote the cooking time in their comments . Do you know?
Hi Bunnie, I scoured the comments here and on Instagram and can’t find it? I’m sorry! If I come across it, I’ll comment here and let you know.
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it. I have used the leftover meat on quesadillas and nachos. I bet it would also be great in baked chimichangas. Or a cafe rio style salad. I must make these again soon…
This looks and sounds fabulous!! We love anything in the crock pot and pretty much anything Mexican around here!! Does it have to be a cooked salsa or could it be fresh? May be an obvious question, but I don’t like store bought jarred salsas and make my own fresh but have never yet tackled a homemade canned version. Thanks!!
I think you could definitely try out fresh salsa and see how it works!
Hi Mel, I’m just curious-do you prefer corn or flour tortillas when you make this recipe? Thanks for sharing this, it looks delicious!
Good question, Brittany – I actually usually use a combination of both. My kids prefer flour and while I used to, also, I’ve kind of come around to corn tortillas.
Thank you for yet again another delicious looking, easy meal idea! You have yet to let my family down from one of your recipes. I am extra thankful because I recently went from being a stay at home mom to starting my very first full time job and trying to juggle meal ideas which is never easy! Sooo thankful for you!! (My co-workers are also thankful for you and your chocolate chip peanut butter cookie recipe…they were a BIG hit!!)
This look so good. I have a great recipe that also produces a delicious shredded beef that we use for tacos or quesadillas. I will try this one next.
This looks wonderful, and I’m printing recipe now. Thanks for sharing!
This is one of my husbands very favorite meals!
Oooh – this looks perfect for my family. Plus I have a Costco-size package of fresh tortillas that need to be used up!
Thanks so much for all of the great recipes.
We love Mexican food at my house so I can’t wait to try this one!
A slow cooker and freezer friendly meal? Count me in! 🙂 This looks absolutely delicious, Mel!
The popularity of slow cookers has come and gone throughout the years but I have remained loyal to mine, so any good slow cooker recipe is appreciated. This sounds wonderful and I plan to try it this weekend. Thanks so much, and thank you Jamie G.
This looks delish! I love it when I can prepare a meal for now and then have enough to stash in the freezer for later. I will be looking for a sirloin roast (hopefully on sale) today!
BTW, I saw that you were featured in the February/March edition of Taste of Home–SIMPLY DELICIOUS. It was just great to see the family picture, get the brownie batter dip recipe, etc. I got so excited!! You are so good to all of us, sharing your tried and true recipes…and life. I wish for you MUCH SUCCESS and GREAT HAPPINESS!
Thanks, Ruth – it was fun to be part of that Taste of Home issue!
The only meat my husband will eat is chicken. I wonder if this recipe would work the same. Maybe 2lbs chicken breast? We will find out today!
Looks so good. I’ll be making these this weekend!
You had me at freezer meal:) which I happened to have an extra over your naked ziti for a friend in need. Now to get an extra freezer and go freezer meal crazy:) broken dishwasher makes cooking fun fun fun. Lol thanks for your great recipes
You say “slow cooker” and I say YES!
You say “Enchiladas” and I say YES, the sequel. This is basically my most favorite meal ever and I want to eat it RIGHT NOW.
Pinned!
Hi Mel!
This looks delicious! I don’t have a beef roast on hand so I’m going to be brave and try with a flank steak I have that’s in desperate need of saving from the freezer. I’ll report back with my results. Have a great day!
Thank you Mel and super sweet Jamie for sharing! We just put a beef in the freezer this past November. And this out-of-the-home working mom’s heart goes into overdrive finding these kind of delicious recipes for the crock pot. I will come back and comment after making.