Beef Chuck Tacos with Chipotle Crema

Succulent beef chuck tacos with a hands-off slow cooker prep topped with chipotle crema and fresh toppings are a dinner time treat for the whole family! The tender shredded beef is richly flavored with a dry rub and chipotle marinade. The smooth chipotle crema adds subtle spice and plays well with the crunchy cabbage, radishes, and cilantro for the perfect taco combo.

Beef chuck roast in the slow cooker is a great option for meal prep! The recipe yields a big batch and the meat freezes beautifully with some extra cooking juices stirred in. Once you have this shredded beef in your freezer stash, delicious weeknight tacos are easy! Prep the toppings and chipotle crema while the beef heats and have dinner in under 20 minutes.

Salsas are an important part of good tacos, and this smooth chipotle crema is a good one.  If you want an alternative, try this Creamy Cilantro Pepita Dressing!  It's got lime, cotija cheese, and bright cilantro to check some big flavor boxes for your tacos.

Ingredients for Beef Chuck Tacos

I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Beef Chuck Roast - Chuck roast is a relatively inexpensive but tougher cut of meat with plenty of fat and connective tissue to melt away in a slow and low cooking method.  This yields super tender beef with big flavor.  Boneless chuck roasts usually range from 3 to 5 pounds in size and can be found at any supermarket.
• Ground Spices - A combination of chili powder, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika yields a dry rub with smoky and earthy savory notes and brighter citrusy aroma.
• Beef Stock - Beef stock provides moisture during the early part of the cooking process, plus some umami flavor.  You can substitute chicken stock in the recipe as well.
• Tomato Paste - Tomato paste blends with the chipotles and garlic for a base layer of flavor in the marinade that cooks right along with the cubed chuck roast.
• Chipotles in Adobo - Found in the international food aisle of your supermarket or at your favorite Hispanic grocery store, chipotles in adobo are a canned product that provide huge flavor. Chipotles are smoked, dried jalapeños that get rehydrated in a tangy tomato-based sauce with garlic and vinegar.  They are spicy right out of the can but mellow out during the slow cooking process.
• Garlic - Extra garlic is added to the marinade puree to add flavor.  No chopping needed here, just peel the cloves and blend them up.

Ingredients for Chipotle Crema

• Chipotles in Adobo - Chipotles in the crema aren’t coked, so they retain more of their heat. One chipotle is enough to give good flavor, but if you prefer extra spicy salsa, add two!
• Lime Juice - Use fresh limes in this recipe for best flavor.
• Mayonnaise - Creamy mayo provides a good base to the crema, feel free to use your favorite brand here.
• Sour Cream - Use full-fat sour cream for the best texture and flavor in the crema.
• Garlic Powder -  Add concentrated garlic flavor to the crema with garlic powder. The powder blends up more smoothly than fresh cloves of garlic with a mellow garlic flavor.

Prepare the Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker

Trim the chuck roast of any large fat pieces and cut it into 2- to 3-inch cubes.  Place the cubes into the crock of your slow cooker.

Combine the salt, chili powder, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Mix the dry rub together well.

Sprinkle the dry rub over the cubed beef right in the crock of the slow cooker.

Rub the beef well with your hands and make sure all surfaces are coated with the dry rub.

In a mini blender, combine half of the beef stock, tomato paste, chipotles, and garlic cloves.  Blend the ingredients together.  You can also use small food processor to combine the marinade ingredients.

Pour the marinade over the beef cubes. Use the remaining beef stock to rinse out the blender cup and add that stock to the beef cubes.

Place the top on the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low. When the beef is done, it should shred with minimal effort. The beef will have released lots of juices and fat will be in a layer at the top.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cubes of beef to a plate and pour the juices into a fat separator. If you don’t have a fat separator, use a spoon to skim the fat off of the surface of the cooking liquid.

Use two forks to shred the beef.  It should be easy to shred and you can remove any remaining pieces of fat at the same time.

Add the shredded beef back to the crock of the slow cooker. Pour about 1 cup of the cooking juices onto the beef and stir to coat.

Prepare the Chipotle Crema

Rinse out the blender cup you used for the beef marinade and add the chipotle, lime juice, garlic powder, sour cream, and mayonnaise.  Blend until smooth.

Taste the chipotle crema and adjust the salt if desired.  Transfer it to a small pitcher or bowl.

Assemble the Tacos

Steam or grill corn or flour tortillas right before assembly.  Shred your cabbage, slice the radishes, and collect any other desired toppings.

Bring the seasoned taco meat, warmed tortillas, chipotle crema, and any other desired toppings to the table.

Layer the beef, shredded cabbage, chipotle crema, and other toppings on top of the warmed tortillas.

Fold up the tacos and serve them with additional chipotle crema and lime wedges.

Chipotle Tips

Chipotles in adobo are full of flavor and great to add to braises, soups, and sauces.  A can usually has several chipotles and you don’t want them to go to waste! Remove any unused chipotles and place them on squares of plastic wrap. Wrap them tightly and store the bundles in the freezer. You can grab one at a time in the future and they thaw quickly.

Equipment

A few kitchen tools make beef chuck tacos easy to prepare. Here are notes on the items we use in this recipe:

• Slow Cooker - A 7- to 8-quart slow cooker has plenty of capacity for all of your favorite recipes.  Slow cookers vary in their cooking time, so keep that in mind.  The model I use switches from cook mode to warming after the time has elapsed, which is a great feature. If you have a vintage slow cooker, you may find that it heats to a lower temperature on a “low” setting than newer versions and you’ll need to cook for more time to reach the same level of doneness.
• Single-Serve Blender - A small blender is a great tool for sauces and marinades that might get lost in a larger blender pitcher.  Bullet blenders or smoothie blenders are the perfect size. They offer great power for breaking down ingredients into a smooth puree for both the marinade and the chipotle crema.
• Fat Separator - These pitchers have a spout at the bottom so that fat is removed while you can keep the flavorful cooking liquid. When cooking juices are added to the cup, the fat floats to the top after a few minutes. These are great for making gravy from roasts or turkey or for separating braising liquid. The cooking liquid from these beef chuck tacos is loaded with flavor you don't want to lose!

Serving Suggestions

Shredded beef chuck roast in the slow cooker has so many uses beyond these tacos! Try the meat in burritos, quesadillas, tortas, nachos, rice bowls, and more. You can add barbecue sauce to the beef and make delicious shredded beef sandwiches, too.

Make This Recipe Kid Friendly

Despite the chipotles, this beef cooks up with a very mild spice level and kids love it. Try it in nachos and tacos!  We serve the tacos to the pickier eaters with familiar kid-approved toppings like shredded cheddar, lettuce, or sour cream.

Storage

Store shredded beef in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  You can freeze the beef for up to 3 months.  If you plan on freezing the beef, add extra cooking juices to avoid drying out the meat when you freeze and reheat it. 

Store Chipotle Crema in a squeeze bottle or sealed jar for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Make Ahead Options

This recipe is perfect for a make-ahead meal. You can even cook the beef chuck in the slow cooker overnight! Separate the beef from the juices and shred it in the morning for a party. You can add extra juices and keep the beef heated on the warm setting on your slow cooker.

Add shredded beef to rice along with drained black beans, salsa, and cheese for a meal prep situation that will reheat perfectly all week long.