Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

spring hill ranch's southwestern shredded beef

(3 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Wiley P
Sierra Vista, AZ

Shredded meats are a staple in Southwestern cooking. When we're in need of a pile of shredded beef, we have to look no further than our freezer for a big chunk of beef. Personally, I like the flavors presented by the fattier chunks like chuck or arm roasts, but I sure won't argue if all we have sitting around is a leaner cut, either! This recipe calls for a slow cooker and it does a great job there. You can also adjust this for using a pressure cooker or even cooking it over charcoal in a Dutch oven.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Full of Southwest flavors and spices, this shredded beef recipe is so good - and easy! The beef becomes so tender it melts in your mouth. There are so many ways to enjoy this slow-cooked beef... enchiladas, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, as a sandwich, etc. The best part about this shredded beef is the aroma of Southwest flavors that fill your kitchen while it's in the slow cooker.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 8 Hr 30 Min
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For spring hill ranch's southwestern shredded beef

  • 4-5 lb
    beef roast, top sirloin, eye of round, beef bottom round, arm or chuck
  • 2 tsp
    freshly coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 c
    beef broth
  • 3
    New Mexico #6 or Big Jim green chiles, roasted, peeled and diced (or 1 7-ounce can chopped green chiles)
  • 1 lg
    white or yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1-5 md
    chipotle chiles in adobo (1 for mild; 5 for spicy)
  • 2 tsp
    garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    chopped fresh Mexican oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried flakes)
  • 2 tsp
    New Mexican chili powder (from Chimayo if you can find it)
  • 2 tsp
    freshly ground cumin
  • 1 tsp
    ground cayenne pepper

How To Make spring hill ranch's southwestern shredded beef

Test Kitchen Tips
We looked but couldn't find the New Mexico chiles in our area so we used the canned green chiles option. It was still super good. Also, we tested this with 5 chipotle peppers and it was very spicy. Definitely scale the chipotle peppers based on your preference.
  • Trimming the roast.
    1
    Trim the roast of any excess fat and cut it into four relatively equal chunks. Rub the pieces with the black pepper and set them aside.
  • Broth, green chiles, onion, chipotles, and seasonings added to the slow cooker.
    2
    In the slow cooker, stir together the broth, green chiles, onion, chipotles, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder, ground cumin, and cayenne.
  • Tucking the pieces of meat into the slow cooker.
    3
    Add the pieces of beef, tucking them down into the sauce mixture. If the sauce/liquid does not come at least 1/3 of the way up the beef pieces, add enough water to do that.
  • Letting the beef cook in the slow cooker.
    4
    Cover and cook on the high setting until the meat begins to fall apart, about 8 hours. Check every once in awhile and, if necessary, add water to keep the roast from drying out.
  • Shredding the beef in a baking dish.
    5
    Turn the slow cooker down to the low setting and remove meat to a large bowl or 9x13 baking dish. Shred the meat using two forks.
  • Shredded beef back in the slow cooker.
    6
    Return the meat to the slow cooker and cook it about 20 minutes to reheat and deepen the seasoning before serving.
  • 7
    We will often freeze this in one-pound amounts so it's easy to grab a bag an make a bunch of burritos or tacos. It'll keep in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for 6 months (not that you'll ever have it there that long!).
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