Crock Pot Spicy Shredded Beef Tacos

If you've been around me at all in the last few weeks, you've probably heard me talk about Pinterest. I'm so sorry to sound like a broken record! I found this recipe during my daily Pinterest crawl. It's so good. And so spicy. I just had leftovers for lunch, and my mouth is still tingling (but I like that). Once again, I forgot to take pictures, but you can see the original recipe here, and she has gorgeous ones.

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos Recipe


(Adapted from My Kitchen Addiction)

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds beef (boneless chuck roast)

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (I love spice and used two!)

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Flour tortillas

Favorite taco toppings (**ideas below**)

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.

Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit in the skillet), place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side.

Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.

Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.

Some topping ideas include:
guacamole or avocado
fresh salsa
Mexican rice
grated cheese
fresh lettuce
tomato
onion
cilantro
squeeze of lime juice

Kelly's note: Yesterday, I was in a hurry when I threw this together. I didn't do anything but throw the (frozen) roast into the crock pot, chop up 2 canned chipotle peppers, and scoop in some of the adobo sauce from the can. That was it. The meat was still really tasty!